Romeschool

West Virginia homeschool requirements

To homeschool in West Virginia, file a one-time Notice of Intent with the county superintendent and have your child assessed every year, sending results to the county only at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11. The person teaching needs a high-school diploma or an equivalent credential such as a GED, or a post-secondary degree or certificate.

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

Moderate regulation Notice required Instruction time by pathway Testing or evaluation by pathway
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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
Set by pathwayThe notice-of-intent pathway nearly every family uses sets no minimum days or hours. The county board-approved pathway under §18-8-1(c)(1) is the exception: instruction must run for a time equal to the public-school instructional term in §18-5-45 — 180 separate instructional days now, and 900 instructional hours once SB 890 (2026) takes effect on July 1, 2027.
Testing or evaluation
Yes — annualThe annual assessment binds the notice-of-intent pathway (§18-8-1(c)(2)). On the county board-approved pathway the county board instead judges the instructor's qualifications and may require records of attendance, instruction and progress on request. An annual assessment is required every year for every student, but results go to the county superintendent only at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, by June 30. What counts as acceptable progress depends on the option chosen: on a nationally normed standardized test it is a mean at or above the fourth stanine — which begins at about the 23rd percentile — or, if below it, improvement on the previous year's results; on the portfolio option a certified teacher decides whether the year's progress is in accordance with the child's own abilities; the public-school testing option follows that program's own current guidelines. If an assessment does not show acceptable progress, the parent must begin a remedial program, and if a second consecutive year falls short the parent must give the county superintendent additional evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided (§18-8-1(c)(2)(C)–(D)).
Records
Yes — assessment results
Parent qualifications
Required
Compulsory attendance ages
6–17
Ways to homeschool
Three pathways
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: A written Notice of Intent giving each child's name, address and age, with an assurance that the child will be taught reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies and will be assessed annually (§18-8-1(c)(2)(A)); a copy of the instructor's diploma or equivalent goes with it (§18-8-1(c)(2)(B)). The Department of Education publishes a sample letter. Certified mail is a common precaution, not a legal requirement. When: One-time before starting (and on moving counties or withdrawing from public school). One-time notice — you do not refile each year. Tell the county superintendent when home instruction ends for a child who is still of compulsory attendance age. Moving to another West Virginia county means notifying your previous county superintendent and filing a new notice of intent with the new county (§18-8-1(c)(2)(A)).

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?

West Virginia's rule: The notice-of-intent pathway nearly every family uses sets no minimum days or hours. The county board-approved pathway under §18-8-1(c)(1) is the exception: instruction must run for a time equal to the public-school instructional term in §18-5-45 — 180 separate instructional days now, and 900 instructional hours once SB 890 (2026) takes effect on July 1, 2027.

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). Who this applies to: The annual assessment binds the notice-of-intent pathway (§18-8-1(c)(2)). On the county board-approved pathway the county board instead judges the instructor's qualifications and may require records of attendance, instruction and progress on request. 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 every student, but results go to the county superintendent only at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, by June 30. What counts as acceptable progress depends on the option chosen: on a nationally normed standardized test it is a mean at or above the fourth stanine — which begins at about the 23rd percentile — or, if below it, improvement on the previous year's results; on the portfolio option a certified teacher decides whether the year's progress is in accordance with the child's own abilities; the public-school testing option follows that program's own current guidelines. If an assessment does not show acceptable progress, the parent must begin a remedial program, and if a second consecutive year falls short the parent must give the county superintendent additional evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided (§18-8-1(c)(2)(C)–(D)).

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 results to the county superintendent at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 by June 30; §18-8-1(c)(2)(D) requires keeping a copy of every annual assessment for three years. 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 person or persons providing home instruction must submit evidence to the county superintendent of a high-school diploma or its equivalent - a high-school equivalency credential such as a GED qualifies - or of a post-secondary degree or certificate, either from a regionally accredited institution or from an institution authorized to confer one in West Virginia by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education or the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (18-8-1(c)(2)(B)). A diploma issued by the administrator of a home school, microschool or learning pod program that met this chapter's requirements is by statute enough to show a high-school diploma or its equivalent (18-8-12), so a parent who completed a home-school secondary programme qualifies on that diploma. No teaching certificate is 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 one of three pathways: independent home instruction by one-time Notice of Intent to the county superintendent (§18-8-1(c)(2)) — the route nearly every family uses; county board-approved home instruction (§18-8-1(c)(1)) — the board approves the place and the instructor, and instruction runs for a time equal to the public-school instructional term; and a learning pod or microschool (§18-8-1(n)) — its own exemption with its own notice, which the statute says is not the same as homeschooling.

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 the county superintendent and have your child assessed every year, sending results to the county only at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11. The person teaching needs a high-school diploma or an equivalent credential such as a GED, or a post-secondary degree or certificate.

How to get started in West Virginia

1
File a one-time Notice of Intent
Send it to your county superintendent (or county board) when home instruction begins — on or before the day it begins if your child is enrolled in public school. Give each child's name, address, and age, your assurance that you will teach the five required subjects and have your child assessed every year, and a copy of the instructor's diploma or equivalent credential. The state Department of Education publishes a sample letter. Certified mail is a common precaution, not a legal requirement. It is not annual: if you move to another West Virginia county, notify your old county superintendent and file a new notice with the new one.
Official resource (wvde.us) →
2
Meet the parent qualification
The person teaching gives the county superintendent evidence of a high school diploma or its equivalent — a high school equivalency credential such as a GED counts — or of a post-secondary degree or certificate, either from a regionally accredited institution or from an institution authorized to confer one in West Virginia by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education or the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. A diploma issued by the administrator of a home school, microschool, or learning pod program that met the state's requirements counts as a high school diploma or its equivalent. No teaching certificate is required.
3
Teach the five required subjects
Reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. On the Notice of Intent pathway nearly every family uses, West Virginia sets no minimum number of days or hours. The less common county board-approved pathway is the exception: there, instruction must run for a time equal to the public school instructional term — 180 separate instructional days now, and 900 instructional hours once SB 890 takes effect on July 1, 2027.
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. What counts as acceptable progress depends on the option you chose. On a standardized test it is a mean at or above the fourth stanine — which begins at about the 23rd percentile — or, if the score is below that, improvement on the previous year's results. A portfolio year is judged instead by the certified teacher's narrative on whether your child progressed in keeping with their own abilities, and the public school testing option follows that program's current guidelines. If a year does not show acceptable progress, you must begin a remedial program; if a second year in a row falls short, you must give the county superintendent additional evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided. This annual assessment belongs to the Notice of Intent pathway; on the county board-approved pathway the board judges the instructor's qualifications instead and may ask for records of attendance, instruction, and progress.
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 still do the assessment, but you keep the results yourself. Either way, state law requires you to keep a copy of every annual assessment for three years.
6
Tell the county when home instruction ends
If you stop home instruction while your child is still of compulsory attendance age — 6 to 17 in West Virginia — notify your county superintendent.
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 23, 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 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 West Virginia:

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