Romeschool

Alabama homeschool requirements

Most Alabama families homeschool through a church-school umbrella (which handles record-keeping) or, less commonly, with a certified private tutor. The church-school route has no state-level filing — a family that instead runs its own private school registers with the Alabama Department of Education each year by October 10 — and, contrary to common belief, there is no state-mandated standardized testing under any pathway.

Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 23, 2026 · Sources below

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction time by pathway
Another state:

Alabama homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: The county or city public school superintendent. Church school: the parent or guardian files the enrollment form, countersigned by the church-school administrator and returned to the superintendent by the parent (Ala. Code § 16-28-7). Private tutor: the certified tutor files the statement of children, subjects and period of instruction (§ 16-28-5). Private school: the school's principal teacher makes the enrollment report (§ 16-28-7). When: Church school: one-time at enrollment, with no annual state renewal. Private tutor: each school year. A private school and a private tutor also report under Ala. Code § 16-28-7 — the names and addresses of enrolled children by the end of the fifth day after the local public schools open, then at least weekly for any enrolled child absent without a lawful excuse — and a private school registers with the Alabama Department of Education on or before October 10 each year (§ 16-1-11). A church school files neither of those.
Required subjects
No set list
Instruction time
Set by pathwayPrivate tutor: 140 days/year, at least 3 hours/day between 8am and 4pm. Church-school pathway has no state day/hour minimum.
Testing or evaluation
NoNo standardized testing is required under any Alabama pathway. Individual church-school umbrellas may set their own testing policy, but that is institutional — not state law. The common claim of required testing in grades 3/6/9 is not in state statute.
Records
Yes — enrollment records, attendance, immunizations
Parent qualifications
Not required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–17Two qualifications ride on that range, both in Ala. Code § 16-28-3. A parent, legal custodian or guardian may notify the local board of education in writing that a six-year-old will not be enrolled until he or she is seven. And a church school — one as § 16-28-1 defines it — is a listed way of meeting the requirement at every age in the range; before the child's 16th birthday the statute also exempts a child attending one from the section itself, provided the enrollment and reporting in § 16-28-7 is done.
Ways to homeschool
Three pathways
Law
Code of Alabama § 16-28-1 et seq.

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Alabama?

Yes. Alabama requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: The county or city public school superintendent. Church school: the parent or guardian files the enrollment form, countersigned by the church-school administrator and returned to the superintendent by the parent (Ala. Code § 16-28-7). Private tutor: the certified tutor files the statement of children, subjects and period of instruction (§ 16-28-5). Private school: the school's principal teacher makes the enrollment report (§ 16-28-7). How: Church school: enrollment form signed by the parent and the church-school administrator. Private tutor: written statement of children, subjects, and schedule. When: Church school: one-time at enrollment, with no annual state renewal. Private tutor: each school year. A private school and a private tutor also report under Ala. Code § 16-28-7 — the names and addresses of enrolled children by the end of the fifth day after the local public schools open, then at least weekly for any enrolled child absent without a lawful excuse — and a private school registers with the Alabama Department of Education on or before October 10 each year (§ 16-1-11). A church school files neither of those. Church-school enrollment is the common route; the umbrella, not the state, holds ongoing records. Many umbrellas prepare the form for you, but § 16-28-7 puts the duty to file it on the parent.

What subjects does Alabama require homeschoolers to teach?

Alabama does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No state-mandated subject list for the church-school pathway. The private-tutor and private-school pathways must cover the subjects taught in Alabama public schools, and a private school must also carry out a physical education program; church schools are exempt from that one (Ala. Code § 16-40-1).

How many days or hours of instruction does Alabama require?

Here is Alabama's rule. Private tutor: 140 days/year, at least 3 hours/day between 8am and 4pm. Church-school pathway has no state day/hour minimum.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Alabama?

No. Alabama does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No standardized testing is required under any Alabama pathway. Individual church-school umbrellas may set their own testing policy, but that is institutional — not state law. The common claim of required testing in grades 3/6/9 is not in state statute.

What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Alabama?

Alabama requires these records: church-school enrollment form (filed with the local superintendent); attendance register kept by the principal teacher of a church school or private school — every child on the roll and every absence of half a day or more (Ala. Code § 16-28-8); private tutor's register of work, showing each day's hours of instruction and each child's presence or absence (Ala. Code § 16-28-5); and private school: each pupil's certificate of immunization (the 'Blue Card') at entrance, or an exemption under Ala. Code § 16-30-3 (§ 16-30-4). Church schools must notify the superintendent when a child withdraws, and the parent gives that consent at enrollment (Ala. Code § 16-28-7). The attendance register is the school's record and the register of work is the tutor's — where a home program is enrolled in a church school, the umbrella sets how the register is kept.

Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Alabama?

No. Alabama does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents. None for the church-school pathway (the common route). Only the separate private-tutor pathway requires an Alabama teaching certificate.

What ages does Alabama's compulsory attendance law cover?

Alabama's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 17. Two qualifications ride on that range, both in Ala. Code § 16-28-3. A parent, legal custodian or guardian may notify the local board of education in writing that a six-year-old will not be enrolled until he or she is seven. And a church school — one as § 16-28-1 defines it — is a listed way of meeting the requirement at every age in the range; before the child's 16th birthday the statute also exempts a child attending one from the section itself, provided the enrollment and reporting in § 16-28-7 is done.

What are the ways to homeschool in Alabama?

In Alabama, families homeschool under one of three pathways: church school (umbrella); private school; and private tutor.

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Alabama, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Most Alabama families homeschool through a church-school umbrella (which handles record-keeping) or, less commonly, with a certified private tutor. The church-school route has no state-level filing — a family that instead runs its own private school registers with the Alabama Department of Education each year by October 10 — and, contrary to common belief, there is no state-mandated standardized testing under any pathway.

How to get started in Alabama

1
Enroll in a church school
Most families choose a church school that enrolls home students. It holds your child's ongoing records, and its principal teacher keeps the attendance register Alabama law requires — every child on the roll, and every absence of half a day or more. Where your home program is enrolled in a church school, the umbrella sets how that register is kept, and it may set its own testing policy.
HSLDA guide →
2
File the enrollment form once
When your child first enrolls, a church school enrollment form goes to your local public school superintendent: you sign it, the church school's administrator countersigns it, and Alabama law puts the duty to return it on you, the parent. Many umbrellas prepare the form for you — welcome help, but the duty to file it is still yours. It is filed once, with no annual state renewal. If your child later leaves the church school, the church school notifies the superintendent, and you give your consent for that when you enroll.
Official resource (instructional-services.alsde.edu) →
3
Other routes (less common)
If you use a private tutor instead of a church school, the tutor must hold an Alabama teaching certificate and teach the subjects taught in Alabama public schools for at least 140 days a year, at least 3 hours a day between 8am and 4pm. The tutor files the written statement of children, subjects, and period of instruction with the local superintendent each school year, and keeps a register of work showing each day's hours and each child's presence or absence. Running your own private school is the other recognized route, and it carries more: its principal teacher keeps the same attendance register, and the school teaches the subjects taught in Alabama public schools plus a physical education program, collects each pupil's certificate of immunization at entrance or an exemption in its place, and registers with the Alabama Department of Education on or before October 10 each year. A private school or a private tutor also reports enrolled children's names and addresses to the superintendent by the end of the fifth day after the local public schools open, then at least weekly for any enrolled child absent without a lawful excuse. A church school files neither those reports nor the October 10 registration.
4
No testing required
Alabama does not require standardized testing under any pathway. A church school may set its own testing policy, but that is the school's rule, not state law. The widely repeated claim that Alabama tests homeschoolers in grades 3, 6, and 9 is not in state statute.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance, logbook, subject coverage.
If you take an ESA: Taking a CHOOSE Act ESA does NOT change your homeschool status — a homeschool student 'even if enrolled in a church school, co-op, or similar entity' stays a regular Alabama homeschooler (Ala. Admin. Code 810-28-1-.01(10)) and CHOOSE adds no testing. 'Participating school' is a separate accredited-school category you do not join.

Sources for Alabama

Official source (instructional-services.alsde.edu) ↗HSLDA's Alabama summary ↗
Statute: Code of Alabama § 16-28-1 et seq.
Last reviewed: June 5, 2026
Corrected: September 23, 2026, after re-reading the official source for what changed

Every requirement above comes from our review of Alabama’s rules, checked against these sources on June 5, 2026 and corrected on September 23, 2026 after re-reading the official source for what changed. Homeschool law changes, and a state can amend its rules between our reviews — read the official source before you file anything or rely on a date here. How we review state requirements.

Nearby states

States that share a border with Alabama:

All 50 states & D.C. →