Start homeschooling · North Carolina

How to start homeschooling in North Carolina

Everything North Carolina 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 North Carolina requires

    A home school is a nonpublic school of the children of not more than two families or households, where the parents determine and provide instruction. The parent elects to operate under Part 1 (religious) or Part 2 (non-religious) of Article 39; requirements are the same for home schools.

    Required school ages in North Carolina: 7 to 16. Teacher qualification for this option: Persons providing academic instruction must hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.

  2. File your notice

    Required.

    When: At least five business days before beginning the home school.

    What it includes: Notice of intent to operate (school name and address, owner and chief administrator) filed with the Division of Non-Public Education; DNPE says file at least five business days before beginning, after July 1, and do not withdraw from current school until DNPE acknowledges receipt. Notify DNPE (or close in the portal) when the home school stops operating. One-time filing: not renewed annually, even when adding a child. Registration required when a child is age 7.

    North Carolina 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

  3. 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. Wait until the Division of Non-Public Education acknowledges your notice (the step above) before you withdraw.

    Write the withdrawal letter

  4. Plan your school year: days and hours

    North Carolina sets a minimum.

    Operate on a regular schedule, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations, during at least nine calendar months of the year. No hour requirement.

    Check your days and hoursMake a school calendar

  5. Cover the required subjects

    North Carolina doesn’t list required subjects for this option.

    No required subjects; parents determine the scope and sequence of instruction. Annual testing must cover English grammar, reading, spelling and mathematics.

    Find curriculum with lesson counts

  6. Testing or evaluation

    Required every year.

    Each student takes a nationally standardized achievement test every academic year (first within the academic year the home school starts) measuring English grammar, reading, spelling and mathematics. No minimum score; results kept at the home school at least one year and made available to DNPE on request.

    Put the dates on your state calendar

  7. Keep the records the state asks for

    Required.

    Annual attendance records and disease immunization records for each student; standardized test results kept at least one year; available at reasonable times for annual inspection by a state representative.

    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

    DNPE does not maintain homeschool transcripts, records or diplomas; the home school administrator issues the diploma and keeps records. Statutes for Part 1/Part 2 schools also require an 11th-grade nationally standardized competency test in verbal and quantitative areas with a school-set minimum score for graduation (G.S. 115C-550/558).

    Keep a transcriptGPA calculatorSample transcript
Also good to know in North Carolina: Immunization law applies; safety and sanitation inspections waived for schools in a private residence. Home schools complying with the Part are not subject to other education laws except immunization requirements.

Official sources for this option

Not confirmed on an official page: Whether the 11th-grade competency test (G.S. 115C-550/558) applies to home schools is not addressed on DNPE's home school testing page; recorded from the statute text only. Part 2 sections (G.S. 115C-556 to 560) were not separately read; G.S. 115C-564 states the same Part 1/Part 2 requirements apply. 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 North Carolina checklist

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

Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in North Carolina · homeschoolcorral.com

  • Read North Carolina’s rules for “Home school”
  • File the notice (At least five business days before beginning the home 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
  • Note the testing or evaluation years and deadlines
  • Start the required records from day one
  • Make a first-week plan and start

Questions North Carolina parents ask

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in North Carolina?

Yes. When: At least five business days before beginning the home school. What to file: Notice of intent to operate (school name and address, owner and chief administrator) filed with the Division of Non-Public Education; DNPE says file at least five business days before beginning, after July 1, and do not withdraw from current school until DNPE acknowledges receipt. Notify DNPE (or close in the portal) when the home school stops operating. One-time filing: not renewed annually, even when adding a child. Registration required when a child is age 7.

How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in North Carolina?

Operate on a regular schedule, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations, during at least nine calendar months of the year. No hour requirement.

Do homeschoolers have to take tests in North Carolina?

Yes, every year. Each student takes a nationally standardized achievement test every academic year (first within the academic year the home school starts) measuring English grammar, reading, spelling and mathematics. No minimum score; results kept at the home school at least one year and made available to DNPE on request.

Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in North Carolina?

Persons providing academic instruction must hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.

What subjects are required in North Carolina?

North Carolina doesn’t list required subjects.

What records do I need to keep in North Carolina?

Annual attendance records and disease immunization records for each student; standardized test results kept at least one year; available at reasonable times for annual inspection by a state representative.

Keep going

North Carolina homeschool rules in fullEvery option, by grade, with the state’s sources Moving to or from North Carolina?See what changes, side by side North Carolina 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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