Romeschool

California homeschool requirements

Most California homeschoolers operate as a private school by filing a Private School Affidavit (PSA) each October 1–15. Alternative paths: a private-school satellite program (PSP) or a credentialed tutor. No state testing for PSA homeschoolers.

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction time by pathway
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California homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: California Department of Education (CDE). When: Annually, October 1–15 (the CDE system is open Aug 1–Jun 30 for mid-year starts).
Required subjects
English, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Science, Visual & Performing Arts, Health, Physical Education
Instruction time
Set by pathwayPSA/PSP: keep an attendance register that clearly shows every absence of a half day or more, and keep it available for inspection (Educ. Code § 48222); this route sets no minimum number of days or hours. Private tutor: at least three hours a day for 175 days each calendar year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., by a tutor holding a valid California credential for the grade taught (Educ. Code § 48224).
Testing or evaluation
NoNo California statute requires testing for homeschoolers operating under the PSA private-school pathway.
Records
Yes — attendance, plan, enrollment records
Parent qualifications
Not required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–18
Ways to homeschool
Three pathways
Law
Cal. Educ. Code §§ 33190, 48222, 48224, 51210, 51220
Official source
cde.ca.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in California?

Yes. California requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: California Department of Education (CDE). How: Private School Affidavit (PSA) filed online via the CDE portal. When: Annually, October 1–15 (the CDE system is open Aug 1–Jun 30 for mid-year starts). The affidavit establishes the home as a private school; it is not state approval or licensing. It asks for the school's names, its business address, the address where the records are kept and the custodian who keeps them, the directors and officers, and enrollment by grade with the number of teachers (Educ. Code § 33190). Families using the private-tutor exemption file nothing with the state: § 48224 requires no filing, and the October affidavit is filed by those offering or conducting private school instruction.

What subjects does California require homeschoolers to teach?

California requires instruction in English, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Science, Visual & Performing Arts, Health, and Physical Education. PSA homeschools must teach, in English, the 'several branches of study' required in public schools (Educ. Code § 48222; § 51210 grades 1–6; § 51220 adds foreign language, applied/career arts, driver ed for grades 7–12).

How many days or hours of instruction does California require?

Here is California's rule. PSA/PSP: keep an attendance register that clearly shows every absence of a half day or more, and keep it available for inspection (Educ. Code § 48222); this route sets no minimum number of days or hours. Private tutor: at least three hours a day for 175 days each calendar year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., by a tutor holding a valid California credential for the grade taught (Educ. Code § 48224).

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in California?

No. California does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No California statute requires testing for homeschoolers operating under the PSA private-school pathway.

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

California requires these records: attendance register (every absence of a half day or more); courses of study; faculty names and addresses, with each person's educational qualifications; and each child's permanent enrollment and scholarship record, carrying proof of immunization. Education Code § 33190 sets that list, and the affidavit is signed under penalty of perjury that those records are kept at the records address written on it, in the care of the custodian named on it — so keep them where the affidavit says they are, which need not be where you teach. Two records commonly listed as required are not on § 33190's list: a copy of each filed affidavit, and the wider set of individual pupil records in 5 CCR §§ 430–437, whose own definition of 'district' reaches a private school only where California tax revenues pay part of the tuition. The Department of Education's guidance calls both highly recommended rather than required. Keep them anyway, because other statutes do bind: where the instructor is also the administrator, which describes every home-based private school, the affidavit must be made available on request to enrolled and prospective families (§ 33191(b)); a child's permanent record must be sent within 10 school days to a public or private school the child moves to, once that school asks (§ 49068); and a private school may not admit a pupil without documentary proof of immunization, recorded in that child's permanent enrollment and scholarship record (Health & Safety Code §§ 120335, 120375).

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

No. California does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents. No credential is required on the private school affidavit route. The separate private-tutor exemption requires a tutor who holds a valid California credential for the grade taught (Educ. Code § 48224).

What ages does California's compulsory attendance law cover?

California's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 18.

What are the ways to homeschool in California?

In California, families homeschool under one of three pathways: private school affidavit (PSA); private-school satellite program (PSP); and credentialed tutor.

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in California, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Most California homeschoolers operate as a private school by filing a Private School Affidavit (PSA) each October 1–15. Alternative paths: a private-school satellite program (PSP) or a credentialed tutor. No state testing for PSA homeschoolers.

How to get started in California

1
File your Private School Affidavit
File online with the California Department of Education each year between October 1 and 15. Starting mid-year? The filing system is open August 1 through June 30. The affidavit asks for your school's name, its business address, the address where your records are kept and the custodian who keeps them, the directors and officers, and enrollment by grade with the number of teachers (Educ. Code § 33190). Filing establishes your home as a private school; it is not state approval or a license.
Official resource (cde.ca.gov) →
2
Teach the required subjects in English
English, math, social sciences, science, visual and performing arts, health, and physical education. For grades 7–12 the list adds a foreign language, applied arts, career technical education, and driver education (Educ. Code §§ 48222, 51210, 51220).
3
Keep an attendance register
Record every absence of a half day or more, and keep the register available for inspection (Educ. Code § 48222). The affidavit route sets no minimum number of days or hours — the three-hour, 175-day rule belongs to the private-tutor exemption below, not to your home school.
4
Keep your school records where your affidavit says they are
Education Code § 33190 lists four: your attendance register, your courses of study, the names and addresses of everyone who teaches along with each person's educational qualifications, and each child's permanent enrollment and scholarship record carrying proof of immunization. You sign the affidavit under penalty of perjury that those records are kept at the records address written on it, in the care of the custodian named there — which need not be where you teach. Two records commonly listed as required are not on § 33190's list: a copy of your filed affidavit, and the wider set of individual pupil records in 5 CCR §§ 430–437, which reach a private school only where California tax revenues pay part of the tuition. The Department of Education's guidance calls both highly recommended rather than required. Keep them anyway, because other statutes do bind: where the instructor is also the administrator — which describes every home-based private school — the affidavit must be made available on request to enrolled and prospective families (§ 33191(b)); a child's permanent record must be sent within 10 school days to a public or private school the child moves to, once that school asks (§ 49068); and a private school may not admit a pupil without documentary proof of immunization, recorded in that child's permanent enrollment and scholarship record (Health & Safety Code §§ 120335, 120375).
5
Credentials, testing, and other options
A PSA home school needs no teaching credential, and there is no state testing. You can also homeschool through a private-school satellite program (PSP), which carries the same attendance-register rule and likewise sets no minimum days or hours. The private-tutor exemption is a different route: the tutor must hold a valid California credential for the grade taught and teach at least three hours a day, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., for 175 days each calendar year — and that route files nothing with the state, no affidavit included (Educ. Code § 48224).
Official resource (cde.ca.gov) →
What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance, hours, subject coverage.

Sources for California

Official source (cde.ca.gov) ↗HSLDA's California summary ↗
Statute: Cal. Educ. Code §§ 33190, 48222, 48224, 51210, 51220
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 California’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 California:

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