Romeschool

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 at all times to the Director of Pupil Personnel and to Department of Education officials. There is no required subject list, no state testing and no teacher credential, and KDE may not prescribe curriculum for a homeschool — but its homeschool packet does state a school year of at least 1,062 hours across at least 170 student attendance days.

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction-time rule
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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
No fixed statutory numberThe Department of Education's homeschool packet states that a homeschool operates on a calendar of at least 1,062 hours of instruction across no fewer than 170 student attendance days a year, citing KRS 158.080 and KRS 158.070. Read on its own, KRS 158.080 binds only private and parochial schools certified under KRS 156.160(2), which a homeschool is not, so whether that calendar binds an uncertified homeschool has not been settled by a court or a regulation. Plan on 1,062 hours over 170 days — it is what the Department and your district's Director of Pupil Personnel state the rule to be. Attendance records are required either way (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
6–18A child is of compulsory school age if they are six or turn six by August 1, so a sixth birthday after August 1 waits a year (KRS 158.030(2)); a child already enrolled in the primary school program is covered whatever their age. KRS 159.010 reads six to sixteen on its face — the sixteen became eighteen when every district adopted the age-18 policy that statute provides for, and the Department of Education states the range as six to eighteen.
Ways to homeschool
Private/home school (annual letter to the district superintendent)
Law
KRS 159.010; 159.030; 159.040; 159.160; 158.030; 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, and the district must accept it. The two-week deadline is in KRS 159.160; the withdrawal trigger and the yearly resubmission come from the Department of Education's homeschool packet rather than from the statute.

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?

Kentucky's rule: The Department of Education's homeschool packet states that a homeschool operates on a calendar of at least 1,062 hours of instruction across no fewer than 170 student attendance days a year, citing KRS 158.080 and KRS 158.070. Read on its own, KRS 158.080 binds only private and parochial schools certified under KRS 156.160(2), which a homeschool is not, so whether that calendar binds an uncertified homeschool has not been settled by a court or a regulation. Plan on 1,062 hours over 170 days — it is what the Department and your district's Director of Pupil Personnel state the rule to be. Attendance records are required either way (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: Open at all times to inspection by the district Director of Pupil Personnel and by Department of Education officials. KRS 159.040 has attendance kept in a register provided by the Kentucky Board of Education, but the Department of Education's packet says it does not enforce the paper-register form and accepts attendance records in any form, digital or paper. Nothing is sent anywhere — inspection is a backstop, not a routine review. KDE also 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. A child is of compulsory school age if they are six or turn six by August 1, so a sixth birthday after August 1 waits a year (KRS 158.030(2)); a child already enrolled in the primary school program is covered whatever their age. KRS 159.010 reads six to sixteen on its face — the sixteen became eighteen when every district adopted the age-18 policy that statute provides for, and the Department of Education states the range as six to eighteen.

What are the ways to homeschool in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, families homeschool under this pathway: private/home school (annual letter to the district superintendent).

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 at all times to the Director of Pupil Personnel and to Department of Education officials. There is no required subject list, no state testing and no teacher credential, and KDE may not prescribe curriculum for a homeschool — but its homeschool packet does state a school year of at least 1,062 hours across at least 170 student attendance days.

How to get started in Kentucky

1
Send your notice to the district each year
Send a letter to your local school district superintendent (the Director of Pupil Personnel) listing each child's name, age, and place of residence. Send it within the first two weeks of the school year, or within two weeks of withdrawing a child from public school, and again every year you homeschool. Some districts ask for it before the year opens, so send it early. It is a notice, not a request for approval, and the district must accept it — the two-week deadline is in KRS 159.160, while the withdrawal trigger and the yearly resubmission come from the Department of Education's homeschool packet rather than from the statute. A child is of compulsory school age if they are six or turn six by August 1, so a sixth birthday after August 1 waits a year (KRS 158.030(2)); a child already enrolled in the primary school program is covered whatever their age.
Official resource (education.ky.gov) →
2
Keep attendance and scholarship records
Keep attendance records and scholarship reports — the courses each child completed and the grade awarded. You don't send them anywhere, but they must be open at all times to inspection by the Director of Pupil Personnel and Department of Education officials (KRS 159.040). That statute has attendance kept in a register provided by the Kentucky Board of Education; the Department's packet says it does not enforce the paper-register form and accepts attendance records in any form, digital or paper. The Department also suggests work samples, portfolios, and outside test results; those are not required.
3
Plan on the Department's 1,062 hours over 170 days
The Department of Education's homeschool packet states that a homeschool runs a calendar of at least 1,062 hours of instruction across no fewer than 170 student attendance days a year, citing KRS 158.070 and KRS 158.080. Read on its own, KRS 158.080 binds only private and parochial schools certified under KRS 156.160(2) — which a homeschool is not — so whether that calendar binds an uncertified homeschool has not been settled by a court or a regulation. Plan on the 1,062 hours over 170 days anyway: it is what the Department and your district's Director of Pupil Personnel state the rule to be. Attendance records are required either way (KRS 159.040).
4
No required subject list
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). Your homeschool is a private school (KRS 159.030), the Department of Education may not prescribe curriculum for it (Rudasill, 589 S.W.2d 877 (Ky. 1979)), and its homeschool packet lists no required subjects; the Kentucky Academic Standards are offered as an optional reference.
5
No testing or teaching credential
Kentucky requires no standardized testing and no certified-teacher review of a homeschool — no Kentucky statute or regulation imposes either, and the Department of Education's homeschool packet describes none. No teaching credential is required for homeschooling parents.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance records, annual notice reminder.

Sources for Kentucky

Official source (education.ky.gov) ↗HSLDA's Kentucky summary ↗
Statute: KRS 159.010; 159.030; 159.040; 159.160; 158.030; 158.070; 158.080; 156.160(2)
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 Kentucky’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.

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