Virginia homeschool requirements
To homeschool in Virginia, file a Notice of Intent with your division superintendent by August 15, show one of four parent qualifications, and submit annual evidence of progress by August 1. A separate religious exemption carries no assessment.
Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 19, 2026 · Sources below
Virginia homeschool requirements at a glance
- Notice
- RequiredWhere it goes: Division superintendent. When: By August 15; within 30 days if beginning mid-year.
- Required subjects
- No set list
- Instruction time
- NoneNo minimum days or hours mandated for home instruction.
- Testing or evaluation
- Yes — annualStandard home instruction (§ 22.1-254.1); the separate religious-exemption pathway (§ 22.1-254(B)(1)) has no assessment. Assessment evidence is due to the superintendent by August 1. A child who is under the age of six as of September 30 of the school year owes no evidence of progress for that year (§ 22.1-254.1(C)); a family providing home instruction still files the August 15 Notice of Intent. The separate religious exemption — once approved by the school board — requires no annual NOI, no curriculum description, and no assessment.
- Records
- Yes — progress evidence
- Parent qualifications
- Required
- Compulsory attendance ages
- 5–18
- Ways to homeschool
- Two pathways
- Law
- Va. Code § 22.1-254.1; § 22.1-254(B)(1)
- Official source
- doe.virginia.gov ↗
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Virginia?
Yes. Virginia requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Division superintendent. How: Written Notice of Intent (annual) with a curriculum description + parent-qualification documentation. When: By August 15; within 30 days if beginning mid-year. Annual filing each school year.
What subjects does Virginia require homeschoolers to teach?
Virginia does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. No statutory subject list for home instruction under § 22.1-254.1; the parent submits a 'description of the curriculum' but the statute does not enumerate subjects.
How many days or hours of instruction does Virginia require?
None. Virginia does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No minimum days or hours mandated for home instruction.
Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Virginia?
Yes. Virginia requires a test or another accepted form of evaluation. How often: Annual. Who this applies to: Standard home instruction (§ 22.1-254.1); the separate religious-exemption pathway (§ 22.1-254(B)(1)) has no assessment. Accepted options: nationally-normed standardized test at/above the 4th stanine (23rd percentile composite of math + language arts); an evaluation letter from a Virginia-licensed teacher or a person with a master's+ in an academic discipline; ACT/SAT/PSAT scores; and A report card/transcript from a college, distance-learning program, or correspondence school. Assessment evidence is due to the superintendent by August 1. A child who is under the age of six as of September 30 of the school year owes no evidence of progress for that year (§ 22.1-254.1(C)); a family providing home instruction still files the August 15 Notice of Intent. The separate religious exemption — once approved by the school board — requires no annual NOI, no curriculum description, and no assessment.
What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Virginia?
Virginia requires these records: evidence of progress / assessment results. How long, or where they go: Submitted to the superintendent by August 1. Assessment evidence is submitted annually, starting with the first school year in which the child is six or older as of September 30 (§ 22.1-254.1(C)).
Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Virginia?
Yes. Virginia sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. Satisfy one of four options: a high-school diploma; a Virginia teaching certificate; a program of study/curriculum (correspondence, distance, or other); or written evidence of ability to provide an adequate education. (No credential for the religious-exemption pathway.)
What ages does Virginia's compulsory attendance law cover?
Virginia's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 5 to age 18.
What are the ways to homeschool in Virginia?
In Virginia, families homeschool under one of two pathways: home instruction (annual NOI to the division superintendent) and religious exemption (one-time request to the school board).
Is homeschooling legal in Virginia?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Virginia, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Virginia, file a Notice of Intent with your division superintendent by August 15, show one of four parent qualifications, and submit annual evidence of progress by August 1. A separate religious exemption carries no assessment.
How to get started in Virginia
Recent homeschool law changes in Virginia
Sources for Virginia
Every requirement above comes from our review of Virginia’s rules, checked against these sources on June 5, 2026 and corrected on September 19, 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 Virginia:
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