2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements
How to Homeschool in New Jersey
Yes, you can homeschool your child in New Jersey. You do not need a teaching certificate or an approved curriculum; nothing is filed, nothing is approved, and you choose your books, your methods and your calendar. New Jersey's one requirement is in its attendance law: a child of compulsory age who is not in school receives equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school, which the courts read as academically equivalent to the local public schools'.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026
Free printable guide
The New Jersey homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027
One page to keep: what New Jersey requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.
What New Jersey homeschool law requires
The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from the compulsory education law (N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25) and the Department of Education's own answers:
| Requirement | What New Jersey asks | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Equivalent instruction | A child of compulsory age who is not in school receives instruction equivalent to that provided in the public schools for children of similar grades and attainments. Since State v. Massa (1967) that means academically equivalent, not identical: the subjects a public school teaches, by whatever books and methods you choose. The Department reads it as a broad program and names no checklist. | N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25; State v. Massa (1967); NJDOE FAQ |
| Notice | None required. The Department encourages you to tell your district in writing that your child is being educated at home, so no attendance question arises, and if your child is enrolled in a public school, to withdraw in writing. No form, registration or approval exists. | NJDOE, Homeschooling FAQ |
| Review, tests, hours, teacher | The law does not require or authorize the board of education to review or approve your curriculum. No test, no portfolio, no reports, no days or hours, and no teacher certification. You bear the cost; a district may lend textbooks but need not. | NJDOE, Homeschooling FAQ |
| Special education | A district must evaluate a homeschooled child for special education on your written request, and provides services if the child enrolls. | NJDOE, Homeschooling FAQ |
| Ages and diploma | Compulsory attendance from 6 to 16. The state issues no diploma for home education; a child who returns to a public school is placed by that school. | N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25; NJDOE |
NJDOE: homeschooling questions and answers NJDOE: student attendance and the compulsory education law
How to start homeschooling in New Jersey
- If your child is in a public school, withdraw in writing; the Department of Education encourages a written note to your district that your child is being educated at home, so no attendance question arises. No form, registration or approval exists.
- Choose materials that give instruction equivalent to the public schools' for children of similar grades and attainments: academically equivalent, not identical, since State v. Massa (1967). Faith Schooling's reading, language arts and mathematics programs are sequenced textbooks, and you add the rest.
- Plan the year. New Jersey counts no days or hours; the free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan.
- Keep the pages. Nothing is filed, but a dated stack of finished work is how equivalent instruction is shown if a question ever arises, and it is what a public school places a returning child on.
- Ask your district in writing if you want a special education evaluation; it must evaluate a homeschooled child on request, and provides services if the child enrolls.
How Faith Schooling covers New Jersey's requirements
New Jersey sets no days or hours. A year of 36 weeks with four or five mornings a week is the common shape, and it is yours to set.
New Jersey's one requirement is instruction academically equivalent to the public schools', and no board may review your curriculum to judge it. Faith Schooling's programs stand beside a public school's in the subjects they cover: a sequenced reading, language arts and mathematics textbook for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 5 with teaching guides and a printed scope, which is equivalence you can show on paper if the question is ever asked. Science, social studies, health and the arts are yours to choose.
New Jersey asks you to keep no records. Keep them anyway: the dated, finished pages of each program are your own record of the year, and they answer any question a school ever asks when a child moves between home and classroom.
- Reading
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency K–5 reading textbooks in four quarterly volumes a year, with complete teaching guides
- Language arts and writing
- 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
- Everything else
- Your choice New Jersey names no subjects; science, social studies, health and the arts are yours to choose
- Bible
- The Apostolic Academy not something New Jersey 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
Public school access and other opportunities in New Jersey
New Jersey's districts owe a homeschooled child one service on request, and may lend textbooks but need not:
- A district must evaluate a homeschooled child for special education on the parent's written request, and provides services if the child enrolls. Source: New Jersey Department of Education, Frequently Asked Questions: Homeschooling, read 8 October 2026.
What New Jersey does not require, and you should still do
- Place your child. New Jersey tests no homeschooled child; HARVEST, the free placement check, names the grade and quarter to start in reading and math.
- Plan the year. New Jersey counts no days or hours; the Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan.
- Keep the pages. Nothing is filed, but a dated stack of finished work is how equivalent instruction is shown if a question ever arises, and it is what a public school places a returning child on.
HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy
Common questions
- What is required to homeschool in New Jersey?
- Instruction equivalent to that provided in the public schools for children of similar grades and attainments. No notice, registration, approval, curriculum review, test, portfolio, reports, hours or teacher certification.
- How do I start homeschooling in New Jersey?
- Withdraw your child in writing if enrolled, send the district a note if you wish, choose your materials, and begin.
- Does New Jersey review my curriculum?
- No. The law does not require or authorize the board of education to review or approve it. You bear the cost; a district may lend textbooks but need not.
- Are standardized tests required for New Jersey homeschoolers?
- No. Nothing is tested and nothing is submitted.
- How many instructional hours does New Jersey require?
- None. The law asks for equivalent instruction, not days or hours.
- Can I homeschool kindergarten in New Jersey?
- Yes. Compulsory attendance runs from 6 to 16, and nothing is filed at any age.
Official New Jersey homeschool resources
Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The statutes, the courts and the Department of Education are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.
- New Jersey Department of Education — Frequently Asked Questions: Homeschooling (N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, no notice, no approval or testing, no certification, State v. Massa, textbooks, special education, diplomas) — checked 2026-10-08
- New Jersey Department of Education — Student Attendance: the compulsory education law, ages 6 to 16 — checked 2026-10-08
- New Jersey Legislature — the statutes database, for N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 itself