Romeschool

Hawaii homeschool requirements

To homeschool in Hawaii, notify the principal of your geographic public school before starting (Form 4140 or a letter). Keep a curriculum record, file an annual progress report, and submit standardized test results at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 — unless the principal has approved another means of evaluation for those grades. Once the notice is on file and the annual report is going in, it does not have to be filed again each year, but a new notice goes to the new principal if you move into another school's area or your child moves up to a new school level.

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Testing or evaluation
Another state:

Hawaii homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: Principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend. When: Before homeschooling begins. You do not have to file again each year, so long as the child's annual progress report has been submitted (HAR § 8-12-13(c)). A new notice goes to the principal of the new school when the child would move to a different public school — because the family moved into another school's area, or because the child moves up a school level, such as sixth grade to intermediate. Also notify the principal when homeschooling ends.
Required subjects
No set list
Instruction time
NoneNo minimum hours or days specified.
Testing or evaluation
Yes — annual + grades 3, 5, 8, 10The annual progress report is due every year, in one of the four accepted forms. At grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 standardized test scores are also required: the child may sit the Statewide Testing Program test at the local public school, or the parent may arrange comparable private testing at their own expense, and HAR § 8-12-18(a) also lets the parent request, and the principal approve, another means of evaluation for those grades. That approval is the principal's to give and the Department of Education's own homeschool page does not mention it, so secure it before planning around it. In a testing grade a family may instead have the child sit the school's test and let the results serve as that year's progress report (§ 8-12-18(c)). Grade 10 remains the peg in the rule even though public-school testing moved to grade 11. The principal reviews whether a child's progress is adequate; where standardized test scores are used, adequate means scores or stanines in the upper two-thirds. If progress is not adequate the principal meets the parent to help set a plan for improvement and may ask to see the planned-curriculum record. Unless progress is inadequate for two consecutive semesters, measured on the child's norm-referenced test scores for that grade level or on a Hawaii-certified teacher's evaluation, the rule bars any recommendation to enroll the child in a public or private school and any recommendation to take legal action for educational neglect, and no such recommendation may be made for a child before third grade (HAR § 8-12-18(d)).
Records
Yes — plan
Parent qualifications
Not required
Compulsory attendance ages
5–18Age five means five on or before July 31 of the school year, so a child who turns five in August is covered the following year; the law then runs until the child turns eighteen, and a child who has already turned eighteen by January 1 of a school year is not covered for that year (HRS § 302A-1132(a)). Since the 2014-15 school year a child who is five by July 31 must be enrolled in a public kindergarten unless enrolled in a private school or otherwise excepted, and the notice of intent to homeschool is one of those exceptions (HRS § 302A-1132(c), (a)(5)). The age of six in HAR § 8-12-2's definition of a 'school age child' predates the 2014 change and is not the age the statute sets.
Ways to homeschool
Independent (Form 4140 or letter to the principal)
Law
HRS § 302A-1132; HAR Title 8, Ch. 12

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Hawaii?

Yes. Hawaii requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend. How: Form 4140 (Exceptions to Compulsory Education) or a parent letter with the child's details and signature. When: Before homeschooling begins. You do not have to file again each year, so long as the child's annual progress report has been submitted (HAR § 8-12-13(c)). A new notice goes to the principal of the new school when the child would move to a different public school — because the family moved into another school's area, or because the child moves up a school level, such as sixth grade to intermediate. Also notify the principal when homeschooling ends. The principal and complex area superintendent acknowledge receipt; HAR Title 8, Ch. 12 governs, and the notice is kept on record so a family is not open to unfounded accusations of educational neglect or truancy. File before the school year in which your child is five by July 31 — since 2014-15 a child that age must be enrolled in kindergarten unless a notice of intent to homeschool is on file (HRS § 302A-1132(a), (c)). The age of six in HAR § 8-12-2's 'school age child' definition predates that change and is not the age the statute sets. Once the notice is on file and the annual progress report is going in, it does not have to be resubmitted each year — but a new notice goes to the principal of the new school when the child transfers to another local public school, which HAR § 8-12-13(c) illustrates with the move from sixth grade to intermediate school; the Department's guidance applies the same rule when a family moves into another school's geographic area. When homeschooling ends, the child is re-enrolled in the local public school or a licensed private school unless a new alternative educational program is presented within five school days after homeschooling ends (HAR § 8-12-16).

What subjects does Hawaii require homeschoolers to teach?

Hawaii does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No mandatory subject list — the curriculum must be structured, cumulative, and sequential. ('Hawaiian language & culture' is not a statutory required subject.)

How many days or hours of instruction does Hawaii require?

None. Hawaii does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No minimum hours or days specified.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Hawaii?

Yes. Hawaii requires a test or another accepted form of evaluation. How often: Annual progress report; standardized test required at grades 3, 5, 8, 10. Accepted options: annual progress report, by one of four methods: a nationally-normed standardized achievement test score showing grade-level achievement; progress on such a test equal to one grade level per calendar year; a written evaluation by a person certified to teach in Hawaii finding grade-level achievement or significant annual advancement; or a written evaluation by the parent describing the child's progress in each subject area, with representative samples of the child's work and representative tests and assignments and standardized test scores, also required at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10, unless the principal has approved another means of evaluation at the parent's request. The annual progress report is due every year, in one of the four accepted forms. At grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 standardized test scores are also required: the child may sit the Statewide Testing Program test at the local public school, or the parent may arrange comparable private testing at their own expense, and HAR § 8-12-18(a) also lets the parent request, and the principal approve, another means of evaluation for those grades. That approval is the principal's to give and the Department of Education's own homeschool page does not mention it, so secure it before planning around it. In a testing grade a family may instead have the child sit the school's test and let the results serve as that year's progress report (§ 8-12-18(c)). Grade 10 remains the peg in the rule even though public-school testing moved to grade 11. The principal reviews whether a child's progress is adequate; where standardized test scores are used, adequate means scores or stanines in the upper two-thirds. If progress is not adequate the principal meets the parent to help set a plan for improvement and may ask to see the planned-curriculum record. Unless progress is inadequate for two consecutive semesters, measured on the child's norm-referenced test scores for that grade level or on a Hawaii-certified teacher's evaluation, the rule bars any recommendation to enroll the child in a public or private school and any recommendation to take legal action for educational neglect, and no such recommendation may be made for a child before third grade (HAR § 8-12-18(d)).

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

Hawaii requires these records: planned-curriculum record: the program's beginning and ending dates, a record of the hours per week the child spends in instruction, the subject areas covered, the method used to determine mastery of the materials and subjects, and a list of textbooks and other instructional materials giving author, title, publisher and date of publication. An annual progress report is submitted to the principal (see assessment). HAR § 8-12-15 requires the parent to keep the planned-curriculum record, and says the record should include the items above. If the principal finds a child's progress inadequate, the principal may ask to see that record and the parent shares it (HAR § 8-12-18(d)).

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

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

What ages does Hawaii's compulsory attendance law cover?

Hawaii's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 5 to age 18. Age five means five on or before July 31 of the school year, so a child who turns five in August is covered the following year; the law then runs until the child turns eighteen, and a child who has already turned eighteen by January 1 of a school year is not covered for that year (HRS § 302A-1132(a)). Since the 2014-15 school year a child who is five by July 31 must be enrolled in a public kindergarten unless enrolled in a private school or otherwise excepted, and the notice of intent to homeschool is one of those exceptions (HRS § 302A-1132(c), (a)(5)). The age of six in HAR § 8-12-2's definition of a 'school age child' predates the 2014 change and is not the age the statute sets.

What are the ways to homeschool in Hawaii?

In Hawaii, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (Form 4140 or letter to the principal).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Hawaii, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Hawaii, notify the principal of your geographic public school before starting (Form 4140 or a letter). Keep a curriculum record, file an annual progress report, and submit standardized test results at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 — unless the principal has approved another means of evaluation for those grades. Once the notice is on file and the annual report is going in, it does not have to be filed again each year, but a new notice goes to the new principal if you move into another school's area or your child moves up to a new school level.

How to get started in Hawaii

1
Notify your local school principal before you start
Before homeschooling begins, send Form 4140 (Exceptions to Compulsory Education) or a signed letter with your child's details to the principal of the public school your child would otherwise attend. The principal and your complex area superintendent acknowledge receipt, and the notice stays on record. Because school age starts at five, a child who is five by July 31 has to be enrolled in kindergarten for that school year unless your notice is already on file — so send it before the year begins. You do not have to file again each year, so long as your child's annual progress report has been submitted (HAR § 8-12-13(c)). A new notice goes to the principal of the new school when your child would transfer to a different public school: the rule's own example is moving up a school level, such as sixth grade to intermediate, and the Department of Education's guidance applies the same rule when you move into another school's geographic area. When you stop homeschooling, notify the principal: your child is re-enrolled in the local public school or a licensed private school unless a new alternative educational program is presented within five school days after homeschooling ends (HAR § 8-12-16).
Official resource (hawaiipublicschools.org) →
2
Keep a record of your planned curriculum
Write down the beginning and ending dates of your program, a record of the hours per week your child spends in instruction, the subject areas you cover, the method you use to determine mastery of the materials and subjects, and a list of textbooks and other instructional materials giving author, title, publisher and date of publication (HAR § 8-12-15). The curriculum must be structured, cumulative, and sequential, but Hawaii sets no required subject list. Keep the record where you can reach it: if the principal finds your child's progress inadequate, the principal may ask to see it.
3
Send the principal an annual progress report
Every year, in every grade, report your child's progress to the principal using any one of four methods: a nationally-normed standardized achievement test score showing grade-level achievement; progress on such a test equal to one grade level per calendar year; a written evaluation by a person certified to teach in Hawaii finding grade-level achievement or significant annual advancement; or your own written evaluation describing your child's progress in each subject area, with representative samples of their work and representative tests and assignments. The principal reviews whether the progress is adequate, and where standardized test scores are used, adequate means scores or stanines in the upper two-thirds. If progress is not adequate, the principal meets with you to help set a plan for improvement and may ask to see your planned-curriculum record. Unless progress has been inadequate for two consecutive semesters, measured on your child's norm-referenced test scores for that grade level or on a Hawaii-certified teacher's evaluation, the rule bars any recommendation to enroll your child in a public or private school and any recommendation of legal action for educational neglect, and no such recommendation may be made for a child before third grade (HAR § 8-12-18(d)).
4
Standardized tests at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10
In those grades, standardized test results also go to the principal. Your child may sit the Statewide Testing Program test at the local public school, or you may arrange comparable private testing at your own expense. If your child sits the school's test, you may let those results serve as that year's progress report (HAR § 8-12-18(c)). HAR § 8-12-18(a) also lets you request, and the principal approve, another means of evaluation for those grades; that approval is the principal's to give and the Department of Education's own homeschool page does not mention it, so secure it before you plan around it. The rule still names grade 10, even though Hawaii public schools now test in grade 11.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance and subject logs.

Sources for Hawaii

Official source (hawaiipublicschools.org) ↗HSLDA's Hawaii summary ↗
Statute: HRS § 302A-1132; HAR Title 8, Ch. 12
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 Hawaii’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

Hawaii has no bordering state, so these are states our review places at the same level of regulation:

All 50 states & D.C. →