Homeschooling in Maryland: what the state requires
The rules for homeschooling in Maryland, in plain English, from the state’s own sources.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Maryland sources. State page: Maryland State Department of Education — Home Instruction in Maryland. Compulsory school age: 5 years old or older and under 18 (a 5-year-old's attendance may be delayed one year at parent request due to maturity).
Home instruction with local school system portfolio review
Parents notify the local superintendent on the MSDE form, teach the required subjects with regular, thorough instruction, keep a portfolio, and allow up to three portfolio reviews a year by the local school system.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. At least 15 days before the beginning of the home instruction program; annually before the start of each school year. — Sign a statement on the form prescribed by MSDE consenting to the requirements of COMAR 13A.10.01.01C-E and submit it to the local superintendent. Verify continuation annually before the beginning of the school year. Notify the superintendent if the child's home school status changes during the year. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education — Must provide regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in public schools to children of the same age. May include part-time or full-time college courses. |
| Days | No day count; instruction must take place on a regular basis during the school year and be of sufficient duration to implement the instruction program. |
| Hours | No hour requirement. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. No required test. A local school system representative may review the portfolio, at a mutually agreed time and place, not more than three times during a school year. If a deficiency is found, the parent has 30 days to show it is being corrected; otherwise the child must be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school (COMAR 13A.10.01.03). Child may join public school standardized testing on request (13A.10.01.02). |
| Records | Required. Maintain a portfolio of materials (relevant materials such as instructional materials, reading materials, examples of the child's work, and assessments) demonstrating regular, thorough instruction; reviewed at the end of each semester. No retention period stated. |
| Teacher | No parent qualification requirement. |
| Other | Local school systems may not impose additional requirements beyond the regulation (13A.10.01.01F). |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
COMAR sets no graduation requirements for home instruction; if the child enrolls in public school, the local superintendent evaluates placement and any credits toward graduation (13A.10.01.04).
Official sources:
- COMAR 13A.10.01.01 — Home Instruction Program
- COMAR 13A.10.01.02 — Standardized testing
- COMAR 13A.10.01.03 — Noncompliance
- COMAR 13A.10.01.04 — Placement in public school
- Md. Code, Education §7-301 — Compulsory attendance
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: MSDE home instruction page was unreachable (503) at check time; facts come from COMAR on dsd.maryland.gov. Immunization rules not checked.
Home instruction supervised by a church-operated or state-approved nonpublic school (umbrella)
Instead of local school system review, home instruction is supervised by a school/program operated by a bona fide church organization or a nonpublic school with a State Board certificate of approval.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Annually before the beginning of the school year (parent verification). — Parent verifies continuation annually with the supervising school (13A.10.01.01B). The supervising school must notify the local superintendent annually of continuing, new and withdrawn home-schooled students, and report changes during the year (13A.10.01.05). |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education — Regular, thorough instruction in studies usually taught in public schools. |
| Days | Same instruction standard as 13A.10.01.01C: regular basis during the school year, sufficient duration. |
| Hours | No hour requirement. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. No state test. Church-operated supervisors must hold pre-enrollment conferences and conferences with parents at appropriate intervals; approved nonpublic schools must assign a school-based teacher who issues progress reports, marks papers and grades tests. |
| Records | Records kept as required by the supervising school; no state retention rule found. |
| Teacher | No parent qualification requirement. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
No state requirements for home instruction; any diploma would come from the parent or supervising school under its own policy.
Official sources:
- COMAR 13A.10.01.05 — Home instruction under nonpublic school supervision
- COMAR 13A.10.01.01 — Home Instruction Program
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Whether the parent must also file the initial MSDE notification form with the local superintendent under the umbrella option was not confirmed (MSDE page unreachable). Who issues diplomas under an umbrella was not confirmed on an official source.
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 | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.0 |
| Social Studies | 3.0 |
| Fine Arts | 1.0 |
| Physical Education & Health Physical education 0.5; Health education 1 | 1.5 |
| Technology Computer science, engineering, or technology education 1 | 1.0 |
| Electives World language (2 credits of the same language) or completion of a State-approved career and technology program 2; remaining 2.5 | 4.5 |
| Total | 22.0 |
|---|
Minimum 22 credits for students entering grade 9 in 2021-2022 and later; remaining credits are local electives. Students entering grade 9 in 2020-2021 or earlier: 21 credits (math 3, health 0.5, technology education 1).
Source: COMAR 13A.03.02.03 — Maryland High School Diploma 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.
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.
Other states: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming