2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements
How to Homeschool in Maine
Yes, you can homeschool your child in Maine. You do not need a teaching license or an approved curriculum; the Department sets no curriculum standards for home instruction, and you choose your materials and your calendar. Maine asks for a notice of intent when you begin, 175 days of instruction in a set of subjects, and one assessment of progress each year.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026
Free printable guide
The Maine homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027
One page to keep: what Maine requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.
What Maine homeschool law requires
The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A and the Department of Education:
| Requirement | What Maine asks | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of intent | Within 10 calendar days of beginning, to the superintendent of your district and to the Commissioner at the same time; the Department's home instruction portal sends one notice to both, and a paper form is accepted. It gives your name, signature and address, your child's name and age, the start date, and two assurances: 175 days of instruction in the required subjects, and an annual assessment. An acknowledgment comes by email. | 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A; Maine DOE, Home Instruction |
| Subjects | English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills and fine arts; Maine studies in at least one grade from 6 to 12; and, once between grades 7 and 12, proficiency in the use of computers. | 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A |
| Days | At least 175 days of instruction a year. No hourly requirement, per day or per year, and no set calendar. | 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A; Maine DOE FAQ |
| The yearly letter and assessment | Each later year, by September 1, a letter continuing home instruction with one of five assessments of the year just finished: a standardized achievement test; a test developed or used by your local school unit; a review by a person who holds a current Maine teacher's certificate; a portfolio presented to a local homeschooling support group whose members include a certified Maine teacher or administrator; or a review by a local advisory board chosen by the superintendent, made up of one school employee and two home instruction tutors. | 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A |
| Teacher, curriculum, ages | No teacher qualification and no curriculum approval. The state issues no grades, credits, transcripts or diplomas for home instruction; your records are your own. Compulsory attendance from 6 to 17; a 5-year-old enrolled in a public school must attend until withdrawn. | 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A; Maine DOE |
Maine DOE: home instruction requirements and forms File a notice of intent (Home Instruction Portal)
How to start homeschooling in Maine
- File the notice of intent within 10 calendar days of beginning, to your district superintendent and the Commissioner at once through the Department's home instruction portal (a paper form is accepted): your name, signature and address, your child's name and age, the start date, and two assurances, 175 days of instruction in the required subjects and an annual assessment. An acknowledgment comes by email.
- Withdraw your child from the public school.
- Plan at least 175 days in the eight subjects: English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills and fine arts, with Maine studies in one grade from 6 to 12 and computer proficiency once between grades 7 and 12. Faith Schooling covers English and language arts and math; you add the rest. The free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan and a day count.
- Keep the pages dated. A portfolio review, by a certified Maine teacher or a support group, is one of the five assessments, and it rests on dated work.
- Each later year, by September 1, send a letter continuing home instruction with one of five assessments of the year just finished: a standardized achievement test; a test developed or used by your local school unit; a review by a person holding a current Maine teacher's certificate; a portfolio presented to a local homeschooling support group that includes a certified Maine teacher or administrator; or a review by a local advisory board chosen by the superintendent.
How Faith Schooling covers Maine's requirements
Maine asks for at least 175 days of instruction a year, with no hour count, per day or per year: 35 weeks of five days, or 44 weeks of four.
Two of Maine's eight subjects are ours in full: English and language arts are Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden, math is Building Number Sense, each a sequenced textbook with a teaching guide for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 5. Their dated, finished pages are the portfolio two of Maine's five assessments review, and the scope printed in each book is what a certified teacher reads first. Science, social studies, physical education, health, library skills and fine arts are yours to choose.
Maine asks for a letter each September continuing home instruction, with one of five assessments of the year just finished. The dated, finished pages of each program are that record, and a HARVEST report is a placement note for the file.
- English and language arts
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden reading in Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency; grammar, writing and composition in Grammar Garden
- Math
- Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
- Library skills
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency K–5 reading textbooks in four quarterly volumes a year, with complete teaching guides
- Science, social studies, physical education, health education and fine arts
- Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
- Bible
- The Apostolic Academy not something Maine 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 Maine does not require, and you should still do
- Place your child. A standardized test is one of Maine's five assessment options, never the required one; HARVEST, the free placement check, names the grade and quarter to start in reading and math.
- Plan the 175 days. The Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan, and the day count on the September letter is the count you kept.
- Keep the pages dated. A portfolio review, by a certified teacher or a support group, is the assessment most families choose, and it rests on dated work.
HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy
Common questions
- What is required to homeschool in Maine?
- A notice of intent within 10 days of beginning, 175 days a year in the eight required subjects, and, by September 1 each later year, a letter continuing home instruction with one of five assessments of the year just finished. No teacher qualification, no curriculum approval, no hour count.
- How do I start homeschooling in Maine?
- File the notice through the Department's home instruction portal within 10 days of beginning, withdraw your child, plan 175 days in the eight subjects, and choose the assessment you will use next September.
- Are standardized tests required for Maine homeschoolers?
- Not necessarily. A standardized achievement test is one of five assessment options; a certified teacher's review, a portfolio presented to a support group, a local school unit's test or a superintendent's advisory board are the others.
- How many instructional days does Maine require?
- At least 175 a year. No hourly requirement, per day or per year, and no set calendar.
- Can I homeschool kindergarten in Maine?
- Yes. Compulsory attendance runs from 6 to 17, so the notice is due from the year your child is six; a five-year-old enrolled in a public school must attend until withdrawn.
- Does Maine issue a homeschool diploma?
- No. The state issues no grades, credits, transcripts or diplomas for home instruction; your records are your own.
Official Maine homeschool resources
Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Maine Revised Statutes and the Department of Education are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.
- 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A — compulsory attendance, ages 6 to 17; home instruction: the notice within 10 days, the subjects, 175 days, the September 1 letter and the five assessments (as amended by P.L. 2025, c. 390) — checked 2026-10-08
- Maine Department of Education — Home Instruction Requirements, Forms & Laws: the portal, the paper notice, the subsequent-year letter — checked 2026-10-08
- Maine Department of Education — Home Instruction FAQ: 175 days with no hourly requirement, no curriculum standards, no state diploma or transcript, the email acknowledgment — checked 2026-10-08