Homeschooling in Georgia: what the state requires
Parent files a declaration of intent with the Georgia Department of Education and teaches 180 days of 4.5 hours each.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Georgia sources. State page: Georgia Department of Education — Home Study Program Declaration of Intent. Compulsory school age: 6 to 16 (between the sixth and sixteenth birthdays), O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1 as amended by SB 123 (2025).
Home study program (O.C.G.A. 20-2-690(c))
Parent files a declaration of intent with the Georgia Department of Education and teaches 180 days of 4.5 hours each.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Within 30 days after establishing the program and by September 1 annually thereafter — Declaration of intent to utilize a home study program, filed with the Georgia Department of Education (online or by mail to the Home School Division); GaDOE shares copies with local school systems. Parent must notify GaDOE of an address change or if the program is discontinued. A program may begin at any time of year. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science — A basic academic educational program that includes, but is not limited to, these five subjects (O.C.G.A. 20-2-690(c)(4)). |
| Days | 180 days — 180 days per year; days spent in public or private school earlier in the same school year count toward the 180. |
| Hours | 180 days of at least 4.5 hours. — Each day consists of 4.5 hours of instruction 'unless the child is physically unable to comply.' |
| Records | Required. Instructor writes an annual progress assessment report on the student's progress in each required subject; parent keeps the reports for at least three years. Standardized test records are kept, not submitted. Whether attendance records must still be kept under current law was not confirmed (see unverified). |
| Teacher | Parents may teach only their own children; the teaching parent must hold at least a high school diploma or GED (the statute now says a state-approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma). Parents may hire a tutor who holds the same credential. |
| Other | Parent may execute documents evidencing enrollment, full-/part-time status and grades (e.g., for Driver Services, employment of minors) per 20-2-690(c)(6) as amended by SB 42 (2021). Home study students in grades 6-12 may join resident-district extracurricular activities if they take one qualifying course per semester (Dexter Mosely Act, 20-2-319.6). LEAs offering PSAT/SAT/PreACT/ACT/ASVAB must make them available to home study students (SB 63; GaDOE). |
By grade
Testing or evaluation in grade 3. Appropriate nationally standardized test at least every three years, beginning at the end of grade 3. Parent keeps the results; they are not submitted to the state or school system.
High school and graduation
No home study graduation requirements found in the official sources checked; who issues the diploma was not confirmed.
Official sources:
- GaDOE Home Study Program Declaration of Intent (online)
- HB 530 (2019) as signed — amends 20-2-690(c)(1)
- SB 42 (2021) as signed — 20-2-690(c)(6) and 20-2-319.6
- GaDOE Insights, May 8, 2026 (SB 63 assessments for home study students)
- Colquitt County School System (GA public school district) — Homeschool (summarizes O.C.G.A. 20-2-690(c): subjects, parent diploma/GED, 180 days x 4.5 hours, testing every 3 years from grade 3, annual progress report kept 3 years)
- Bryan County Schools (GA public school district) — Homeschool/Home Study (five required subjects under O.C.G.A. 20-2-690)
- Georgia General Assembly — Summary of General Statutes, 2013 (HB 283 'revises required documentation for proof of attendance in home study programs')
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: The official O.C.G.A. text (Lexis-hosted) and GaDOE's home school pages/Home School Overview PDF could not be fetched (JavaScript-only pages or robots.txt blocks); amending bill texts on gov.georgia.gov (HB 530 2019, SB 42 2021, SB 123 2025, SB 179 2026) restate only other paragraphs of 20-2-690. Subjects, parent qualification, testing and progress-report rules are confirmed through Georgia public school district pages (Colquitt, Bryan) that summarize the statute, not the code itself; those pages say 'GED' — the 2015 amendment changed the wording to 'state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma' (wording seen only in an unofficial code reproduction). Attendance records: Colquitt's page (written after the July 1, 2012 change) says attendance records must be kept and submitted annually to GaDOE, but HB 283 (2013) then revised the attendance documentation rule, and the current code as reproduced unofficially (Justia) has no attendance-record paragraph. Treat any attendance-record duty as unconfirmed. Declaration contents (names and ages of students, address, local school system, 12-month school year — 20-2-690(c)(2)) seen only in the unofficial code text.
High school: the public-school diploma as a guide
Optional for homeschools in most states, but the credit plan most colleges and employers recognize, and a sound default for a homeschool transcript. Shown in the subject areas this site uses.
| English English/Language Arts 4 | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 4.0 |
| Science | 4.0 |
| Social Studies | 3.0 |
| Physical Education & Health Health and Physical Education 1 | 1.0 |
| Electives CTAE and/or Modern Language/Latin and/or Fine Arts 3; Electives 4 | 7.0 |
| Total | 23.0 |
|---|
SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.48 (students entering grade 9 in 2008-09 and later; rule effective March 11, 2020), units. Requires Ninth-Grade Literature and Composition and American Literature/Composition; Algebra/Geometry/Advanced Algebra equivalents plus one more math; Biology, Physical Science or Physics, and Chemistry/Earth Systems/Environmental Science/AP-IB; U.S. History 1, World History 1, American Government/Civics 0.5, Economics 0.5. SB 179 (2026, effective July 1, 2026) adds a computer science course requirement beginning in the 2031-2032 school year.
Source: GaDOE SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.48 High School Graduation Requirements
After graduation: what to plan for
Suggestions from Homeschool Corral, not state rules. Most families keep the college path open through 10th grade, then narrow.
- 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II, pre-calculus if they can), 3–4 science with 2 labs, 3–4 social studies, 2–3 years of one foreign language, 1 fine arts
- A one-paragraph description for every high-school course; the parent signs the transcript and diploma
- PSAT in 10th and 11th; SAT or ACT by spring of 11th; dual credit, AP or CLEP where it fits
- A log of activities, service and work from 9th grade; two adults who can recommend them
- A Scholarship Finder profile by 11th grade; FAFSA when it opens in the fall of 12th
- A diploma and transcript with 4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies; applied math every year
- Dual-credit career and technical courses in 11th–12th; OSHA 10 and first aid/CPR; a driver’s license
- Real projects and a part-time job logged as credits, with references; visit the union hall about pre-apprenticeships in 11th
- A parent-issued diploma and full transcript, signed and dated; recruiters ask for both
- Strong reading and arithmetic for the entrance test; a practice ASVAB in 11th
- Physical fitness as a logged course; service and leadership; for an academy or ROTC, the college list plus the SAT/ACT early
- The diploma and transcript anyway; personal finance and business basics as credits
- Work experience logged with hours and a reference from 10th grade; typing, spreadsheets, a clear email
- Keep the college path open: a foreign language and Algebra II cost little now
My Homeschool turns these into a checklist for each child, with the credits recorded in Transcripts counted against the plan.
Computer science graduation change from the Georgia General Assembly 2026 summary of general statutes: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/legislative-counsel-document-library/sumdoc2026-edit.pdf?sfvrsn=6257533e_2. Later rule amendments (e.g., personal finance) not checked.
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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