New Jersey homeschool requirements
New Jersey is one of the freest states. No notification, registration, or testing — provide instruction 'equivalent' to public school. One exception: to withdraw a student already enrolled in high school, the Department of Education's guidance says the school will have the parent complete a transfer form.
Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 23, 2026 · Sources below
New Jersey homeschool requirements at a glance
- Notice
- Not required
- Required subjects
- No set list
- Instruction time
- NoneNo attendance record requirement.
- Testing or evaluation
- NoNo state or district testing; local boards cannot test homeschooled students.
- Records
- No
- Parent qualifications
- Not required
- Compulsory attendance ages
- 6–16
- Ways to homeschool
- Independent (no filing)
- Law
- N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25; N.J.S.A. 18A:38-31; N.J.A.C. 6A:22-4.2(b)9; State v. Vaughn, 44 N.J. 142 (1965); State v. Massa, 95 N.J. Super. 382 (1967)
- Official source
- nj.gov ↗
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey does not require homeschooling families to file a notice. No statutory requirement to notify and no homeschool registration, but two situations do call for paperwork. To take a child out of a high school they are already enrolled in, the Department of Education's guidance says the school will have the parent complete a transfer form recording the intent to provide instruction elsewhere than at school, so that high-school enrollment data stays accurate. And where a district refuses to enroll a child on residency grounds and the parent does not appeal, N.J.A.C. 6A:22-4.2(b)9 looks for a written statement that the child will attend school elsewhere or receive instruction elsewhere than at school; without one, district staff must refer the family to the district where they actually live, or to the Department of Children and Families, as a possible case of neglect. In any other situation the Department encourages, but does not require, a letter telling the local board you intend to homeschool. Local boards cannot review or approve your curriculum.
What subjects does New Jersey require homeschoolers to teach?
New Jersey does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No enumerated subjects; the 'equivalent instruction' standard (N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25; State v. Massa) requires academically equivalent education without a specific subject list.
How many days or hours of instruction does New Jersey require?
None. New Jersey does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No attendance record requirement.
Is standardized testing required to homeschool in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No state or district testing; local boards cannot test homeschooled students.
What records do I need to keep to homeschool in New Jersey?
New Jersey does not require homeschooling families to keep specific records. If a parent is charged under the compulsory education law (N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, with the penalty at 18A:38-31), the parent must come forward with evidence that the child is receiving equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school; once that evidence is in the case, the burden of persuasion stays with the State (State v. Vaughn, 44 N.J. 142 (1965)). A log of what was taught and samples of the child's work are how a family produces that evidence, in that court or wherever else the question is raised. The Department of Education's guidance says a local board may request documentation, such as a letter of intent, where it has credible evidence that a child is not being educated, and that withdrawing a child to homeschool is not by itself such evidence; that guidance is not a state directive, and it does not replace the paperwork a high-school withdrawal or a residency denial calls for.
Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in New Jersey?
No. New Jersey does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents.
What ages does New Jersey's compulsory attendance law cover?
New Jersey's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 16.
What are the ways to homeschool in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (no filing).
Is homeschooling legal in New Jersey?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in New Jersey, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. New Jersey is one of the freest states. No notification, registration, or testing — provide instruction 'equivalent' to public school. One exception: to withdraw a student already enrolled in high school, the Department of Education's guidance says the school will have the parent complete a transfer form.
How to get started in New Jersey
Sources for New Jersey
Every requirement above comes from our review of New Jersey’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 New Jersey:
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