What is required to homeschool in Virginia?

A notice of intent to your division superintendent by August 15 each year with evidence of how you qualify and a list of the coming year's subjects, and evidence of progress by August 1 after each school year. No set subjects, hours, curriculum approval or state test beyond the yearly evidence.

How do I start homeschooling in Virginia?

Choose how you qualify, send the notice with the subject list by August 15 (or as soon as practicable mid-year), withdraw your child, and plan the evidence of progress for next August.

Are standardized tests required for Virginia homeschoolers?

A test is one route: a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on a nationally normed achievement test, or an equivalent ACT, SAT or PSAT score. An evaluation showing adequate growth, from a licensed teacher or a person with a master's degree in an academic discipline, or an accredited program's report card, is the other. Missing it brings one year of probation with a remediation plan.

Can I homeschool kindergarten in Virginia?

Yes. Compulsory attendance begins with a child who is five on or before September 30, so the notice is due from the kindergarten year; a child not six by September 30 may be kept home a year on notice to the school board, and a child under six on September 30 is exempt from the evidence of progress that year.

What is Virginia's religious exemption?

A school board excuses a child whose parent, by reason of bona fide religious training or belief, is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. That route files no notice of intent and no evidence of progress. A tutor approved by the superintendent is a third route.

How many instructional hours does Virginia require?

None. The law sets no days or hours for home instruction.

2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements

How to Homeschool in Virginia

Yes, you can homeschool your child in Virginia. You do not need a teaching license: a high school diploma, a program of study you follow, or evidence that you can provide an adequate education qualifies you, and you choose your books and your methods. Virginia asks for a notice of intent with your list of subjects to your division superintendent by August 15 each year, and evidence of your child's progress by the following August 1. A religious exemption is a separate route.

Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 9 October 2026

Free printable guide

The Virginia homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027

One page to keep: what Virginia requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.

Download the PDF (313 KB)

What Virginia homeschool law requires

The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from Code of Virginia §§ 22.1-254 and 22.1-254.1:

Virginia: homeschool requirements at a glance
Requirement	What Virginia asks	Where it says so
How you qualify	One of four: you hold a high school diploma; you are a teacher of the qualifications the Board prescribes; you provide a program of study or curriculum, which may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program; or you give evidence that you are able to provide an adequate education.	Code of Virginia § 22.1-254.1(A)
Notice of intent	To your division superintendent by August 15 each year, with evidence of how you qualify and a description of the curriculum, limited to a list of the subjects to be studied in the coming year. Starting mid-year or moving in: notify as soon as practicable and comply within 30 days.	Code of Virginia § 22.1-254.1(B)
Evidence of progress	By August 1 after each school year: a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on a nationally normed standardized achievement test (or an equivalent ACT, SAT or PSAT score), or an evaluation or assessment the superintendent determines shows adequate growth, from a licensed teacher or a person with a master's degree in an academic discipline, or a report card or transcript from an accredited college or distance program. Missing it brings one year of probation with a remediation plan. A child under six on September 30 is exempt from the evidence of progress that year.	Code of Virginia § 22.1-254.1(C)
Ages and the religious exemption	Compulsory attendance from a child who is five on or before September 30 until the eighteenth birthday; a child not six by September 30 may be kept home a year on notice to the school board. A school board excuses a child whose parent, by reason of bona fide religious training or belief, is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school; that route files no notice of intent and no evidence of progress. A tutor approved by the superintendent is a third route.	Code of Virginia § 22.1-254(A) and (B)(1)
Tests, curriculum, diploma	No state test beyond the yearly evidence; no curriculum approval; home-instructed students may take AP, PSAT and PreACT exams through the division. No state diploma for home instruction.	Code of Virginia § 22.1-254.1(F)

§ 22.1-254.1, home instruction of children VDOE: home instruction

How to start homeschooling in Virginia

Decide how you qualify: a high school diploma; a teacher of the qualifications the Board prescribes; a program of study or curriculum, which may be a correspondence course or distance learning program; or evidence that you are able to provide an adequate education.
Send the notice of intent to your division superintendent by August 15, with evidence of how you qualify and a description of the curriculum, limited to a list of the subjects to be studied in the coming year. Starting mid-year or moving in: notify as soon as practicable and comply within 30 days.
Withdraw your child from the public school.
Plan the year. Virginia sets no days or hours and approves no curriculum; Faith Schooling's reading, language arts and mathematics programs give the subject list a sequence, and the free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan.
By August 1 after each school year, send evidence of progress: a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on a nationally normed standardized achievement test (or an equivalent ACT, SAT or PSAT score), or an evaluation or assessment the superintendent determines shows adequate growth, from a licensed teacher or a person with a master's degree in an academic discipline, or a report card or transcript from an accredited college or distance program. A child under six on September 30 is exempt from it that year.

How Faith Schooling covers Virginia's requirements

Virginia's home instruction section sets no days or hours of its own; the attendance law's term is 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.

Virginia's attendance law excuses a child whose parents are conscientiously opposed to school by reason of bona fide religious training or belief, and its home instruction section lets a program of study qualify a parent on its own. Faith Schooling's programs are that program of study and the subject list for the notice: a sequenced reading, language arts and mathematics textbook for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 5 with teaching guides, and their dated, finished pages are what an evaluator reads when you choose an evaluation over a test. Science, social studies, health and the arts are yours to choose.

Virginia asks for a notice with your subject list each August and evidence of progress each August 1. 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 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 Virginia names no subjects; science, social studies, health and the arts are yours to choose
Bible: The Apostolic Academy not something Virginia 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 Virginia

Virginia's school divisions open three college-track exams to home-instructed students:

Home-instructed students may take AP, PSAT and PreACT exams through the division (§ 22.1-254.1(F)). Source: Code of Virginia § 22.1-254.1, read 9 October 2026.

What Virginia does not require, and you should still do

Place your child. Virginia's test or evaluation reports after the year; 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 year. The Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan, and the plan is the subject list on the notice with a calendar behind it.
Keep the pages dated. An evaluation by a licensed teacher rests on them, and they are 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 Virginia?: A notice of intent to your division superintendent by August 15 each year with evidence of how you qualify and a list of the coming year's subjects, and evidence of progress by August 1 after each school year. No set subjects, hours, curriculum approval or state test beyond the yearly evidence.
How do I start homeschooling in Virginia?: Choose how you qualify, send the notice with the subject list by August 15 (or as soon as practicable mid-year), withdraw your child, and plan the evidence of progress for next August.
Are standardized tests required for Virginia homeschoolers?: A test is one route: a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on a nationally normed achievement test, or an equivalent ACT, SAT or PSAT score. An evaluation showing adequate growth, from a licensed teacher or a person with a master's degree in an academic discipline, or an accredited program's report card, is the other. Missing it brings one year of probation with a remediation plan.
Can I homeschool kindergarten in Virginia?: Yes. Compulsory attendance begins with a child who is five on or before September 30, so the notice is due from the kindergarten year; a child not six by September 30 may be kept home a year on notice to the school board, and a child under six on September 30 is exempt from the evidence of progress that year.
What is Virginia's religious exemption?: A school board excuses a child whose parent, by reason of bona fide religious training or belief, is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school. That route files no notice of intent and no evidence of progress. A tutor approved by the superintendent is a third route.
How many instructional hours does Virginia require?: None. The law sets no days or hours for home instruction.

Official Virginia homeschool resources

Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Code of Virginia and your division superintendent are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.

Homeschool laws in nearby states

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