What is required to homeschool in New York?

A notice of intent to your superintendent by July 1 each year, an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) for each child, 180 days of instruction (900 hours in grades 1 to 6, 990 in grades 7 to 12) in the required subjects, four quarterly reports, and an annual assessment. No teacher qualification; the course content may differ from the public schools'.

How do I start homeschooling in New York?

Send the notice of intent, return the IHIP the district sends you, withdraw your child, plan the 180 days, and send the quarterly reports on the dates you set.

Are standardized tests required for New York homeschoolers?

From grade 4: a commercially published norm-referenced test at least every other year in grades 4 to 8, with a written narrative in the other years, and a test every year in grades 9 to 12. Grades 1 to 3 are assessed by narrative. A score above the 33rd percentile, or a year's growth, is adequate.

How many instructional hours does New York require?

180 days a year: 900 hours in grades 1 to 6 and 990 in grades 7 to 12, on days and at times you choose. Each quarterly report states the hours.

The Individualized Home Instruction Plan: for each required subject, the syllabi, curriculum materials and textbooks, or a plan of instruction; the dates of your four quarterly reports; and the instructor's name. It is due within four weeks of receiving the form or by August 15, whichever is later, and a dispute over it goes to the board and then the Commissioner.

Can I homeschool kindergarten in New York?

Yes. Compulsory attendance begins in the September after a child turns six on or before December 1, so the notice and IHIP are due from that year; a younger child needs nothing.

2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements

How to Homeschool in New York

Yes, you can homeschool your child in New York. You do not need a teaching license or an approved curriculum; you choose your books and your methods, and the district checks your plan against the regulation's list of subjects, not against its own judgment of them. New York asks for more paperwork than most states: a yearly notice and plan, four quarterly reports, 180 days of instruction, and an assessment each year.

Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October 2026

Free printable guide

The New York homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027

Two pages to keep: what New York requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.

Download the PDF (323 KB)

What New York homeschool law requires

The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from the Commissioner's regulation 8 NYCRR 100.10, Education Law § 3205 and the State Education Department's home instruction answers:

New York: homeschool requirements at a glance
Requirement	What New York asks	Where it says so
Notice	A written notice of intent to your superintendent by July 1 each year, or within 14 days of starting mid-year or moving in. Within 10 business days the district sends you the regulation and an IHIP form for each child.	8 NYCRR § 100.10; NYSED, Home Instruction
The IHIP	The Individualized Home Instruction Plan, within four weeks of receiving the form or by August 15, whichever is later: for each required subject, the syllabi, curriculum materials and textbooks, or a plan of instruction; the dates of your four quarterly reports; and the name of the instructor. The district tells you within 10 business days whether it complies; a deficiency can be corrected within 15 days, and a dispute goes to the board and then the Commissioner.	8 NYCRR § 100.10; NYSED questions and answers
Subjects	For grades 1 to 6: arithmetic, reading, spelling, writing, the English language, geography, United States history, science, health, music, visual arts and physical education; grades 7 to 12 carry their own unit lists. Every grade includes patriotism and citizenship, fire and arson prevention, alcohol, drug and tobacco misuse, and highway and bicycle safety. The course content may differ from the public schools'.	8 NYCRR § 100.10
Days and quarterly reports	180 days of instruction a year: 900 hours in grades 1 to 6 and 990 in grades 7 to 12, on days and at times you choose. Four quarterly reports to the district, each with the hours of instruction, the material covered in each subject, and a grade or a written narrative.	8 NYCRR § 100.10
Annual assessment	With the fourth report: in grades 1 to 3 a written narrative; in grades 4 to 8 a commercially published norm-referenced test at least every other year, with a narrative in the other years; in grades 9 to 12 a test every year. A test is given by a certified teacher, at the public school or another place the superintendent agrees to; a narrative is written by a certified teacher, a home instruction peer review panel or another person the superintendent accepts. A score above the 33rd percentile, or a year's growth, is adequate.	8 NYCRR § 100.10; NYSED questions and answers
Ages and diploma	Compulsory attendance begins in the September after a child turns six on or before December 1 and runs through the school year in which the child turns 16 (17 in New York City). The state issues no diploma for home instruction.	Education Law § 3205; NYSED

Every grade also includes patriotism and citizenship, fire and arson prevention, alcohol, drug and tobacco misuse, and highway and bicycle safety; the course content may differ from the public schools'.

NYSED: home instruction questions and answers NYSED: home instruction (Part 100.10)

How to start homeschooling in New York

Send a written notice of intent to your superintendent by July 1 each year, or within 14 days of starting mid-year or moving in. Within 10 business days the district sends you the regulation and an IHIP form for each child.
Withdraw your child from the public school.
Return the Individualized Home Instruction Plan within four weeks of receiving the form or by August 15, whichever is later: for each required subject, the syllabi, curriculum materials and textbooks, or a plan of instruction; the dates of your four quarterly reports; and the name of the instructor. Faith Schooling's programs publish a scope and sequence that fills the reading, spelling, writing, English and arithmetic lines. The district says within 10 business days whether the plan complies; a deficiency can be corrected within 15 days.
Plan 180 days of instruction: 900 hours in grades 1 to 6 and 990 in grades 7 to 12, on days and at times you choose. The free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan with an hour count, the hours-of-instruction line on every report.
Send the four quarterly reports on the dates in your IHIP, each with the hours of instruction, the material covered in each subject, and a grade or a written narrative. Keep the finished work in four dated folders.
File the annual assessment with the fourth report: in grades 1 to 3 a written narrative; in grades 4 to 8 a commercially published norm-referenced test at least every other year, with a narrative in the other years; in grades 9 to 12 a test every year. A test is given by a certified teacher at the public school or another place the superintendent agrees to; a narrative is written by a certified teacher, a home instruction peer review panel or another person the superintendent accepts.

How Faith Schooling covers New York's requirements

New York asks for 180 days a year, 900 hours in grades 1 to 6 (990 in grades 7 to 12), about five hours a day over 36 weeks of five days, or 45 weeks of four, on days and at times you choose.

New York's IHIP asks you to name the textbooks or the plan of instruction for each subject, and each quarterly report describes the material covered. Five of the elementary subjects are ours in full: reading, spelling, writing and the English language are Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden, arithmetic is Building Number Sense, each a sequenced textbook with a printed scope you can copy into the IHIP and a teaching guide for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 5, and their dated, finished pages are the material covered that a quarterly report lists. Geography, United States history, science, health, music, visual arts and physical education are yours to choose.

New York asks for four quarterly reports and an annual assessment, filed with your district. The dated, finished pages of each program are that record, and a HARVEST report is a placement note for the file.

Arithmetic: Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
Reading: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency K–5 reading textbooks in four quarterly volumes a year, with complete teaching guides
Spelling: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden spelling patterns are taught with the phonics; grammar and writing in Grammar Garden
Writing: Grammar Garden K–5 language and writing coursebooks, four a year, with Preceptor Guides
The English language: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden reading in Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency; grammar, writing and composition in Grammar Garden
Geography, United States history, science, health, music, visual arts and physical education: Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
Bible: The Apostolic Academy not something New York 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 York does not require, and you should still do

Place your child before grade 4. New York's first test comes in grade 4, and grades 1 to 3 are assessed by narrative; 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 180 days before the IHIP is due. The Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan with an hour count, which is the hours-of-instruction line on every quarterly report.
Keep the pages by quarter. Four reports a year are easy when the finished work is already in four dated folders, and a narrative for grades 1 to 3 is written from them.

HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy

Common questions

What is required to homeschool in New York?: A notice of intent to your superintendent by July 1 each year, an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) for each child, 180 days of instruction (900 hours in grades 1 to 6, 990 in grades 7 to 12) in the required subjects, four quarterly reports, and an annual assessment. No teacher qualification; the course content may differ from the public schools'.
How do I start homeschooling in New York?: Send the notice of intent, return the IHIP the district sends you, withdraw your child, plan the 180 days, and send the quarterly reports on the dates you set.
Are standardized tests required for New York homeschoolers?: From grade 4: a commercially published norm-referenced test at least every other year in grades 4 to 8, with a written narrative in the other years, and a test every year in grades 9 to 12. Grades 1 to 3 are assessed by narrative. A score above the 33rd percentile, or a year's growth, is adequate.
How many instructional hours does New York require?: 180 days a year: 900 hours in grades 1 to 6 and 990 in grades 7 to 12, on days and at times you choose. Each quarterly report states the hours.
What is an IHIP?: The Individualized Home Instruction Plan: for each required subject, the syllabi, curriculum materials and textbooks, or a plan of instruction; the dates of your four quarterly reports; and the instructor's name. It is due within four weeks of receiving the form or by August 15, whichever is later, and a dispute over it goes to the board and then the Commissioner.
Can I homeschool kindergarten in New York?: Yes. Compulsory attendance begins in the September after a child turns six on or before December 1, so the notice and IHIP are due from that year; a younger child needs nothing.

Official New York homeschool resources

Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Education Law, the Commissioner's regulations and the State Education Department 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.