How to start homeschooling in Colorado
Everything Colorado asks of a homeschool family, in order, from the state’s own sources, checked October 1, 2026. Each step links to a free tool that does it, and there’s a checklist to print at the end.
Step 0: choose how you’ll homeschool
Colorado gives families 3 legal ways to homeschool. Each has its own steps below. Choose one to see its steps.
Nonpublic home-based educational program: step by step
Make sure this option fits your family
Parent sends a written notice to any Colorado school district 14 days before starting and every year after, teaches at least 172 days averaging 4 hours a day, and has the child tested or evaluated in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11.
Required school ages in Colorado: 6 (on or before August 1) to under 17; a home-based program need not begin until age 7 or continue past age 16, and notice is not required until age 6. Teacher qualification for this option: No parent qualification requirement.
If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing
Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Colorado also asks for a notice under this option (the next step); file it by its deadline.
File your notice
Required.
When: 14 days prior to establishing the program, and each year thereafter.
What it includes: Written notification to a school district within Colorado certifying the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child. Must be re-submitted each year the program continues. Not required until the child is 6.
Plan your school year: days and hours
Colorado sets a minimum.
No less than 172 days of instruction. Averaging four instructional contact hours per day.
Cover the required subjects
Reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, the Constitution of the United States.
Statute: 'communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States.'
Testing or evaluation
Required in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11.
Evaluated at grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 by a nationally standardized achievement test or by a 'qualified person' (licensed teacher, teacher at an independent or parochial school, licensed psychologist, or person with a graduate degree in education), at parent expense. Results go to the school district that received the notice or to an independent or parochial school in Colorado. Scores above the 13th percentile: program continues. At or below the 13th percentile (or evaluator finds insufficient progress): the district requires the child to be enrolled in a public or independent/parochial school until the next testing period, but only after the child has had a chance to be retested with an alternate version of the same test or a different approved nationally standardized test chosen by the parent.
Keep the records the state asks for
Required.
Maintain permanent records including attendance data, test and evaluation results, and immunization records. Must be produced to the superintendent on 14 days' written notice if the superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is not in compliance.
Start teaching
Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.
High school and graduation
CDE: 'There is no state diploma'; parents may create their own diploma.
Official sources for this option
Not confirmed on an official page: Statute read via CDE's reproduction; the official leg.colorado.gov title PDF was too large to read. Deadline for submitting test results not stated in the text reviewed. Check these points with the state or your local school district before you rely on them; everything else above comes from the official sources listed.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: step by step
Make sure this option fits your family
Child is enrolled for at least 172 days in an independent or parochial school that provides a basic academic education; some such schools enroll home-taught students.
Required school ages in Colorado: 6 (on or before August 1) to under 17; a home-based program need not begin until age 7 or continue past age 16, and notice is not required until age 6. This option sets no teacher qualification.
If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing
Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Colorado doesn’t require a separate notice under this option, so the letter is the school’s record that your child has left.
No notice to file
Colorado doesn’t require a notice or registration under this option.
No parent notice to the district under this exemption; the school must provide enrollment/attendance information to districts on request (C.R.S. 22-1-114, per CDE).
Plan your school year: days and hours
Colorado sets a minimum.
Enrolled for a minimum of 172 days (C.R.S. 22-33-104(2)(b)).
Cover the required subjects
Reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science.
CDE: non-public schools must provide a basic academic education, a sequential program of instruction including these subjects.
Testing or evaluation
Not required under this option.
Set by the school.
Keep records anyway
Colorado doesn’t require records under this option.
Set by the school.
Our suggestion: keep attendance, a reading log and a few work samples each year. A move to another state, a college, or a question from the district is much easier with them.
Start teaching
Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.
High school and graduation
Set by the school.
Official sources for this option
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: step by step
Make sure this option fits your family
Child is instructed at home by a teacher licensed under C.R.S. article 60.5 or 61 of title 22.
Required school ages in Colorado: 6 (on or before August 1) to under 17; a home-based program need not begin until age 7 or continue past age 16, and notice is not required until age 6. Teacher qualification for this option: Teacher licensed pursuant to article 60.5 or 61 of title 22.
If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing
Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Colorado doesn’t require a separate notice under this option, so the letter is the school’s record that your child has left.
No notice to file
Colorado doesn’t require a notice or registration under this option.
Plan your school year: days and hours
Colorado doesn’t set a number of days or hours for this option.
Planning about 180 days, as schools do, gives the year a shape and makes a move to another state easier.
Cover the required subjects
Colorado doesn’t list required subjects for this option.
Testing or evaluation
Not required under this option.
Keep records anyway
Colorado doesn’t require records under this option.
Our suggestion: keep attendance, a reading log and a few work samples each year. A move to another state, a college, or a question from the district is much easier with them.
Start teaching
Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.
High school and graduation
The state sets no graduation requirements for homeschools under this option; you set them as the school’s administrator and issue the diploma.
Official sources for this option
Not confirmed on an official page: No further requirements for this exemption found on an official source. Check these points with the state or your local school district before you rely on them; everything else above comes from the official sources listed.
Your Colorado checklist
Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in Colorado · homeschoolcorral.com
- Read Colorado’s rules for “Nonpublic home-based educational program”
- Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
- File the notice (14 days prior to establishing the program, and each year thereafter)
- Set the first and last day, school days and breaks (meeting the state minimum)
- Choose curriculum for each required subject
- Note the testing or evaluation years and deadlines (grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11)
- Start the required records from day one
- Make a first-week plan and start
- Read Colorado’s rules for “Enrollment in an independent or parochial school”
- Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
- Set the first and last day, school days and breaks (meeting the state minimum)
- Choose curriculum for each required subject
- Start a simple attendance log and reading log
- Make a first-week plan and start
- Read Colorado’s rules for “Instruction at home by a licensed teacher”
- Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
- Set the first and last day, school days and breaks
- Choose curriculum for each required subject
- Start a simple attendance log and reading log
- Make a first-week plan and start
Questions Colorado parents ask
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Colorado?
Nonpublic home-based educational program: Yes. When: 14 days prior to establishing the program, and each year thereafter. What to file: Written notification to a school district within Colorado certifying the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child. Must be re-submitted each year the program continues. Not required until the child is 6.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: No. Colorado doesn’t require a notice or registration under this option.
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: No. Colorado doesn’t require a notice or registration under this option.
How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in Colorado?
Nonpublic home-based educational program: No less than 172 days of instruction. Averaging four instructional contact hours per day.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: Enrolled for a minimum of 172 days (C.R.S. 22-33-104(2)(b)).
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: Colorado doesn’t set a number of days or hours.
Do homeschoolers have to take tests in Colorado?
Nonpublic home-based educational program: Yes, in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Evaluated at grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 by a nationally standardized achievement test or by a 'qualified person' (licensed teacher, teacher at an independent or parochial school, licensed psychologist, or person with a graduate degree in education), at parent expense. Results go to the school district that received the notice or to an independent or parochial school in Colorado. Scores above the 13th percentile: program continues. At or below the 13th percentile (or evaluator finds insufficient progress): the district requires the child to be enrolled in a public or independent/parochial school until the next testing period, but only after the child has had a chance to be retested with an alternate version of the same test or a different approved nationally standardized test chosen by the parent.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: No. Set by the school.
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: No testing is required.
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Colorado?
Nonpublic home-based educational program: No parent qualification requirement.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: No teacher qualification is set.
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: Teacher licensed pursuant to article 60.5 or 61 of title 22.
What subjects are required in Colorado?
Nonpublic home-based educational program: Reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, the Constitution of the United States.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: Reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science.
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: Colorado doesn’t list required subjects.
What records do I need to keep in Colorado?
Nonpublic home-based educational program: Maintain permanent records including attendance data, test and evaluation results, and immunization records. Must be produced to the superintendent on 14 days' written notice if the superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is not in compliance.
Enrollment in an independent or parochial school: Colorado doesn’t require records. Keeping attendance, a reading log and work samples is still wise.
Instruction at home by a licensed teacher: Colorado doesn’t require records. Keeping attendance, a reading log and work samples is still wise.
Keep going
This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.
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