Nebraska homeschool requirements

To homeschool in Nebraska, file an exempt-school election (Rule 13) with the Nebraska Department of Education by July 15 each year, provide at least 1,032 hours of instruction (1,080 in grades 9–12), and assure instruction in five subject areas. The Department tells your school district for you. No state testing, but the filing is annual.

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

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Nebraska homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice: RequiredWhere it goes: The Nebraska Department of Education. Your authorized parent representative files the Statement of Election and Assurances with the Commissioner of Education, and the election takes effect when the Commissioner receives it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601(3); 92 NAC 13 §§ 003.01, 004.01A). You do not file it with your school district — on receipt, the Commissioner sends your acknowledgment and reports the election to the district where the child lives (92 NAC 13 § 005). The Department's FAQ says you may tell the district yourself if you wish. When: Annual priority deadline: July 15.
Required subjects: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/History, Health
Instruction time: 1,032–1,080 hours by grade1,032 instructional hours/year (elementary/K–8); 1,080 hours/year (grades 9–12); prorated for mid-year starts.
Testing or evaluation: NoNo state standardized testing required for Rule 13 exempt/homeschool students.
Records: Yes — immunizations
Parent qualifications: Not required
Compulsory attendance ages: 6–18Nebraska counts from the school year, not the birthday: a child is of mandatory attendance age once they will turn 6 before January 1 of that school year, and stays so until they turn 18 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-201(1)). You may delay the start until age 7 — for a child who has turned 6 but not 7, sign an affidavit that you intend the child to attend an exempt school and to give the Commissioner of Education the statement of election on or before the child's seventh birthday, and file that affidavit with the school district where the child lives (§ 79-201(3)(e)); that affidavit is the one homeschool paper the district collects, and the Department neither provides nor accepts it, so ask the district for the form. The duty can also end before 18, but only on paperwork: a child who has completed the exempt school's program of instruction is released once the Commissioner receives a Report of Completion, and a child who is at least 16 is released once the Commissioner receives a Withdrawal From Exempt School form — in each case effective from the date the Department receives the form, not the date the child finished or turned 16 (§§ 79-201(3)(b)–(c), 79-202(6); 92 NAC 13 § 008).
Ways to homeschool: Exempt school election under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601 and Rule 13 (Statement of Election and Assurances filed with the Commissioner of Education)
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601; NAC Title 92, Ch. 13 (Rule 13)
Official source: education.ne.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Nebraska?

Yes. Nebraska requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: The Nebraska Department of Education. Your authorized parent representative files the Statement of Election and Assurances with the Commissioner of Education, and the election takes effect when the Commissioner receives it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601(3); 92 NAC 13 §§ 003.01, 004.01A). You do not file it with your school district — on receipt, the Commissioner sends your acknowledgment and reports the election to the district where the child lives (92 NAC 13 § 005). The Department's FAQ says you may tell the district yourself if you wish. How: A Statement of Election and Assurances for each child, signed by a parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker, plus the Authorized Parent Representative form — filed online at exemptschool.education.ne.gov or on paper by mail or drop-off (the filing itself cannot be faxed or emailed). The first time you file for a child, send a certified copy of the birth certificate as well, or other reliable proof of identity and age with an affidavit explaining why you cannot produce it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-2007(3); 92 NAC 13 § 007) — NDE's instructions say it is not resubmitted each year once it is on file. A legal guardian or educational decisionmaker must also send the full court order appointing them. When: Annual priority deadline: July 15. Rule 13 (92 NAC 13) was rewritten effective June 28, 2026 and now covers the election paperwork itself. The school year runs July 1 to June 30 (§ 002.09), and the authorized parent representative files by July 15 of each year the school will operate (§ 004.01A); the Department's instructions add that submissions are still accepted after that date. A family who was not a Nebraska resident on July 15, or who takes a child out of an approved or accredited school after July 15, files promptly instead (§§ 004.01A1–A2). If you are withdrawing a child from a public school mid-year, the Department advises talking to the school first and waiting until it has your filing.

What subjects does Nebraska require homeschoolers to teach?

Nebraska requires instruction in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/History, and Health. Per Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601 / Rule 13; the parent assures instruction in these areas when filing.

How many days or hours of instruction does Nebraska require?

Nebraska's rule: 1,032 instructional hours/year (elementary/K–8); 1,080 hours/year (grades 9–12); prorated for mid-year starts.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Nebraska?

No. Nebraska does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No state standardized testing required for Rule 13 exempt/homeschool students.

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

Nebraska requires these records: immunization records — only if the Statement of Election gives the non-religious reason, or leaves both reasons unmarked. How long, or where they go: Kept by your exempt school; the Department does not ask for immunization records. Section 79-1601(4)(d) ties the section 79-217 immunization duty to the non-religious election only, and the Statement of Election says so on its face: the box for requirements that 'interfere with my decisions in directing my child's education' carries the immunization acknowledgement, and the sincerely-held-religious-beliefs box does not. Two things follow that are easy to miss. The Department's instructions say that if neither box is marked it treats the filing as the non-religious one, so a blank election carries the duty; and the form itself notes the exceptions in sections 79-221 and 79-222, which cover a physician's statement and a signed religious-belief affidavit. The exempt school keeps the immunization record and the Department does not ask for it. The rewritten Rule 13, effective June 28, 2026, sets no record-keeping or retention requirement of any kind — the Department advises keeping attendance data and a transcript of classes taken with grades received, and that is advice, not a rule.

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

No. Nebraska does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents. No credential required; the parent signs annual assurance forms (Statement of Election + Parent Representative Form) and assumes responsibility for the Rule 13 standards.

What ages does Nebraska's compulsory attendance law cover?

Nebraska's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 18. Nebraska counts from the school year, not the birthday: a child is of mandatory attendance age once they will turn 6 before January 1 of that school year, and stays so until they turn 18 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-201(1)). You may delay the start until age 7 — for a child who has turned 6 but not 7, sign an affidavit that you intend the child to attend an exempt school and to give the Commissioner of Education the statement of election on or before the child's seventh birthday, and file that affidavit with the school district where the child lives (§ 79-201(3)(e)); that affidavit is the one homeschool paper the district collects, and the Department neither provides nor accepts it, so ask the district for the form. The duty can also end before 18, but only on paperwork: a child who has completed the exempt school's program of instruction is released once the Commissioner receives a Report of Completion, and a child who is at least 16 is released once the Commissioner receives a Withdrawal From Exempt School form — in each case effective from the date the Department receives the form, not the date the child finished or turned 16 (§§ 79-201(3)(b)–(c), 79-202(6); 92 NAC 13 § 008).

What are the ways to homeschool in Nebraska?

In Nebraska, families homeschool under this pathway: exempt school election under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601 and Rule 13 (Statement of Election and Assurances filed with the Commissioner of Education).

Is homeschooling legal in Nebraska?

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Nebraska, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Nebraska, file an exempt-school election (Rule 13) with the Nebraska Department of Education by July 15 each year, provide at least 1,032 hours of instruction (1,080 in grades 9–12), and assure instruction in five subject areas. The Department tells your school district for you. No state testing, but the filing is annual.

How to get started in Nebraska

File your Statement of Election by July 15

Your authorized parent representative files a Statement of Election and Assurances for each child, signed by a parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker, along with the Authorized Parent Representative form, with the Commissioner of Education at the Nebraska Department of Education — online at exemptschool.education.ne.gov, or on paper by mail or drop-off (the filing itself cannot be faxed or emailed). It does not go to your school district: the election takes effect when the Commissioner receives it, and the Department sends your acknowledgment and reports the election to the district where your child lives. The first time you file for a child, send a certified copy of the birth certificate as well, or other reliable proof of identity and age with an affidavit explaining why you cannot produce it; the Department's instructions say it is not resubmitted each year once it is on file. A legal guardian or educational decisionmaker filing in a parent's place also sends the full court order appointing them. Rule 13 sets July 15 as the filing date for each year your exempt school will operate, and the Department's instructions add that submissions are still accepted after that date. File promptly instead if you were not a Nebraska resident on July 15, or if you take a child out of an approved or accredited school after that date — and if you are withdrawing a child from a public school mid-year, the Department advises talking to the school first and waiting until the Department has your filing.

Official resource (education.ne.gov) →

If your child is 6, you may wait until 7

Nebraska counts from the school year, not the birthday: a child is of mandatory attendance age once they will turn 6 before January 1 of that school year, and stays so until they turn 18. You may delay the start until age 7 — for a child who has turned 6 but not 7, sign an affidavit that you intend the child to attend an exempt school and to give the Commissioner of Education the statement of election on or before the child's seventh birthday, and file that affidavit with the school district where the child lives. That affidavit is the one homeschool paper the district collects — the Department neither provides nor accepts it, so ask your district for the form.

Ending the duty before 18

The attendance duty can end before 18, but only on paperwork. A child who has completed your exempt school's program of instruction is released once the Commissioner of Education receives a Report of Completion, and a child who is at least 16 is released once the Commissioner receives a Withdrawal From Exempt School form. Either way it takes effect from the date the Department receives the form, not the date your child finished or turned 16 — so send it rather than assume the duty has lapsed.

Provide 1,032 or 1,080 hours

At least 1,032 hours of instruction a year for grades K–8, and 1,080 hours a year for grades 9–12. If you start partway through the year, the hours are prorated.

Teach the five required subjects

Language arts, math, science, social studies/history, and health. No teaching credential is required; when you file, you sign an assurance that your instruction covers these areas.

No testing required

Nebraska has no standardized testing or annual assessment requirement for homeschooled students.

Keep your own records

No portfolio is required, and Rule 13, rewritten effective June 28, 2026, sets no record-keeping or retention rule of any kind. One record is real: if your Statement of Election gives the non-religious reason — or leaves both reasons unmarked, which the Department treats the same way — your exempt school keeps each child's immunization record on file, and Nebraska's exceptions for a physician's statement or a signed religious-belief affidavit still apply. An election made on sincerely held religious beliefs does not carry that duty, and the Department does not ask to see the record either way. The Department advises keeping attendance data and a transcript of classes taken with grades received; that is advice, not a rule.

What Romeschool tracks for you: Hour tracking and filing reminders.

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Sources for Nebraska

Official source (education.ne.gov) ↗HSLDA's Nebraska summary ↗

Statute: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601; NAC Title 92, Ch. 13 (Rule 13)

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 Nebraska’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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