What is required to homeschool in Washington, D.C.?

A Notification of Intent to OSSE at least 15 business days before you begin and a continuation notification by August 15 each year, a high school diploma or its equivalent (or OSSE's waiver), thorough and regular instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education, and a portfolio OSSE may review. No test, no hours, no curriculum approval.

How do I start homeschooling in Washington, D.C.?

File the notification through the DC Homeschool portal with your diploma, wait for OSSE's verification letter, withdraw your child, and start the portfolio.

Do I need a diploma to homeschool in D.C.?

Yes: a high school diploma or its equivalent. A parent without one may petition OSSE for a waiver with evidence of the ability to provide thorough, regular education. Only a parent or legal guardian may give the instruction.

Are standardized tests required for D.C. homeschoolers?

No. A homeschooled child may take the public school's regularly scheduled standardized tests free of charge; OSSE's FAQ says to email the public schools' testing office at least 40 business days ahead.

What does OSSE's portfolio review involve?

A written request at least 30 days ahead, a review online or in person at a mutually agreeable time and place, written feedback on strengths and areas for growth, and a corrective action plan if the program is found deficient, answered in writing within 30 business days. No more than two reviews a school year, and no regular periodic review.

Can I homeschool kindergarten in Washington, D.C.?

Yes. Compulsory attendance begins with a child who is five on or before September 30 of the school year, so the notification is due from that year.

Does OSSE issue a diploma or transcript?

No. The regulations do not let OSSE create report cards or transcripts for homeschooled students; your records are your own, and a child returning to a public school is placed by evaluation.

2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements

How to Homeschool in Washington, D.C.

Yes, you can homeschool your child in Washington, D.C. You do not need a teaching license or an approved curriculum; you need a high school diploma or its equivalent (or OSSE's waiver), a Notification of Intent to OSSE 15 business days before you begin and a continuation notice each August, instruction in eight named subjects, and a portfolio OSSE may ask to see. You choose the books, the methods and the hours.

Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 9 October 2026

What Washington, D.C. homeschool law requires

The District of Columbia is not a state, and its homeschool rules come from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) under Chapter 52 of Title 5-A of the D.C. Municipal Regulations, written under the compulsory attendance law. They ask more of the paperwork than most states and nothing of the curriculum: a notice before you begin, a notice each August, a diploma or a waiver, eight subjects, and a portfolio OSSE may ask to see.

Washington, D.C.: homeschool requirements at a glance
Requirement	What Washington, D.C. asks	Where it says so
Notification	A Notification of Intent to Homeschool on OSSE's form, submitted at least 15 business days (Saturdays, Sundays and District holidays not counted) before the first date of home instruction, consenting to the chapter's requirements. OSSE emails a verification letter, and its FAQ puts the review at about ten calendar days; all forms go through the DC Homeschool portal.	5-A DCMR § 5202; OSSE, Local Requirements; OSSE FAQ (December 2019)
Each year	A Notification of Homeschool Continuation identifying each child, by August 15 of each year the program continues; written notice to OSSE 15 business days before you stop.	5-A DCMR § 5203; OSSE, Local Requirements
Teacher	The parent or legal guardian, holding a high school diploma or its equivalent; a parent without one may petition OSSE for a waiver with evidence of the ability to provide thorough, regular education. Only a parent or legal guardian may give the instruction.	5-A DCMR §§ 5207, 5299; OSSE FAQ
Program and subjects	Thorough, regular instruction of sufficient duration to carry out your program, including at least language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education. No public-school method or curricular framework is required, and no days or hours are set.	5-A DCMR § 5204
Portfolio and review	A portfolio for each child with evidence of current work (writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials, assessments), kept for at least one year and available to OSSE on written request. OSSE may ask to review it, in writing at least 30 days ahead, online or in person at a mutually agreeable time and place, no more than twice a school year; no regular periodic review is required. Written feedback follows, and a corrective action plan if the program is found deficient, answered in writing within 30 business days.	5-A DCMR §§ 5205, 5206, 5208; OSSE, Student Portfolio Review
Tests	None required. A homeschooled child may take the public school's regularly scheduled standardized tests free of charge; OSSE's FAQ says to email the public schools' testing office at least 40 business days ahead.	5-A DCMR § 5209; OSSE FAQ
Ages and withdrawing	Compulsory attendance from a child who is five on or before September 30 of the school year until 18. No permission from the school is needed to begin; withdraw the child properly so the school's truancy reporting is right. A child who returns to a D.C. public school is placed, with any credits, by evaluation.	D.C. Code § 38-202(a); 5-A DCMR § 5210; OSSE FAQ

Homeschooling in the District: Local Requirements (OSSE) Student Portfolio Review (OSSE)

How to start homeschooling in Washington, D.C.

Submit the Notification of Intent to Homeschool through OSSE's DC Homeschool portal at least 15 business days before the first day of home instruction (Saturdays, Sundays and District holidays do not count), with your high school diploma or its equivalent, or a petition for a waiver with evidence that you can provide thorough, regular education. OSSE emails a verification letter; its FAQ puts the review at about ten calendar days.
Withdraw your child from the school once the letter arrives. No permission is needed, but withdraw properly so the school's truancy reporting is right; a child who received special education services loses them on withdrawal, though the District's child-find duty continues.
Teach the eight subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education. Faith Schooling covers language arts and mathematics; you add the rest. No public-school method, framework or hour count applies.
Keep a portfolio for each child: writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials and assessments, held for at least one year. OSSE may ask to review it in writing at least 30 days ahead, online or in person at a mutually agreeable time and place, no more than twice a school year.
File the Notification of Homeschool Continuation by August 15 each year the program continues, naming each child, and give OSSE 15 business days' written notice if you stop.

How Faith Schooling covers Washington, D.C.'s requirements

Washington, D.C. counts no days or hours: the regulation asks for thorough, regular instruction of sufficient duration to carry out your program, and leaves the duration to you.

The District's eight subjects are the public schools' breadth without their curriculum: the regulation says no public-school method or framework is required. Faith Schooling's reading, language arts and mathematics programs are sequenced textbooks that cover language arts and mathematics week by week and leave the dated pages a portfolio review looks for; science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education are yours to choose.

Washington, D.C. asks for a portfolio of each child's current work, kept for at least one year and shown to OSSE on written request. The dated, finished pages of each program are that record, and a HARVEST report is a placement note for the file.

Language arts: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden reading in Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency; grammar, writing and composition in Grammar Garden
Mathematics: Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
Science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education: Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
Bible: The Apostolic Academy not something Washington, D.C. requires; free: Scripture memory, Bible study and printables for the family

The curriculum map Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency Grammar Garden Building Number Sense

Public school access and other opportunities in Washington, D.C.

The District opens its tests and its transit to a homeschooled child, and keeps its child-find duty:

A child receiving home schooling may participate free of charge in the regularly scheduled standardized testing programs administered in the public school the child is eligible to attend (§ 5209.1). Source: 5-A DCMR Chapter 52, District of Columbia Home Schooling (OSSE), read 9 October 2026.
Homeschooled students are eligible for free transportation through the Kids Ride Free program with a government-issued ID and proof of DC residence; the District's obligation to locate, identify and evaluate children for special education continues after a child begins homeschooling, while specialized instruction and related services end on withdrawal from a public school. Source: OSSE, DC Homeschool Frequently Asked Questions (December 2019), read 9 October 2026.

What Washington, D.C. does not require, and you should still do

Place your child. Washington, D.C. requires no test; HARVEST, the free placement check, names the grade and quarter to start in reading and math, and its report is a page for the portfolio.
Plan the year. The regulation sets no days or hours; the Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan, and a plan with dates is the plainest proof of thorough, regular instruction a reviewer can see.
Keep the portfolio as you go. Set a few dated pages aside from each subject every month, and a review on 30 days' notice is a folder you already have.

HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy

Common questions

What is required to homeschool in Washington, D.C.?: A Notification of Intent to OSSE at least 15 business days before you begin and a continuation notification by August 15 each year, a high school diploma or its equivalent (or OSSE's waiver), thorough and regular instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education, and a portfolio OSSE may review. No test, no hours, no curriculum approval.
How do I start homeschooling in Washington, D.C.?: File the notification through the DC Homeschool portal with your diploma, wait for OSSE's verification letter, withdraw your child, and start the portfolio.
Do I need a diploma to homeschool in D.C.?: Yes: a high school diploma or its equivalent. A parent without one may petition OSSE for a waiver with evidence of the ability to provide thorough, regular education. Only a parent or legal guardian may give the instruction.
Are standardized tests required for D.C. homeschoolers?: No. A homeschooled child may take the public school's regularly scheduled standardized tests free of charge; OSSE's FAQ says to email the public schools' testing office at least 40 business days ahead.
What does OSSE's portfolio review involve?: A written request at least 30 days ahead, a review online or in person at a mutually agreeable time and place, written feedback on strengths and areas for growth, and a corrective action plan if the program is found deficient, answered in writing within 30 business days. No more than two reviews a school year, and no regular periodic review.
Can I homeschool kindergarten in Washington, D.C.?: Yes. Compulsory attendance begins with a child who is five on or before September 30 of the school year, so the notification is due from that year.
Does OSSE issue a diploma or transcript?: No. The regulations do not let OSSE create report cards or transcripts for homeschooled students; your records are your own, and a child returning to a public school is placed by evaluation.

Official Washington, D.C. homeschool resources

Read from the District's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The D.C. Code, the Municipal Regulations and OSSE are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.

Homeschool laws in nearby states

Compare all fifty states and Washington, D.C.