Alaska homeschool requirements
Alaska is one of the freest homeschool states. Under the primary exemption (AS 14.30.010(b)(12)) a parent educating their own child at home files nothing — no notice, no testing, no record-keeping. (Four other routes exist and carry their own rules: an exempt religious or other private school, a tutor certificated under AS 14.20.020, a school-board excusal, and a full-time state-approved correspondence program, which is enrollment in a public program rather than homeschooling.)
Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 23, 2026 · Sources below
Alaska homeschool requirements at a glance
- Notice
- Not required
- Required subjects
- No set list
- Instruction time
- NoneNo attendance or hours requirement under the primary exemption.
- Testing or evaluation
- NoTesting applies only if a family elects a state-funded correspondence program or the private-school model — not the primary exemption. No testing under the primary home-education exemption. The correspondence-program and private-school options have their own assessment expectations.
- Records
- No
- Parent qualifications
- Not required
- Compulsory attendance ages
- 7–16Seven through sixteen is the baseline (AS 14.30.010(a)). One qualification: a six-year-old is outside the law unless the parent enrolls the child in first grade at a public school, and after that enrollment the law applies — if the parent decides within sixty days that first grade is not serving the child, the child may be withdrawn and the law does not apply again until age seven (AS 14.30.010(c)). Home education by a parent is an exemption at any age (AS 14.30.010(b)(12)).
- Ways to homeschool
- Five pathways
- Law
- AS 14.30.010(b)(12)
- Official source
- ed.gov ↗
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Alaska?
No. Alaska does not require homeschooling families to file a notice. No notice is required for the primary home-education exemption (AS 14.30.010(b)(12)), and Alaska has no document called a Notice of Intent. The other routes differ. If a child attends an exempt religious or other private school, AS 14.45.110(a) requires the parent to file an annual notice of enrollment with the local public school superintendent for the area where the child lives, on the Department's Enrollment Reporting Form (05-17-022), signed by the parent and by the school's chief administrative officer; the form itself says to send it to the superintendent and not to the Department. Neither the statute nor the form sets a date for it. The school separately sends the Department its own enrollment report and school calendar, a packet the Department's guide for exempt schools puts at October 15. A school-board excusal under AS 14.30.010(b)(11) takes a written request from the parent, approved by the principal or administrator. A tutor certificated under AS 14.20.020 files nothing. A full-time correspondence program under AS 14.30.010(b)(10)(B) is enrollment in a public program run by a district or the state, not a homeschool notice.
What subjects does Alaska require homeschoolers to teach?
Alaska does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No required subjects under the AS 14.30.010(b)(12) home-education exemption.
How many days or hours of instruction does Alaska require?
None. Alaska does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No attendance or hours requirement under the primary exemption.
Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Alaska?
No. Alaska does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. Testing applies only if a family elects a state-funded correspondence program or the private-school model — not the primary exemption. No testing under the primary home-education exemption. The correspondence-program and private-school options have their own assessment expectations.
What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Alaska?
Alaska does not require homeschooling families to keep specific records. No record-keeping required under the home-education exemption.
Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Alaska?
No. Alaska does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents. None required under the primary exemption.
What ages does Alaska's compulsory attendance law cover?
Alaska's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 7 to age 16. Seven through sixteen is the baseline (AS 14.30.010(a)). One qualification: a six-year-old is outside the law unless the parent enrolls the child in first grade at a public school, and after that enrollment the law applies — if the parent decides within sixty days that first grade is not serving the child, the child may be withdrawn and the law does not apply again until age seven (AS 14.30.010(c)). Home education by a parent is an exemption at any age (AS 14.30.010(b)(12)).
What are the ways to homeschool in Alaska?
In Alaska, families homeschool under one of five pathways: independent home education by a parent or legal guardian (no filing — AS 14.30.010(b)(12)); exempt religious or other private school (the parent files an annual enrollment form with the local public school superintendent; the school carries its own 180-day, testing and records duties — AS 14.30.010(b)(1)(C), AS 14.45.100–14.45.200); tutoring by an Alaska-certificated teacher (no filing — AS 14.30.010(b)(1)(B), AS 14.20.020); school-board excusal, or an educational experience the board approves on the parent's written request to the principal or administrator (AS 14.30.010(b)(8), (b)(11)); and full-time state-approved correspondence study (enrollment in a public program run by a district or the state, not independent homeschooling — AS 14.30.010(b)(10)(B), AS 14.03.300).
Is homeschooling legal in Alaska?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Alaska, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Alaska is one of the freest homeschool states. Under the primary exemption (AS 14.30.010(b)(12)) a parent educating their own child at home files nothing — no notice, no testing, no record-keeping. (Four other routes exist and carry their own rules: an exempt religious or other private school, a tutor certificated under AS 14.20.020, a school-board excusal, and a full-time state-approved correspondence program, which is enrollment in a public program rather than homeschooling.)
How to get started in Alaska
Sources for Alaska
Every requirement above comes from our review of Alaska’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.
States with similar rules
Alaska has no bordering state, so these are states our review places at the same level of regulation:
All 50 states & D.C. →