Kentucky homeschool requirements
Kentucky treats a homeschool as a private school. Notify your district superintendent in writing within the first two weeks of the school year — or within two weeks of withdrawing from public school — and again each year. Keep attendance records and scholarship reports, open to inspection on request. There is no minimum school term, no required subject list, no state testing and no teacher credential; KDE may not prescribe curriculum for a homeschool.
Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 19, 2026 · Sources below
Kentucky homeschool requirements at a glance
- Notice
- RequiredWhere it goes: Local district superintendent (Director of Pupil Personnel). When: Within the first two weeks of the school year, or within two weeks of withdrawing from public school; annually. Some districts ask for it before the year opens — send it early.
- Required subjects
- No set list
- Instruction time
- NoneNo minimum days or hours for an ordinary homeschool. The 1,062 hours over at least 170 days in KRS 158.070 bind only a private school certified under KRS 156.160(2), and certification is voluntary. KDE recommends those figures; attendance records remain required (KRS 159.040).
- Testing or evaluation
- NoNo standardized testing and no certified-teacher review — no Kentucky statute or regulation imposes either on a homeschool, and KDE's homeschool packet describes none. (Rudasill bars KDE from prescribing curriculum, teacher certification or accreditation standards; it is not a testing holding.)
- Records
- Yes — attendance
- Parent qualifications
- Not required
- Compulsory attendance ages
- 6–18
- Ways to homeschool
- Private/home school (annual letter to the district superintendent)
- Law
- KRS 159.030; 159.040; 159.160; 158.070; 158.080; 156.160(2)
- Official source
- education.ky.gov ↗
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Kentucky?
Yes. Kentucky requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Local district superintendent (Director of Pupil Personnel). How: Written letter listing the name, age, and residence of each child. When: Within the first two weeks of the school year, or within two weeks of withdrawing from public school; annually. Some districts ask for it before the year opens — send it early. A notice, not a request for approval (KRS 159.160).
What subjects does Kentucky require homeschoolers to teach?
Kentucky does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. Kentucky sets no subject list for a homeschool. The rule families often see quoted — instruction in English in the several branches of study taught in the public schools — is KRS 158.080, which by its opening words reaches only private schools certified under KRS 156.160(2), and certification is voluntary. A homeschool is a private school (KRS 159.030), and KDE may not prescribe curriculum (Rudasill, 589 S.W.2d 877 (Ky. 1979)); KDE's homeschool packet lists no required subjects and offers the Kentucky Academic Standards as an optional reference.
How many days or hours of instruction does Kentucky require?
None. Kentucky does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No minimum days or hours for an ordinary homeschool. The 1,062 hours over at least 170 days in KRS 158.070 bind only a private school certified under KRS 156.160(2), and certification is voluntary. KDE recommends those figures; attendance records remain required (KRS 159.040).
Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No standardized testing and no certified-teacher review — no Kentucky statute or regulation imposes either on a homeschool, and KDE's homeschool packet describes none. (Rudasill bars KDE from prescribing curriculum, teacher certification or accreditation standards; it is not a testing holding.)
What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires these records: attendance records and scholarship reports (courses completed and the grade awarded). How long, or where they go: Available to the Director of Pupil Personnel on request. The records themselves are not sent anywhere, but they must be open to inspection by the Director of Pupil Personnel and KDE officials (KRS 159.040). KDE recommends work samples, portfolios and outside test results; those are not required.
Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents.
What ages does Kentucky's compulsory attendance law cover?
Kentucky's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 18.
What are the ways to homeschool in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, families homeschool under this pathway: private/home school (annual letter to the district superintendent).
Is homeschooling legal in Kentucky?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Kentucky, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Kentucky treats a homeschool as a private school. Notify your district superintendent in writing within the first two weeks of the school year — or within two weeks of withdrawing from public school — and again each year. Keep attendance records and scholarship reports, open to inspection on request. There is no minimum school term, no required subject list, no state testing and no teacher credential; KDE may not prescribe curriculum for a homeschool.
How to get started in Kentucky
Sources for Kentucky
Every requirement above comes from our review of Kentucky’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 Kentucky:
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