Romeschool

Georgia homeschool requirements

To homeschool in Georgia, submit a Declaration of Intent to the Georgia DOE online within 30 days of starting, then annually by September 1. Provide 180 days at 4.5 hours/day and test every 3 years from grade 3 (results kept, not submitted).

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction time set Testing or evaluation
Another state:

Georgia homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: Georgia Department of Education (online; the DOE shares a copy with the local school system). When: Within 30 days of establishing the program, then annually by September 1.
Required subjects
Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies/History, Science
Instruction time
180 days · 4.5 hrs/day180 days/year; at least 4.5 instructional hours/day (~810 hours).
Testing or evaluation
Yes — grades 3, 6, 9, 12Testing every 3 years beginning at the end of grade 3 (grades 3, 6, 9, 12). No minimum score; results are kept on file, not submitted. Families using a Georgia Promise Scholarship account are the exception: that program requires an approved nationally norm-referenced test or the state assessment every year, with the scores reported to the Georgia Education Savings Authority.
Records
Yes — progress reports, assessment results
Parent qualifications
Required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–16
Ways to homeschool
Independent (Declaration of Intent to Georgia DOE)
Law
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c)
Official source
apps.gadoe.org ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Georgia Department of Education (online; the DOE shares a copy with the local school system). How: Declaration of Intent submitted online (also accepted by mail/fax). When: Within 30 days of establishing the program, then annually by September 1. The DOI lists student names/ages, the parent address, the local school system, and the 12-month school year.

What subjects does Georgia require homeschoolers to teach?

Georgia requires instruction in Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies/History, and Science. The five subjects are the statutory minimum (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690); parents may add others.

How many days or hours of instruction does Georgia require?

Georgia's rule: 180 days/year; at least 4.5 instructional hours/day (~810 hours).

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Georgia?

Yes. Georgia requires a standardized test. How often: Every 3 years (from grade 3). What is accepted: Nationally norm-referenced standardized test (parent-administered). Testing every 3 years beginning at the end of grade 3 (grades 3, 6, 9, 12). No minimum score; results are kept on file, not submitted. Families using a Georgia Promise Scholarship account are the exception: that program requires an approved nationally norm-referenced test or the state assessment every year, with the scores reported to the Georgia Education Savings Authority.

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

Georgia requires these records: annual progress report in the five required subjects and standardized test results. How long, or where they go: Test results retained (no statutory period specified). The progress report and test results are kept by the family — not submitted to the state.

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

Yes. Georgia sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. The parent/teacher must hold at least a high-school diploma or GED.

What ages does Georgia's compulsory attendance law cover?

Georgia's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 16.

What are the ways to homeschool in Georgia?

In Georgia, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (Declaration of Intent to Georgia DOE).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Georgia, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Georgia, submit a Declaration of Intent to the Georgia DOE online within 30 days of starting, then annually by September 1. Provide 180 days at 4.5 hours/day and test every 3 years from grade 3 (results kept, not submitted).

How to get started in Georgia

1
Submit a Declaration of Intent to the Georgia DOE
Within 30 days of starting your home study program, then by September 1 every year after. Submit it online (mail and fax are also accepted), listing each child's name and age, your address, your local school system, and your 12-month school year. The DOE shares a copy with your local school system.
Official resource (apps.gadoe.org) →
2
Provide 180 days / 4.5 hrs per day
Teach 180 days a year, each with at least 4.5 hours of instruction. A daily log is an easy way to keep track of your days and hours.
3
Standardized test every three years
Beginning at the end of grade 3 (so grades 3, 6, 9, and 12), give a nationally norm-referenced standardized test. There is no minimum score. Keep the results on file — they are not submitted. If you use a Georgia Promise Scholarship account the rule is different — see the Promise Scholarship step below.
4
Write an annual progress report
Each year, write a report on your child's progress in each of the five required subjects. Keep it with your records — it is not submitted.
5
Teach required subjects
Reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science — the legal minimum. You may add others.
6
Parent qualification
The teaching parent must hold at least a high school diploma or GED.
7
If you use a Georgia Promise Scholarship
Georgia's Promise Scholarship funds nonpublic schooling, home study included — up to $6,500 per student for 2026-27, for curriculum, tutoring, and other expenses the state Authority approves. Eligibility is narrow: your child must be coming from a Georgia public school (enrolled across two consecutive enrollment counts) or entering kindergarten, must live in the attendance zone of a school on the state's lowest-25-percent list, and you must have lived in Georgia at least a year — a child already homeschooling does not qualify unless entering kindergarten. If you take it, your child sits an Authority-approved nationally norm-referenced test or the state assessment every year and you report the scores to the Georgia Education Savings Authority, instead of testing once every three years.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Hour tracking, attendance, testing reminders.

Sources for Georgia

Official source (apps.gadoe.org) ↗HSLDA's Georgia summary ↗
Statute: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c)
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 Georgia’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.

Nearby states

States that share a border with Georgia:

All 50 states & D.C. →