Romeschool

West Virginia homeschool requirements

To homeschool in West Virginia, file a one-time Notice of Intent with your county superintendent and complete an annual assessment, submitting results only at grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. Parents need a HS diploma or higher.

Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 19, 2026 · Sources below

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

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: County superintendent (or county board). When: One-time before starting (and on moving counties or withdrawing from public school).
Required subjects
Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/History
Instruction time
NoneNo statutory minimum days or hours.
Testing or evaluation
Yes — annualAn annual assessment is required every year for all students, but results must be submitted to the county only at grades 3, 5, 8, 11 (by June 30). Acceptable progress = at/above the 4th stanine (23rd percentile) or improvement over the prior year.
Records
Yes — assessment results
Parent qualifications
Required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–17
Ways to homeschool
Independent (one-time Notice of Intent to the county superintendent)
Law
W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(c)
Official source
wvde.us ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in West Virginia?

Yes. West Virginia requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: County superintendent (or county board). How: Written Notice of Intent (with the child's details, an assurance of instruction in five subjects, and parent-qualification documentation; certified mail recommended). When: One-time before starting (and on moving counties or withdrawing from public school). One-time notice — not annual. New residents must notify the prior county and file a new notice in the new county.

What subjects does West Virginia require homeschoolers to teach?

West Virginia requires instruction in Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies/History. The five subjects are the statutory minimum; the parent assures instruction in them in the NOI.

How many days or hours of instruction does West Virginia require?

None. West Virginia does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No statutory minimum days or hours.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in West Virginia?

Yes. West Virginia requires a test or another accepted form of evaluation. How often: Annual (every year, all grades; submitted at grades 3, 5, 8, 11). Accepted options: nationally-normed standardized test (normed within 10 years); participation in the state public-school testing program; portfolio review by a certified teacher with a written narrative; and an alternative assessment agreed in advance with the superintendent. An annual assessment is required every year for all students, but results must be submitted to the county only at grades 3, 5, 8, 11 (by June 30). Acceptable progress = at/above the 4th stanine (23rd percentile) or improvement over the prior year.

What records do I need to keep to homeschool in West Virginia?

West Virginia requires these records: annual assessment results. How long, or where they go: Submit at grades 3, 5, 8, 11 (by June 30); retain copies (3+ years recommended). Assessment results are submitted to the county superintendent only at grades 3, 5, 8, 11; in other years the parent performs the assessment but keeps records internally.

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

Yes. West Virginia sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. The instructor must show a high-school diploma or GED, or a post-secondary degree/certificate from a regionally-accredited institution. No teaching certification required.

What ages does West Virginia's compulsory attendance law cover?

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

What are the ways to homeschool in West Virginia?

In West Virginia, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (one-time Notice of Intent to the county superintendent).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in West Virginia, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in West Virginia, file a one-time Notice of Intent with your county superintendent and complete an annual assessment, submitting results only at grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. Parents need a HS diploma or higher.

How to get started in West Virginia

1
File a one-time Notice of Intent
Send it to your county superintendent (or county board) before you start homeschooling, including when you withdraw a child from public school. Include your child's details, your assurance that you will teach the five required subjects, and proof of your qualifications. Certified mail is recommended. It is not annual: if you move to another West Virginia county, notify your old county and file a new notice with the new one.
Official resource (wvde.us) →
2
Meet the parent qualification
The teaching parent must have a high school diploma or GED, or a post-secondary degree or certificate from a regionally accredited institution. No teaching certificate is required.
3
Teach the five required subjects
Reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. West Virginia sets no minimum number of days or hours.
4
Get an academic assessment every year
Every year, in every grade, choose one: a nationally normed standardized test (normed within the last 10 years), the state's public-school testing program, a portfolio review by a certified teacher who writes a narrative, or another assessment you agree on in advance with the superintendent. Acceptable progress means scoring at or above the 4th stanine (23rd percentile) or improving on the prior year.
5
Submit results in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11
In those grades, send the assessment results to your county superintendent by June 30. In other years, you do the assessment but keep the results yourself. Keeping copies for at least three years is recommended.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance, testing reminders.
If you take an ESA, your homeschool status changes: A Hope/IIP student is NOT a traditional WV homeschooler; the Hope NOI doubles as termination of traditional homeschooling; adds year-end testing/reporting by June 8.

Sources for West Virginia

Official source (wvde.us) ↗HSLDA's West Virginia summary ↗
Statute: W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(c)
Last reviewed: June 5, 2026
Corrected: September 19, 2026, after re-reading the official source for what changed

Every requirement above comes from our review of West 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.

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