Louisiana homeschool requirements

In Louisiana, most families use the BESE-Approved Home Study Program: apply within 15 days of starting, then renew by October 1 of the school year — or within twelve months of your first approval, whichever falls later — with evidence of a sustained curriculum at least equal to public schools. Each approval runs one year from the day it is granted and covers only the grade level on the application, so the Department of Education also asks for a renewal when the child is ready to move up a grade. No grade-pegged state test.

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction time set Testing or evaluation by pathway

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Louisiana homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice: RequiredWhere it goes: Louisiana Department of Education (for BESE) — Home Study; or BESE/LDOE — registered nonpublic. When: Home Study: within 15 days of starting. After that a renewal is due by October 1 of the school year, or within twelve months of the initial approval, whichever is later — and the Department of Education's guidelines ask for one whenever the child is ready to move up a grade, because an approval lasts one year and covers only the grade level on the application. Registered nonpublic: the school submits its enrollment to the Department as of the thirtieth day of the school term, and gives the child's former public school written notice within 10 days if the child came from a public school.
Required subjects: English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/History
Instruction time: 180 days180 days a school year on both pathways, with no hour-per-day minimum — though the two rest on different authorities. On the registered-nonpublic route it is statutory: R.S. 17:236 requires any institution classified as a school to operate a minimum session of not less than 180 days, and the Department of Education's current nonpublic guidelines restate it, including for a school that takes no public funds. On the BESE home study route the figure is the Department's rather than the statute's — R.S. 17:236.1 names no day or hour count and the yearly application asks nothing about attendance, but the Department's home study guidelines warn that a child aged 5 through 18 who is neither in a school nor in an approved home study program for at least 180 days in the school year can put the parents in violation of the attendance law. A simple day count is worth keeping either way.
Testing or evaluation: Yes — annualBESE Home Study (renewal evidence; the registered-nonpublic pathway has none). Home-study students are not required to take a state test — evidence is needed only to renew, and a test is one way among several. The 'grades 4/8/10' testing claim is incorrect. R.S. 17:236.1(D) sets out four routes to renewal, while the Department of Education's guidelines and its own renewal application present three — a packet, test scores, or a letter from a certified teacher — folding the state exams into the test-score option. The two differ on the bar: the statute says a renewal shall be approved when the child scored at or above the passing level BESE sets for public school students at that grade, and the Department's guidelines score those same state tests against the child's grade level. The Department is who reviews the renewal, so the safe course is to meet the grade-level standard.
Records: Yes — progress evidence
Parent qualifications: Not required
Compulsory attendance ages: 5–18Louisiana counts from age five only if the child turns five by September 30 of the year the school year begins, and runs through age 18 — or until the child graduates, if that comes first (R.S. 17:221(A)(1)(b)). A parent may defer kindergarten for one year if the child is four on the first day of the school year or is enrolled in a prekindergarten program, and a parent who defers is not treated as breaking the attendance law (R.S. 17:151.3(D)). A child under five who is legally enrolled in school is covered from that point on.
Ways to homeschool: Two pathways
Law: La. R.S. 17:221; 17:236; 17:236.1
Official source: doe.louisiana.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Louisiana?

Yes. Louisiana requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Louisiana Department of Education (for BESE) — Home Study; or BESE/LDOE — registered nonpublic. How: Home Study: apply through the Department of Education's online application system; a paper application is accepted only if a family cannot get online. An initial application must carry a certified copy of the child's birth certificate (R.S. 17:236.1(B)); one sent without it is returned. If the child is 11 or entering sixth grade, the parent also checks one of three meningococcal immunization statements — immunized, declined for religious or other personal reasons, or medically contraindicated — and no immunization document goes to the Department. Registered nonpublic: the school leader files the annual enrollment submission online. When: Home Study: within 15 days of starting. After that a renewal is due by October 1 of the school year, or within twelve months of the initial approval, whichever is later — and the Department of Education's guidelines ask for one whenever the child is ready to move up a grade, because an approval lasts one year and covers only the grade level on the application. Registered nonpublic: the school submits its enrollment to the Department as of the thirtieth day of the school term, and gives the child's former public school written notice within 10 days if the child came from a public school. Home Study is the common pathway; each renewal must show a sustained curriculum at least equal to public schools. An approval runs one year and covers the grade level named on the application, so the Department of Education's guidelines also ask for a renewal when a child moves up a grade before that year is out. The registered-nonpublic route has no renewal evidence, but the Department's guidelines warn that enrolling there does not by itself confirm that a child is meeting the attendance law.

What subjects does Louisiana require homeschoolers to teach?

Louisiana requires instruction in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies/History. BESE Home Study requires a 'sustained curriculum at least equal to public schools' rather than an itemized list (commonly including Louisiana history, civics, geography). The registered-nonpublic pathway has no subject mandate.

How many days or hours of instruction does Louisiana require?

Louisiana's rule: 180 days a school year on both pathways, with no hour-per-day minimum — though the two rest on different authorities. On the registered-nonpublic route it is statutory: R.S. 17:236 requires any institution classified as a school to operate a minimum session of not less than 180 days, and the Department of Education's current nonpublic guidelines restate it, including for a school that takes no public funds. On the BESE home study route the figure is the Department's rather than the statute's — R.S. 17:236.1 names no day or hour count and the yearly application asks nothing about attendance, but the Department's home study guidelines warn that a child aged 5 through 18 who is neither in a school nor in an approved home study program for at least 180 days in the school year can put the parents in violation of the attendance law. A simple day count is worth keeping either way.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Louisiana?

Yes. Louisiana requires a test or another accepted form of evaluation. How often: Annual renewal evidence (method is the family's choice). Who this applies to: BESE Home Study (renewal evidence; the registered-nonpublic pathway has none). Accepted options: standardized test scores at or above grade level, or showing one grade level of progress for each year in home study — the Department's list is open-ended and names iLEAP, Louisiana LEAP, End-of-Course exams, the ACT, the California Achievement Test or Stanford, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the SAT; state tests taken through the local school board — under R.S. 17:236.1(E) the board gives the competency-based examination on a parent's request and may charge a fee of up to $35, and the Department tells parents to arrange it with the district testing office in the first part of January; written statement from a teacher certified to teach at the child's grade level; R.S. 17:236.1(D)(3) makes that evaluation subject to review and approval by BESE; and curriculum packet — an outline of the subjects taught, a list of the books and materials used, a third party's observation of the child's progress, one or two pages of work per core subject, and a report card or copies of test results. Home-study students are not required to take a state test — evidence is needed only to renew, and a test is one way among several. The 'grades 4/8/10' testing claim is incorrect. R.S. 17:236.1(D) sets out four routes to renewal, while the Department of Education's guidelines and its own renewal application present three — a packet, test scores, or a letter from a certified teacher — folding the state exams into the test-score option. The two differ on the bar: the statute says a renewal shall be approved when the child scored at or above the passing level BESE sets for public school students at that grade, and the Department's guidelines score those same state tests against the child's grade level. The Department is who reviews the renewal, so the safe course is to meet the grade-level standard.

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

Louisiana requires these records: annual renewal evidence — one of three: standardized test scores at or above grade level (or showing one grade level of progress for each year in home study), a statement from a teacher certified at the child's grade level, or a curriculum packet (an outline of the subjects taught, a list of books and materials used, a third party's observation of the child's progress, one or two pages of work per core subject, and a report card or copies of test results). How long, or where they go: Annual — filed with each renewal application, due October 1 of the school year or within twelve months of the first approval, whichever is later. Families choose one evidence method per year and may change it year to year.

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

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

What ages does Louisiana's compulsory attendance law cover?

Louisiana's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 5 to age 18. Louisiana counts from age five only if the child turns five by September 30 of the year the school year begins, and runs through age 18 — or until the child graduates, if that comes first (R.S. 17:221(A)(1)(b)). A parent may defer kindergarten for one year if the child is four on the first day of the school year or is enrolled in a prekindergarten program, and a parent who defers is not treated as breaking the attendance law (R.S. 17:151.3(D)). A child under five who is legally enrolled in school is covered from that point on.

What are the ways to homeschool in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, families homeschool under one of two pathways: BESE-Approved Home Study Program and Registered nonpublic school (not seeking approval).

Is homeschooling legal in Louisiana?

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Louisiana, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In Louisiana, most families use the BESE-Approved Home Study Program: apply within 15 days of starting, then renew by October 1 of the school year — or within twelve months of your first approval, whichever falls later — with evidence of a sustained curriculum at least equal to public schools. Each approval runs one year from the day it is granted and covers only the grade level on the application, so the Department of Education also asks for a renewal when the child is ready to move up a grade. No grade-pegged state test.

How to get started in Louisiana

Apply for BESE home study approval

Submit the BESE-Approved Home Study Program application through the Louisiana Department of Education's online application system within 15 days of starting; a paper application is accepted only if you cannot get online. An initial application must carry a certified copy of your child's birth certificate (R.S. 17:236.1(B)) — one sent without it is returned. If your child is 11 or entering sixth grade, you also check one of three meningococcal immunization statements on the form (immunized, declined for religious or other personal reasons, or medically contraindicated), and no immunization document goes to the Department. No teaching certificate is required.

Official resource (doe.louisiana.gov) →

Teach a sustained curriculum

The standard is a sustained curriculum at least equal to what public schools offer, rather than an itemized subject list. Plan on English/language arts, math, science, and social studies/history, commonly including Louisiana history, civics and geography. The registered-nonpublic route has no subject mandate.

Teach 180 days a year

Plan on 180 days a school year on either route, with no hour-per-day minimum — though the two rest on different authorities. For a registered nonpublic school the figure is statutory: R.S. 17:236 requires any institution classified as a school to operate a session of not less than 180 days. On the home study route it is the Department of Education's figure rather than the statute's — R.S. 17:236.1 names no day or hour count and the yearly application asks nothing about attendance, but the Department's home study guidelines warn that a child aged 5 through 18 who is neither in a school nor in an approved home study program for at least 180 days in the school year can put the parents in violation of the attendance law. Keep a simple day count either way. Compulsory attendance reaches your child at age five only if they turn five by September 30 of the year the school year begins, and runs through age 18 or until they graduate, whichever comes first (R.S. 17:221(A)(1)(b)); a child under five who is legally enrolled in school is covered from that point on. You may defer kindergarten for one year if your child is four on the first day of the school year or is enrolled in a prekindergarten program, and deferring is not treated as breaking the attendance law (R.S. 17:151.3(D)).

Official resource (doe.louisiana.gov) →

Renew by October 1 or twelve months after your first approval, whichever is later

Each renewal is due by October 1 of the school year, or within twelve months of your first approval, whichever falls later. An approval runs one year from the day it is granted and covers only the grade level on your application, so the Department of Education's guidelines also ask for a renewal when your child is ready to move up a grade. Send one piece of evidence with each renewal — your choice, and you may switch from year to year: standardized test scores at or above grade level (or showing one grade level of progress for each year in home study); a written statement from a teacher certified to teach at your child's grade level, which R.S. 17:236.1(D)(3) makes subject to review and approval by BESE; or a curriculum packet — an outline of the subjects you taught, a list of the books and materials used, a third party's observation of your child's progress, one or two pages of work per core subject, and a report card or copies of test results. If you would rather use a state exam, your local school board gives the competency-based examination on a parent's request under R.S. 17:236.1(E) and may charge a fee of up to $35; the Department tells parents to arrange it with the district testing office in the first part of January. The Department's guidelines score those results against your child's grade level, and the Department is who reviews the renewal, so plan to meet the grade-level standard. No state test is required at any grade.

Official resource (doe.louisiana.gov) →

Another route: a registered nonpublic school

Some families instead register their home school as a nonpublic school not seeking approval. That route has no annual renewal evidence and no required subject list, but the school leader files one submission a year online with the Department of Education — the school's enrollment as of the thirtieth day of its term — and, if your child came from a public school, gives that former school written notice within 10 days. The Department's guidelines warn that registering this way does not by itself confirm that your child is meeting the attendance law.

What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance, assessment reminders.

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Sources for Louisiana

Official source (doe.louisiana.gov) ↗HSLDA's Louisiana summary ↗

Statute: La. R.S. 17:221; 17:236; 17:236.1

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 Louisiana’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.

Our review marks Louisiana’s rules as not fully confirmed: the law here is changing, or we could not confirm every field against a primary source. Read the official source before relying on anything on this page.

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