2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements
How to Homeschool in Colorado
Yes, you can homeschool your child in Colorado. You do not need a teaching license or state-approved materials; you choose your curriculum and your calendar. Colorado asks for a short written notice to a school district before you begin and each year after, 172 days of instruction a year, and a test or evaluation in five of the school grades.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026
Free printable guide
The Colorado homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027
One page to keep: what Colorado requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.
What Colorado homeschool law requires
The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from Colorado Revised Statutes section 22-33-104.5 and the Department of Education:
| Requirement | What Colorado asks | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | Written notification to any Colorado school district 14 days before you start and each year after, stating only each child's name, age, place of residence and number of hours of attendance. No notice is needed until a child is six, no program until seven, and neither after sixteen. | C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5 |
| Days | 172 days of instruction a year, averaging four contact hours a day, on the calendar you choose. | C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5 |
| Subjects and teacher | The communication skills of reading, writing and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular instruction in the United States Constitution. The parent, or an adult relative the parent designates, teaches; no license or qualification. | C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5 |
| Tests | A nationally standardized achievement test, or an evaluation by a qualified person (a licensed teacher, a private school teacher, a licensed psychologist, or someone with a graduate degree in education), when your child reaches grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, with the results sent to the district that received your notice or to an independent or parochial school. A composite above the 13th percentile keeps the exemption; a child may be retested. | C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5 |
| Records | Attendance, test and evaluation results, and immunization records, kept at home and produced only on 14 days' written notice if a superintendent has probable cause to think the program is out of compliance. No curriculum approval. | C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5 |
| Other routes | Enrolling in an independent or parochial school's home-based program, or instruction by a licensed teacher. | C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5; CDE's homeschool law page |
CDE: the homeschool law CDE: homeschool questions and answers
How to start homeschooling in Colorado
- Write the notice: each child's name, age, place of residence and number of hours of attendance, and send it to any Colorado school district at least 14 days before you begin, then each year after. No notice is needed before a child is six.
- Withdraw your child from the public school once the 14 days have run, or start the notice early enough that they have.
- Plan 172 days averaging four contact hours a day across the named subjects; the free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns the days and hours into a printable plan and an hour count.
- Choose your materials. Colorado approves no curriculum; Faith Schooling's programs cover reading, writing and mathematics, and you add history, civics, literature, science and the Constitution.
- Arrange the test or evaluation when your child reaches grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, send the result to the district that received your notice, and keep attendance, test and immunization records at home.
How Faith Schooling covers Colorado's requirements
Colorado asks for 172 days a year averaging four contact hours a day, about 688 hours in all: 36 weeks of five days, or 43 weeks of four. The four hours are an average across the year, not a daily minimum.
Colorado's list reads like a Faith Schooling table of contents: the communication skills of reading, writing and speaking are Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden, mathematics is Building Number Sense, and reading aloud from any of them is the speaking. History, civics, literature beyond the readers, science and the Constitution are yours to choose; the Apostolic Academy's free study guides carry the Scripture and character work many families count toward civics.
Colorado asks for attendance, test and evaluation results, and immunization records, kept at home. The dated, finished pages of each program are that record, and a HARVEST report is a placement note for the file.
- Reading
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency K–5 reading textbooks in four quarterly volumes a year, with complete teaching guides
- Writing and speaking
- Grammar Garden K–5 language and writing coursebooks, four a year, with Preceptor Guides
- Mathematics
- Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
- Literature
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency
- History, civics, science and the United States Constitution
- Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
- Bible
- The Apostolic Academy not something Colorado requires; free: Scripture memory, Bible study and printables for the family
The curriculum map Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency Grammar Garden Building Number Sense HARVEST placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder
What Colorado does not require, and you should still do
- Place your child before grade 3. Colorado's first test comes at the end of third grade; HARVEST, the free placement check, tells you at the start where your child stands in reading and math and names the grade and quarter to begin.
- Plan the 172 days. The Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan and an hour count, so the hours you state on the notice are the hours you keep.
- Keep the records the law names in one folder: attendance, immunizations, and each test or evaluation. The dated pages of the year sit beside them.
HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy
Common questions
- What is required to homeschool in Colorado?
- A written notice to a school district 14 days before you start and each year after, 172 days of instruction averaging four hours a day, the named subjects, a test or evaluation in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, and attendance, test and immunization records kept at home.
- How do I start homeschooling in Colorado?
- Send the one-page notice to any Colorado school district 14 days before you begin, plan 172 days, choose your materials, and keep the records the law names. The notice is repeated each year.
- Are standardized tests required for Colorado homeschoolers?
- In grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11: a nationally standardized achievement test, or an evaluation by a licensed teacher, a private school teacher, a licensed psychologist or a person with a graduate degree in education. A composite above the 13th percentile keeps the exemption, and a child may be retested.
- How many instructional hours does Colorado require?
- 172 days a year averaging four contact hours a day, about 688 hours; the four hours are an average across the year, not a daily minimum.
- Can I homeschool kindergarten in Colorado?
- Yes, and no notice is needed: the notice is required from age six and the program from seven, and neither after sixteen.
- What homeschool forms must I submit in Colorado?
- The written notice (your own letter, or a district's form) before you start and yearly after, and the test or evaluation results in the five named grades. Records are produced only on 14 days' written notice if a superintendent has probable cause to think the program is out of compliance.
Official Colorado homeschool resources
Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Revised Statutes and the Department of Education are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 22 (the legislature's PDF) — § 22-33-104.5, home-based education: the notice, 172 days, the subjects, the evaluations, the records, the 13th percentile — checked 2026-10-08
- Colorado Department of Education — Homeschool Law (the statute in plain terms) — checked 2026-10-08
- Colorado Department of Education — frequently asked questions about home schooling — checked 2026-10-08