Romeschool

Oregon homeschool requirements

To homeschool in Oregon, notify your local Education Service District once, then test at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 (results submitted only on request). No mandated subjects or hours.

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Testing or evaluation
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Oregon homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: Local Education Service District (ESD). When: Within 10 days of starting home instruction or of withdrawing your child from school, and within 10 days of moving to a new ESD. There is no annual renewal — a family already homeschooling does not send a new notice each year.
Required subjects
No set list
Instruction time
NoneNo attendance or instructional-hours requirement.
Testing or evaluation
Yes — grades 3, 5, 8, 10Testing at grades 3, 5, 8, 10 by August 15; results submitted to the ESD only on request. Students in interscholastic activities test annually. IEP/PDP exceptions allow alternative methods. If a composite score falls below the 15th percentile, the child must be examined again within one year; if that score declines, a third examination follows, and the ESD superintendent may let home instruction continue, place the child's education under the supervision of a licensed teacher at the family's expense, or order school attendance for up to 12 consecutive months (ORS 339.035(4); OAR 581-021-0026(7)).
Records
Yes — assessment results
Parent qualifications
Not required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–18The range is capped by ORS 339.010's “who have not completed the 12th grade” clause, so the duty ends early for a student who finishes 12th grade first. Under ORS 339.010(3) a child counts as six only if the sixth birthday fell on or before September 1 preceding the school term, and OAR 581-021-0026(11) lets the parent of a child who turns six after September 1 wait until the start of the next school year to send the homeschool notice. A five-year-old already enrolled in a public school must keep attending while enrolled (ORS 339.010(2)), and a parent whose child was six on or before September 1 may instead delay enrolling for one school year by notifying the resident school district in writing (ORS 339.030(1)(f)).
Ways to homeschool
Independent (Notice of Intent to the ESD)
Law
ORS 339.035; OAR 581-021-0026
Official source
oregon.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Oregon?

Yes. Oregon requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Local Education Service District (ESD). How: Written notice (no specific form). When: Within 10 days of starting home instruction or of withdrawing your child from school, and within 10 days of moving to a new ESD. There is no annual renewal — a family already homeschooling does not send a new notice each year. The ESD acknowledges the notice in writing within 90 days. The Department of Education's guidance states the deadline two ways: a family starting at the beginning of a school year notifies within 10 days of the start of the school year, and a family starting mid-year notifies within 10 days of withdrawing the child. ORS 339.035 directs a move notice to the new ESD; the Department's guidance also asks a family to notify its ESD when it moves outside its school district boundary even within the same ESD region, and when it stops homeschooling. The first test can't occur until at least 18 months after withdrawal (or by the end of grade 3 if the child was never enrolled).

What subjects does Oregon require homeschoolers to teach?

Oregon does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No state-mandated subjects under ORS 339.035.

How many days or hours of instruction does Oregon require?

None. Oregon does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No attendance or instructional-hours requirement.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Oregon?

Yes. Oregon requires a standardized test. How often: Grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 — plus a further examination within one year if a composite score falls below the 15th percentile. What is accepted: An Oregon-approved nationally-normed standardized test (e.g. ITBS/TAP, Stanford, TerraNova — recent versions only), administered by a qualified neutral person: someone not related to the child by bloodline and not related by marriage, so a parent may not administer it. Testing at grades 3, 5, 8, 10 by August 15; results submitted to the ESD only on request. Students in interscholastic activities test annually. IEP/PDP exceptions allow alternative methods. If a composite score falls below the 15th percentile, the child must be examined again within one year; if that score declines, a third examination follows, and the ESD superintendent may let home instruction continue, place the child's education under the supervision of a licensed teacher at the family's expense, or order school attendance for up to 12 consecutive months (ORS 339.035(4); OAR 581-021-0026(7)).

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

Oregon requires these records: standardized test results. How long, or where they go: Kept until the ESD requests them. The family retains results and pays for the test, administration, and scoring.

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

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

What ages does Oregon's compulsory attendance law cover?

Oregon's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 18. The range is capped by ORS 339.010's “who have not completed the 12th grade” clause, so the duty ends early for a student who finishes 12th grade first. Under ORS 339.010(3) a child counts as six only if the sixth birthday fell on or before September 1 preceding the school term, and OAR 581-021-0026(11) lets the parent of a child who turns six after September 1 wait until the start of the next school year to send the homeschool notice. A five-year-old already enrolled in a public school must keep attending while enrolled (ORS 339.010(2)), and a parent whose child was six on or before September 1 may instead delay enrolling for one school year by notifying the resident school district in writing (ORS 339.030(1)(f)).

What are the ways to homeschool in Oregon?

In Oregon, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (Notice of Intent to the ESD).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Oregon, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Oregon, notify your local Education Service District once, then test at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 (results submitted only on request). No mandated subjects or hours.

How to get started in Oregon

1
Notify your local ESD once, in writing
Send written notice within 10 days of starting home instruction or of withdrawing your child from school. The Oregon Department of Education's guidance states that deadline two ways: if you start at the beginning of a school year, notify within 10 days of the start of that year; if you start mid-year, notify within 10 days of the withdrawal. No special form is needed, and you don't renew it each year. If your child turns six after September 1, you may wait until the start of the next school year to send the notice. If you move to a new ESD, notify the new one within 10 days — and the Department's guidance also asks you to tell your ESD when you move outside your school district boundary within the same ESD region, and when you stop homeschooling. The ESD acknowledges your notice in writing within 90 days.
Official resource (oregon.gov) →
2
No required subjects or hours
Oregon does not mandate any subjects and sets no minimum number of instructional days or hours.
3
Test at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10
Finish an Oregon-approved, nationally normed test (such as recent versions of ITBS/TAP, Stanford, or TerraNova) by August 15 for each of those grades. You may not give the test yourself: it has to be administered by a qualified neutral person — someone not related to your child by bloodline and not related by marriage. The first test can't come sooner than 18 months after you withdraw your child, or it's due by the end of grade 3 if your child was never enrolled. Your family pays for the test, its administration, and its scoring. Students in interscholastic activities test every year, and a child whose IEP or PDP calls for other methods may be assessed that way.
Official resource (oregon.gov) →
4
Keep the results, and know what a low score starts
Hold on to your child's test scores and send them to the ESD only if it asks. If a composite score falls below the 15th percentile, your child must be examined again within one year. If that score declines, a third examination follows, and the ESD superintendent may let home instruction continue, place your child's education under the supervision of a licensed teacher at your expense, or order school attendance for up to 12 consecutive months.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Testing reminders and your one-time notice.

Sources for Oregon

Official source (oregon.gov) ↗HSLDA's Oregon summary ↗
Statute: ORS 339.035; OAR 581-021-0026
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 Oregon’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 Oregon:

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