Idaho homeschool requirements
Idaho is one of the freest states. No notice, registration, testing, or reporting — Idaho Code § 33-202 asks only that your children be instructed, by you or at your direction, in the subjects commonly and usually taught in the state's public schools during the compulsory attendance years.
Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 23, 2026 · Sources below
Idaho homeschool requirements at a glance
- Notice
- Not required
- Required subjects
- No set list
- Instruction time
- NoneNo attendance requirement.
- Testing or evaluation
- NoNo testing required.
- Records
- No
- Parent qualifications
- Not required
- Compulsory attendance ages
- 7–16Idaho measures the start against the school calendar rather than the birthday: § 33-202 covers a child who has 'attained the age of seven (7) years at the time of the commencement of school in his district,' so a child who turns seven after school has begun is not covered until the following school year. Section 33-207 points back to that qualification when it describes the seven-to-sixteen range. The duty ends when the child turns sixteen.
- Ways to homeschool
- Independent (no filing)
- Law
- Idaho Code § 33-202
- Official source
- sde.idaho.gov ↗
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Idaho?
No. Idaho does not require homeschooling families to file a notice. No notice, registration, or reporting is required, and the Department of Education's homeschool FAQ says there is no list, no monitoring and no check-ins. Its first instruction is practical rather than statutory: make sure a child leaving a public school is officially unenrolled. A child still on a school's rolls who stops attending can be judged an habitual truant under Idaho Code § 33-206, and § 33-207 lets the board refer that to the prosecuting attorney.
What subjects does Idaho require homeschoolers to teach?
Idaho does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. Idaho Code § 33-202 asks only that a child be 'instructed in subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of the state of Idaho.' That is a subjects standard, not a comparability or equivalency test. Guides that describe Idaho as requiring instruction 'comparable' to public school are quoting wording the legislature removed: 2009 Idaho Sess. Laws ch. 103 struck 'unless the child is otherwise comparably instructed' from § 33-202 and dropped the same word from § 33-207, which now asks only whether the child was 'instructed as defined in section 33-202.' The Department of Education's homeschool FAQ points parents to the Idaho Content Standards and says the parent decides which of them to teach.
How many days or hours of instruction does Idaho require?
None. Idaho does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No attendance requirement.
Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Idaho?
No. Idaho does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No testing required.
What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Idaho?
Idaho does not require homeschooling families to keep specific records. No record-keeping required by statute.
Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Idaho?
No. Idaho does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents.
What ages does Idaho's compulsory attendance law cover?
Idaho's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 7 to age 16. Idaho measures the start against the school calendar rather than the birthday: § 33-202 covers a child who has 'attained the age of seven (7) years at the time of the commencement of school in his district,' so a child who turns seven after school has begun is not covered until the following school year. Section 33-207 points back to that qualification when it describes the seven-to-sixteen range. The duty ends when the child turns sixteen.
What are the ways to homeschool in Idaho?
In Idaho, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (no filing).
Is homeschooling legal in Idaho?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Idaho, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Idaho is one of the freest states. No notice, registration, testing, or reporting — Idaho Code § 33-202 asks only that your children be instructed, by you or at your direction, in the subjects commonly and usually taught in the state's public schools during the compulsory attendance years.
How to get started in Idaho
Sources for Idaho
Every requirement above comes from our review of Idaho’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 Idaho:
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