Romeschool

Tennessee homeschool requirements

Tennessee has two pathways: file an annual notice of intent with your Director of Schools (independent home school), or enroll in a church-related umbrella school (Category IV). An independent home school carries no category number — Categories I–V describe approved private schools, and State Board rule 0520-07-02 says an independent home school is not approvable as a Category I school. Independent students test in grades 5, 7 and 9; umbrella students are exempt from state testing.

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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Tennessee homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: Independent: local Director of Schools. Church-related umbrella (Category IV): the umbrella school. When: Independent: before the start of each school year — Tennessee sets no statewide calendar date. The statute asks only for annual notice to the local director of schools prior to each school year (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(1)), and the state's Notice of Intent form says to return it before the start of each school year. The Department of Education's guidance adds that a first registration has no deadline at all: it can be filed at any time, including partway through a school year when a child is withdrawn from public school. The August 1 deadline and the $20-a-week late payment families still see quoted appear in neither the current statute nor the department's current guidance, and do not bind. Each district has a home school coordinator who takes the form.
Required subjects
No set list
Instruction time
180 days · 4 hrs/day180 days/year; at least 4 hours/day. Independent parents submit the attendance records to the Director of Schools, or the district's home school coordinator as designee, at the end of each school year; the records are also subject to inspection by the Director of Schools at any time.
Testing or evaluation
Yes — grades 5, 7, 9independent home school (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050). Testing at grades 5, 7 and 9 is required only of independent home school students. Church-related umbrella (Category IV) students are outside this section of the law (§ 49-6-3050(a)(2)) and are exempt from state testing; the umbrella school sets its own policy. The state-test option does not reach grade 9 — the law excludes the grade 9 end-of-course exam, and that is the only test grade-9 public-school students sit — so a grade-9 student takes a parent-selected nationally normed test. Whichever option is used, the results must be provided to the parent-teacher, the Director of Schools and the State Board of Education.
Records
Yes — attendance, assessment results
Parent qualifications
Required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–17
Ways to homeschool
Two pathways
Law
T.C.A. § 49-6-3050; § 49-50-801
Official source
tn.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Independent: local Director of Schools. Church-related umbrella (Category IV): the umbrella school. How: Independent: annual Notice of Intent on the state form. Category IV: enroll with the umbrella school. When: Independent: before the start of each school year — Tennessee sets no statewide calendar date. The statute asks only for annual notice to the local director of schools prior to each school year (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(1)), and the state's Notice of Intent form says to return it before the start of each school year. The Department of Education's guidance adds that a first registration has no deadline at all: it can be filed at any time, including partway through a school year when a child is withdrawn from public school. The August 1 deadline and the $20-a-week late payment families still see quoted appear in neither the current statute nor the department's current guidance, and do not bind. Each district has a home school coordinator who takes the form. Independent files an annual NOI with the LEA; Category IV students enroll in and are supervised by the church-related umbrella and do not file separately with the LEA.

What subjects does Tennessee require homeschoolers to teach?

Tennessee does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(1) asks only that the proposed curriculum be identified on the annual notice; the parent-teacher selects and buys it, and the statute does not say what it must contain. The grades 5, 7 and 9 test has to report English language arts and mathematics, which is a testing rule rather than a subject list. The four subject areas Tennessee families often see quoted — English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies — come from State Board Rule 0520-07-02-.02, which governs private schools approved by the Department and not home schools. A church-related umbrella school sets its own curriculum requirements.

How many days or hours of instruction does Tennessee require?

Tennessee's rule: 180 days/year; at least 4 hours/day. Independent parents submit the attendance records to the Director of Schools, or the district's home school coordinator as designee, at the end of each school year; the records are also subject to inspection by the Director of Schools at any time.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Tennessee?

Yes. Tennessee requires a test or another accepted form of evaluation. How often: At grades 5, 7, and 9 (independent pathway only). Who this applies to: independent home school (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050). Accepted options: A nationally normed standardized test selected and paid for by the parent-teacher, reporting English language arts and mathematics, proctored by someone who is not related to the student — so a parent cannot proctor their own child — and scored by the developer of the test. It may be taken at a professional testing service or at a location the parent-teacher chooses. and the same state-board-approved test required of public-school students in that grade (TCAP), given free at the public school the student would otherwise attend, or by a professional testing service approved by the LEA at the parent-teacher's expense. The law excludes the grade 9 end-of-course exam, so the department says this option is currently available for grades 5 and 7 only. Testing at grades 5, 7 and 9 is required only of independent home school students. Church-related umbrella (Category IV) students are outside this section of the law (§ 49-6-3050(a)(2)) and are exempt from state testing; the umbrella school sets its own policy. The state-test option does not reach grade 9 — the law excludes the grade 9 end-of-course exam, and that is the only test grade-9 public-school students sit — so a grade-9 student takes a parent-selected nationally normed test. Whichever option is used, the results must be provided to the parent-teacher, the Director of Schools and the State Board of Education.

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

Tennessee requires these records: attendance register (submitted to the Director of Schools at the end of each school year) and assessment results for grades 5, 7 and 9 — reported to the parent-teacher, the Director of Schools and the State Board of Education (independent pathway). How long, or where they go: Attendance records go to the Director of Schools at the end of each school year, and test results are reported for each tested grade (independent pathway). The department's guidance says the home school keeps all student records, including transcripts and the diploma. Independent parents send the attendance records to the Director of Schools, usually through the district's home school coordinator; Category IV umbrella families keep records under the umbrella school's rules. Test results are reported, not merely retained: under either testing option they must go to the parent-teacher, the Director of Schools and the State Board of Education, and a parent-selected test must be scored by the developer of the test.

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

Yes. Tennessee sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. Independent pathway: a high school diploma or a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education — the same requirement at every grade level, K–12 (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(4)). There is no bachelor's-degree requirement for grades 9–12; the degree rule families still see quoted is not in the current statute, and the state's own Intent to Home School form asks a single question, for grades K–12. Proof of that education goes in with the form — attached if you mail it, brought with you if you file in person. Church-related umbrella (Category IV): the umbrella school sets the qualifications, and state law adds a floor for high school — a parent-teacher registering through a church-related school for a student in grades 9–12 must hold at least a high school diploma or an equivalency credential approved by the state board (§ 49-6-3050(a)(2)(B)).

What ages does Tennessee's compulsory attendance law cover?

Tennessee's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 to age 17.

What are the ways to homeschool in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, families homeschool under one of two pathways: independent home school (annual notice of intent to the Director of Schools) and church-related umbrella school (Category IV).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Tennessee, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Tennessee has two pathways: file an annual notice of intent with your Director of Schools (independent home school), or enroll in a church-related umbrella school (Category IV). An independent home school carries no category number — Categories I–V describe approved private schools, and State Board rule 0520-07-02 says an independent home school is not approvable as a Category I school. Independent students test in grades 5, 7 and 9; umbrella students are exempt from state testing.

How to get started in Tennessee

1
File a Notice of Intent each year (independent)
Send the state's Intent to Home School form to your local Director of Schools before the start of each school year (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(1)). Tennessee sets no statewide calendar date, and the Department of Education's guidance says a first registration has no deadline at all — it can be filed at any time, including partway through the school year when you withdraw a child from public school. Each district has a home school coordinator who takes the form. The August 1 deadline and the $20-a-week late payment families are still told about appear in neither the current statute nor the department's current guidance, and do not bind — any August date you get from us is our own reminder for a school year that starts in August, not a date the state sets. Umbrella families skip this step.
Official resource (tn.gov) →
2
Or enroll in a church-related umbrella school
A Category IV umbrella school supervises your homeschool and sets its own curriculum, record-keeping, and testing rules. You enroll with the umbrella instead of filing with the district. An independent home school has no category number of its own — Categories I–V describe private schools the department approves, and State Board rule 0520-07-02 says an independent home school is not approvable as a Category I school. State law still sets one floor for umbrella families, in grades 9–12 — see Parent qualification below.
HSLDA guide →
3
Teach 4 hours a day for 180 days
Keep an attendance register. Independent parents send the attendance records to the Director of Schools — usually through the district's home school coordinator — at the end of each school year, and the Director of Schools may ask to inspect them at any time. Umbrella families keep records by the umbrella's rules. The department's guidance adds that the home school keeps the student's own records, including transcripts and the diploma.
4
Name the curriculum on your notice (independent)
T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(1) asks only that you identify the curriculum you plan to use. You choose it and buy it, and the statute does not say what it must contain — Tennessee sets no required subject list for home schools. The four subject areas families are often told are required (English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) come from State Board Rule 0520-07-02-.02, which governs private schools the department approves, not home schools. The grades 5, 7, and 9 test has to report English language arts and mathematics, but that is a testing rule, not a subject list. Umbrella schools set their own curriculum requirements.
5
Standardized testing in grades 5, 7, and 9
Independent homeschoolers only, and a parent may not give the test. One option is a nationally normed standardized test you select and pay for, reporting English language arts and mathematics, proctored by someone who is not related to your child and scored by the developer of the test — taken at a professional testing service or at a location you choose. The other is the same state-board-approved test public-school students in that grade take (TCAP), given free at the public school your child would otherwise attend, or at your expense through a professional testing service the school district approves; the department says that option currently reaches grades 5 and 7 only, because the law leaves out the grade 9 end-of-course exam, so a ninth grader takes a parent-selected test. Under either option the results are reported to you as the parent-teacher, to the Director of Schools, and to the State Board of Education (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050). Umbrella students are exempt from state testing, though the umbrella may set its own policy.
6
Parent qualification
Independent pathway: a high school diploma or a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education — the same requirement at every grade, K–12 (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(4)). There is no bachelor's-degree requirement for grades 9–12; that rule is not in the current statute, and the state's Intent to Home School form asks one question, for grades K–12. Proof of your education goes in with the form — attached if you mail it, brought with you if you file in person. Church-related umbrella (Category IV): the umbrella sets the qualifications, and state law adds a floor for high school — a parent-teacher registering through a church-related school for a student in grades 9–12 must hold at least a high school diploma or a state-board-approved equivalency credential (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(a)(2)(B)).
What Romeschool tracks for you: Annual NOI, attendance, testing reminders.
If you take an ESA: IEA 'independent home school' families REMAIN registered TN homeschoolers (still file the LEA Intent-to-Homeschool form). EFS + the ESA Pilot are private-school-enrollment programs — NOT usable for homeschooling.

Sources for Tennessee

Official source (tn.gov) ↗HSLDA's Tennessee summary ↗
Statute: T.C.A. § 49-6-3050; § 49-50-801
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 Tennessee’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 Tennessee:

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