2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements
How to Homeschool in New Mexico
Yes, you can homeschool your child in New Mexico. You do not need a teaching license or an approved curriculum; the Department approves no materials, and you choose your books, your methods and your calendar. New Mexico asks three things of a home school: register it with the Public Education Department, keep immunization records or a waiver, and have a teacher who holds at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026
Free printable guide
The New Mexico homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027
One page to keep: what New Mexico requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.
What New Mexico homeschool law requires
The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from the Public School Code (NMSA 1978, sections 22-1-2, 22-1-2.1 and 22-12-2) and the Department's registration form:
| Requirement | What New Mexico asks | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Notify the Public Education Department within 30 days of establishing your home school, and again on or before August 1 of each later year, on the Department's home school registration form, online or on paper. Nothing is approved; the notice is the whole filing. | NMSA 1978 § 22-1-2.1; PED, Home Schooling |
| The program | A parent's home study program providing a basic academic education, including reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. The depth, the books and the methods are yours; the Department approves no curriculum. | NMSA 1978 § 22-1-2 |
| Teacher | The person teaching holds at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. | NMSA 1978 § 22-1-2.1 |
| Records, tests, hours | Keep records of each child's immunizations, or of the waiver, at home. No test, no portfolio, no reports and no days or hours: the home school law sets none, and the 1,140-hour year in section 22-2-8.1 is written for the public schools. | NMSA 1978 § 22-1-2.1; PED FAQ |
| Ages and diploma | Compulsory attendance covers a child who is five by September 1 until at least eighteen, unless graduated or holding a high school equivalency credential. A home school issues its own diploma; a New Mexico state diploma comes only through a public school's graduation requirements. | NMSA 1978 § 22-12-2; PED FAQ |
PED: home schooling (register online) PED's home schooling questions
How to start homeschooling in New Mexico
- Register your home school with the Public Education Department on its home school registration form, online or on paper, within 30 days of establishing it, and again on or before August 1 of each later year. Nothing is approved; the notice is the whole filing.
- Withdraw your child from the public school.
- Plan a basic academic education including reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. The depth, books and methods are yours; Faith Schooling covers the first three subjects, and you add social studies and science.
- Plan the year. New Mexico counts no days or hours for a home school (the 1,140-hour year in section 22-2-8.1 is written for the public schools); the free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan.
- Keep records of each child's immunizations, or of the waiver, at home, with your August registration and a dated stack of finished work.
How Faith Schooling covers New Mexico's requirements
New Mexico sets no days or hours for a home school; the 1,140-hour year in its code is written for the public schools. A year of 36 weeks with four or five mornings a week is the common shape, and it is yours to set.
New Mexico's definition of a home school names five areas of a basic academic education, and three are ours in full: reading and language arts are Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden, mathematics is Building Number Sense, each a sequenced textbook with a teaching guide for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 5, taught by a parent who holds the diploma the law asks for. Social studies and science are yours to choose.
New Mexico asks for each child's immunization records, or the waiver, 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
- 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
- Social studies and science
- Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
- Bible
- The Apostolic Academy not something New Mexico 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 New Mexico does not require, and you should still do
- Place your child. New Mexico tests no homeschooled child; HARVEST, the free placement check, names the grade and quarter to start in reading and math.
- Plan the year. New Mexico counts no days or hours; the Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan.
- Keep the registration and the pages. Your August registration is your proof of compliance; a dated stack of finished work is the record a school will want if your child ever enrolls.
HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy
Common questions
- What is required to homeschool in New Mexico?
- Registration with the Public Education Department within 30 days of starting and by August 1 each year after, a teaching parent with a high school diploma or its equivalent, a basic academic education including reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science, and immunization records (or the waiver) kept at home. No test, portfolio, reports, hours or curriculum approval.
- How do I start homeschooling in New Mexico?
- File the Department's registration form within 30 days of starting, withdraw your child, and plan the five subjects.
- What qualifications do I need to homeschool in New Mexico?
- The person teaching holds at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. No teaching license.
- Are standardized tests required for New Mexico homeschoolers?
- No. The home school law sets no test, portfolio or report.
- How many instructional hours does New Mexico require?
- None for a home school. The 1,140-hour year in section 22-2-8.1 is written for the public schools.
- Can I homeschool kindergarten in New Mexico?
- Yes. Compulsory attendance covers a child who is five by September 1, so registration begins with the kindergarten year.
Official New Mexico homeschool resources
Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Public School Code and the Public Education Department are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.
- New Mexico Legislature — Fiscal Impact Report on Senate Bill 234 (2021), which sets out NMSA 1978 § 22-1-2.1 in full: the notice within thirty days and by August 1, the immunization records or waiver, the teacher's high school diploma or equivalent — checked 2026-10-08
- New Mexico Legislature — House Bill 236 (2019), as enacted, carrying § 22-12-2: a school-age person attends a public school, private school, home school or state institution until at least eighteen — checked 2026-10-08
- NMSA 1978 § 22-1-2.1, Home school; requirements, and § 22-1-2, the definitions of a home school and a school-age person, at the Compilation Commission
- Public Education Department — Home Schooling and its Frequently Asked Questions (the online registration)