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Connecticut homeschool requirements

Connecticut historically required no filing (a voluntary Notice of Intent was customary). Public Act 26-37 (signed May 28, 2026) phases in new oversight — but as of the 2026-27 year nothing new is in force yet, and testing/portfolio requirements were stripped from the final law.

Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 19, 2026 · Sources below

Moderate regulation
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Connecticut homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
Not requiredWhere it goes: Local board of education / district superintendent (for the voluntary NOI today; the mandatory annual declaration phases in later). When: Today: voluntary, customary at the start of the year. Mandatory annual declaration begins the 2028-29 school year (by October 1) under PA 26-37.
Required subjects
Reading, Writing, Spelling, English Grammar, Geography, Arithmetic, U.S. History, Citizenship (town, state and federal governments)
Instruction time
NoneNo statutory attendance-record requirement.
Testing or evaluation
NoNo mandatory assessment. Testing and portfolio language was stripped from PA 26-37 before passage.
Records
No
Parent qualifications
Not required
Compulsory attendance ages
5–18
Ways to homeschool
Two pathways
Law
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; Public Act 26-37 (HB 5468, 2026)
Official source
portal.ct.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut does not require homeschooling families to file a notice. PA 26-37 phases in: a DCF/abuse-registry check on new public-school withdrawals begins 2027-28; a mandatory annual declaration begins 2028-29 (pre-existing homeschoolers are grandfathered from the registry check). No state filing is mandatory for 2026-27. Where it goes: Local board of education / district superintendent (for the voluntary NOI today; the mandatory annual declaration phases in later). How: Written notice / 'intent to educate' form. When: Today: voluntary, customary at the start of the year. Mandatory annual declaration begins the 2028-29 school year (by October 1) under PA 26-37.

What subjects does Connecticut require homeschoolers to teach?

Connecticut requires instruction in Reading; Writing; Spelling; English Grammar; Geography; Arithmetic; U.S. History; and Citizenship (town, state and federal governments). Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184 requires every parent to instruct their children in 'reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic and United States history and in citizenship, including a study of the town, state and federal governments' — so citizenship expressly takes in town, state and federal government. Public Act 26-37 § 1(b) re-enacts the same list when it takes effect July 1, 2027. Today the statute also excuses a child from public school only where the parent can show the child is 'elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools,' a broader standard than the listed subjects; PA 26-37 drops that phrase from July 1, 2027 and names parent-managed learning instead, while keeping the subject duty on every parent.

How many days or hours of instruction does Connecticut require?

None. Connecticut does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No statutory attendance-record requirement.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No mandatory assessment. Testing and portfolio language was stripped from PA 26-37 before passage.

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

Connecticut does not require homeschooling families to keep specific records. Portfolio/assessment provisions were explicitly removed from the final enacted PA 26-37. No statutory portfolio mandate.

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

No. Connecticut does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents.

What ages does Connecticut's compulsory attendance law cover?

Connecticut's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 5 to age 18.

What are the ways to homeschool in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, families homeschool under one of two pathways: voluntary NOI to local superintendent (current) and mandatory annual declaration (phases in 2028-29).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Connecticut, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Connecticut historically required no filing (a voluntary Notice of Intent was customary). Public Act 26-37 (signed May 28, 2026) phases in new oversight — but as of the 2026-27 year nothing new is in force yet, and testing/portfolio requirements were stripped from the final law.

How to get started in Connecticut

1
No filing required for 2026–27
Connecticut does not require a notice, registration, or declaration for the 2026–27 school year. Many families send a voluntary notice of intent to their local school district, but it is not legally required.
Official resource (portal.ct.gov) →
2
Teach the required subjects
Reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, US history, and citizenship — and Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184 spells citizenship out as a study of the town, state, and federal governments. Public Act 26-37 re-enacts the same list when it takes effect July 1, 2027. There is no testing, portfolio, or minimum-hours requirement.
3
What the law asks beyond that list
Through the 2026–27 year, § 10-184 excuses your child from public school only where you can show the child is 'elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools' — a broader standard than the eight subjects on their own. From July 1, 2027, Public Act 26-37 drops that phrase and names parent-managed learning instead, while keeping the same subject list.
4
Coming 2027–28: registry check when leaving public school
Under Public Act 26-37, withdrawing a child from public school to homeschool will include a Department of Children and Families child-abuse-registry check. It applies to new withdrawals from public school; families who are already homeschooling are not subject to it.
Official resource (cga.ct.gov) →
5
Coming 2028–29: annual intent-to-educate form
Starting with the 2028–29 school year, you'll file an intent-to-educate form with your local school district by October 1 each year. The final law includes no portfolio or testing requirement.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Subject coverage and activity log.

Recent homeschool law changes in Connecticut

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Sources for Connecticut

Official source (portal.ct.gov) ↗Additional official source (cga.ct.gov) ↗
Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; Public Act 26-37 (HB 5468, 2026)
Last reviewed: June 5, 2026
Corrected: September 19, 2026, after re-reading the official source for what changed

Every requirement above comes from our review of Connecticut’s rules, checked against these sources on June 5, 2026 and corrected on September 19, 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.

Our review marks Connecticut’s rules as not fully confirmed: the law here is changing, or we could not confirm every field against a primary source. Read the official source before relying on anything on this page.

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