Romeschool

North Carolina homeschool requirements

To homeschool in North Carolina, file a Notice of Intent with the NC Division of Non-Public Education (a one-time filing, with diploma evidence for every instructor attached), operate 9 months, keep attendance + a parent HS diploma, and give an annual nationally-standardized test (kept on file, not submitted). By statute a home school is the children of no more than two families or households (G.S. 115C-563(a)).

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction time set Testing or evaluation
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North Carolina homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: NC Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE). When: Before your home school begins, and DNPE asks for it at least five business days ahead — or five business days before your child's seventh birthday if the child turns 7 during the school year. DNPE takes Notices of Intent July through April only, not in May or June. Notify DNPE again when the home school closes.
Required subjects
No set list
Instruction time
9 monthsOperate on a regular schedule at least 9 calendar months; keep annual attendance records.
Testing or evaluation
Yes — annualAnnual testing for every student regardless of grade; no minimum score and no state action on low scores; results are kept on file at least 1 year, not submitted.
Records
Yes — assessment results, attendance, immunizations
Parent qualifications
Required
Compulsory attendance ages
7–16Compulsory attendance runs from age 7 to age 16 (G.S. 115C-378(a)). A child under 7 who is already enrolled in a public school in kindergarten through grade two must keep attending until the child is formally withdrawn. DNPE's filing duty follows the same line: no Notice of Intent is needed for a child under 7 who will not turn 7 during the school year, or for a student 18 or older, and a child who turns 7 during the year must be filed for before that birthday.
Ways to homeschool
Nonpublic home school (Notice of Intent to NC DNPE)
Law
N.C.G.S. § 115C-563 to -565
Official source
doa.nc.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in North Carolina?

Yes. North Carolina requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: NC Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE). How: One Notice of Intent for the whole home school, not one per student, filed online through the DNPE portal (paper by mail is accepted but slower): the school's name and address, the chief administrator, the adults who will provide academic instruction, and enrolled-student counts by age and gender. Diploma or GED evidence for every instructor named must go with it — DNPE's form says the submission is void without it. When: Before your home school begins, and DNPE asks for it at least five business days ahead — or five business days before your child's seventh birthday if the child turns 7 during the school year. DNPE takes Notices of Intent July through April only, not in May or June. Notify DNPE again when the home school closes. NC home schools are a type of nonpublic school. No annual renewal — the school stays open until you close it. Notice goes to the state DNPE, not the local district. The form asks you to elect Article 39 Part 1 (religious) or Part 2 (non-religious/independent); the operating requirements are the same either way. DNPE's online system takes new notices weekdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and processes one in three to five business days.

What subjects does North Carolina require homeschoolers to teach?

North Carolina does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No statutory subject list, but the annual test must cover English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics (G.S. 115C-564).

How many days or hours of instruction does North Carolina require?

North Carolina's rule: Operate on a regular schedule at least 9 calendar months; keep annual attendance records.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in North Carolina?

Yes. North Carolina requires a standardized test. How often: Annual. What is accepted: Any nationally-normed standardized test covering English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics (the parent may administer it if the publisher allows). Annual testing for every student regardless of grade; no minimum score and no state action on low scores; results are kept on file at least 1 year, not submitted.

What records do I need to keep to homeschool in North Carolina?

North Carolina requires these records: annual standardized test results, attendance records, and immunization records. How long, or where they go: Test results kept at least 1 year (DNPE recommends permanently). Test results are kept on file (not submitted) and provided to DNPE on request.

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

Yes. North Carolina sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. The chief administrator and all instructors must hold at least a high-school diploma or equivalent (GED) (G.S. 115C-564).

What ages does North Carolina's compulsory attendance law cover?

North Carolina's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 7 to age 16. Compulsory attendance runs from age 7 to age 16 (G.S. 115C-378(a)). A child under 7 who is already enrolled in a public school in kindergarten through grade two must keep attending until the child is formally withdrawn. DNPE's filing duty follows the same line: no Notice of Intent is needed for a child under 7 who will not turn 7 during the school year, or for a student 18 or older, and a child who turns 7 during the year must be filed for before that birthday.

What are the ways to homeschool in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, families homeschool under this pathway: nonpublic home school (Notice of Intent to NC DNPE).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in North Carolina, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in North Carolina, file a Notice of Intent with the NC Division of Non-Public Education (a one-time filing, with diploma evidence for every instructor attached), operate 9 months, keep attendance + a parent HS diploma, and give an annual nationally-standardized test (kept on file, not submitted). By statute a home school is the children of no more than two families or households (G.S. 115C-563(a)).

How to get started in North Carolina

1
File a Notice of Intent with the Division of Non-Public Education
File once, before your home school begins — there is no annual renewal. One notice covers the whole home school, not one per student, and it goes to the state Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE), not your local school district. File online through the Division's portal (paper by mail is accepted but slower): your school's name and address, the chief administrator, the adults who will provide academic instruction, and enrolled-student counts by age and gender. Diploma or GED evidence for every instructor you name has to go with it — DNPE's form says a submission without it is void. The form also asks you to elect Article 39 Part 1 (religious) or Part 2 (non-religious); the requirements are the same either way. A home school here serves the children of no more than two families or households. If you stop homeschooling, tell the Division your school has closed.
Official resource (doa.nc.gov) →
2
Send it at least five business days before you begin
DNPE asks for the notice at least five business days ahead of the day your home school starts, and it accepts new notices only from July through April — not in May or June. If your child turns seven during the school year, file at least five business days before that birthday. You do not file for a child under seven who will not turn seven that year, or for a student eighteen or older — but a child under seven who is already enrolled in a public school in kindergarten through grade two has to be formally withdrawn before you stop sending them.
3
Teach on a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months
The law measures the school year in months, not in a set number of days or hours. Keep attendance records for each student every year. There is no required subject list, though the annual test covers four specific subjects.
4
Test every student every year
Give each student a nationally standardized test each year that covers English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics. You may give it yourself if the test publisher allows. There is no minimum score. Keep the results on file for at least a year — DNPE recommends keeping them permanently. They are not submitted, but the Division may ask to see them.
5
Meet the diploma requirement and keep records
The chief administrator and everyone who teaches must hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, such as a GED — which is why diploma evidence goes with your Notice of Intent. Keep each student's immunization records alongside the attendance and test records.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance and testing reminders.
If you take an ESA: Stays a DNPE-registered NC homeschooler; signs LEA Release + annual agreement; $500/student min-spend; 1099-G issued for non-tuition >$600.

Sources for North Carolina

Official source (doa.nc.gov) ↗HSLDA's North Carolina summary ↗
Statute: N.C.G.S. § 115C-563 to -565
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 North Carolina’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 North Carolina:

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