Start homeschooling · Georgia

How to start homeschooling in Georgia

Everything Georgia 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.

Legal options1
NoticeRequired
Days or hoursSet by the state
TestingRequired
RecordsRequired

Step by step

  1. Know what Georgia requires

    Parent files a declaration of intent with the Georgia Department of Education and teaches 180 days of 4.5 hours each.

    Required school ages in Georgia: 6 to 16 (between the sixth and sixteenth birthdays), O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1 as amended by SB 123 (2025). Teacher qualification for this option: 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.

  2. 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. Georgia also asks for a notice under this option (the next step); file it by its deadline.

    Write the withdrawal letter

  3. File your notice

    Required.

    When: Within 30 days after establishing the program and by September 1 annually thereafter.

    What it includes: 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.

    Georgia names its own form, affidavit or filing for this. Use that where it’s required; our letter can go with it as a cover letter or a record.

    Write the notice of intent

  4. Plan your school year: days and hours

    Georgia sets a minimum.

    180 days per year; days spent in public or private school earlier in the same school year count toward the 180. Each day consists of 4.5 hours of instruction 'unless the child is physically unable to comply.'

    Check your days and hoursMake a school calendar

  5. Cover the 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)).

    Find curriculum with lesson counts

  6. Testing or evaluation

    Required every three years, starting at the end of 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.

    Put the dates on your state calendar

  7. Keep the records the state asks for

    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. Check with GaDOE on whether attendance records must also be kept.

    Printable logsKeep them in My Homeschool

  8. 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.

    Start a free plan in My HomeschoolAll free tools

  9. High school and graduation

    Georgia’s official sources set no graduation requirements for home study programs.

    Keep a transcriptGPA calculatorSample transcript
Also good to know in Georgia: 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).

Official sources for this option

Not confirmed on an official page: The official O.C.G.A. text (Lexis-hosted) and GaDOE's home school pages/Home School Overview PDF could not be read; 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. 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 Georgia checklist

Tick as you go, or print it. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.

Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in Georgia · homeschoolcorral.com

  • Read Georgia’s rules for “Home study program”
  • Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
  • File the notice (Within 30 days after establishing the program and by September 1 annually 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
  • Start the required records from day one
  • Make a first-week plan and start

Questions Georgia parents ask

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Georgia?

Yes. When: Within 30 days after establishing the program and by September 1 annually thereafter. What to file: 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.

How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in Georgia?

180 days per year; days spent in public or private school earlier in the same school year count toward the 180. Each day consists of 4.5 hours of instruction 'unless the child is physically unable to comply.'

Do homeschoolers have to take tests in Georgia?

Yes, every three years, starting at the end of 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.

Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Georgia?

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.

What subjects are required in Georgia?

Reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science.

What records do I need to keep in Georgia?

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. Check with GaDOE on whether attendance records must also be kept.

Keep going

Georgia homeschool rules in fullEvery option, by grade, with the state’s sources Moving to or from Georgia?See what changes, side by side Georgia scholarshipsFor homeschool students, with deadlines Plan your year, freeMy Homeschool, free while we’re in beta; an invite code is needed to create an account

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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