Homeschooling in Virginia: what the state requires
The rules for homeschooling in Virginia, in plain English, from the state’s own sources.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Virginia sources. State page: Virginia Department of Education — Home Instruction. Compulsory school age: 5 (child who will have reached the fifth birthday on or before September 30) until the 18th birthday.
Home instruction (Va. Code § 22.1-254.1)
Parent who meets one of four qualification options files an annual notice with the division superintendent and submits evidence of the child's progress each year by August 1.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. August 15 each year (or as soon as practicable if starting mid-year, comply within 30 days) — Annual notice to the division superintendent in August, no later than August 15, with a description of the curriculum (limited to a list of subjects to be studied in the coming year) and evidence of meeting one of the qualification criteria. Parents who move into the division or begin home instruction after the school year starts must notify as soon as practicable and comply within 30 days. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | — No subjects prescribed; the notice must list the subjects to be studied during the coming year. |
| Days | § 22.1-254.1 sets no days requirement. The general compulsory attendance sentence in § 22.1-254(A) requires attendance 'for the same number of days and hours per day as the public schools' and lists home instruction under § 22.1-254.1 among the ways to comply. |
| Hours | No separate hours requirement in § 22.1-254.1; see days detail. |
| Testing or evaluation | Required every year. By August 1 following the school year, provide the division superintendent either (a) a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test, or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT or PSAT; or (b) an evaluation or assessment showing adequate educational growth, e.g. an evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, or a report card/transcript from a higher education institution or correspondence/distance program. If evidence is not adequate, the program may be placed on probation for one year with a remediation plan. Not required for children under age 6 as of September 30. Superintendent decisions may be appealed within 30 days to an independent hearing officer. |
| Records | No record-keeping requirement in statute beyond the annual notice and evidence of progress. |
| Teacher | Parent must meet one: (i) holds a high school diploma; (ii) is a teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education; (iii) provides a program of study or curriculum, which may be delivered by correspondence course, distance learning or any other manner; or (iv) provides evidence of ability to provide an adequate education. |
| Other | School boards must make AP, PSAT/NMSQT and PreACT exams available to home-instructed students. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade; testing applies every year.
High school and graduation
Statute sets no graduation requirements for home instruction and does not address who issues a diploma.
Official sources:
- Va. Code § 22.1-254.1 — Declaration of policy; requirements for home instruction
- Va. Code § 22.1-254 — Compulsory attendance
- VDOE — Home Instruction
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Whether the days/hours sentence of § 22.1-254(A) is applied to home instruction in practice was not confirmed on an official source. VDOE lists 'health requirements for home-instructed, exempted, and excused children' but the document was not reviewed.
Religious exemption (Va. Code § 22.1-254(B)(1))
A school board shall excuse a pupil who, together with the parents, is conscientiously opposed to school attendance by reason of bona fide religious training or belief.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Exemption is granted by the local school board; the request process is set locally. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | — None stated. |
| Days | None stated. |
| Hours | None stated. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. None stated in statute. |
| Records | None stated in statute. |
| Teacher | None stated. |
| Other | 'Bona fide religious training or belief' does not include essentially political, sociological or philosophical views or a merely personal moral code. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
Not addressed by statute.
Official sources:
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Local school board request procedures and any renewal requirement were not verified.
Tutor or teacher approved by the division superintendent (Va. Code § 22.1-254(A))
Child is taught by a tutor or teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education and approved by the division superintendent.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Tutor/teacher must be approved by the division superintendent. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | — None stated. |
| Days | § 22.1-254(A): during the period the public schools are in session and 'for the same number of days and hours per day as the public schools'. |
| Hours | Same hours per day as the public schools (§ 22.1-254(A)). |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. None stated in statute. |
| Records | None stated in statute. |
| Teacher | Qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education (specific qualifications not verified). |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
Not addressed by statute.
Official sources:
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: The Board-prescribed tutor qualifications were not located in the Administrative Code.
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 | 3.0 |
| Science Laboratory Science 3 | 3.0 |
| Social Studies History and Social Sciences 3; Economics and Personal Finance 1 | 4.0 |
| Physical Education & Health Health and Physical Education 2 | 2.0 |
| Electives World Language, Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education 2; Electives 4 | 6.0 |
| Total | 22.0 |
|---|
Standard Diploma for students entering 9th grade in 2018–2019 and later. Includes 5 verified credits (English 2, math 1, lab science 1, history/social science 1). Math must include at least two different courses from algebra I, geometry, algebra functions and data analysis, algebra II or other approved courses; the world language/fine arts/CTE requirement must include one credit in fine or performing arts or CTE; electives include two sequential electives. Also: an AP/honors/IB/dual enrollment course, high-quality work-based learning, or a CTE credential; one virtual course; first aid/CPR/AED training.
Source: 8VAC20-132-51 — Requirements for graduation
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.
§ 22.1-254 was last amended in 2026 (c. 193); § 22.1-254.1 last amended 2022 (c. 355). A private, denominational or parochial school is also a lawful alternative under § 22.1-254(A) but is not recorded as a home option here.
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 · Maryland · 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 · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming