California Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in California, based on EC Section 48222 (Private School Exemption). California is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home-Based Private School (Private School Affidavit), the most common of California's 4 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
File your Notice of Intent
Submit to California Department of Education (CDE), Superintendent of Public Instruction. Deadline: Between October 1 and October 15 (filing window).
Deadline: Between October 1 and October 15 (filing window)
More details
The PSA is a notification, not an application for permission. The CDE does not approve or deny it. Filed online through the CDE Private School Affidavit portal. PSA requires: school name, address (home address), owner/administrator names, enrollment by grade, student names/addresses/birth dates, teacher names and qualifications, confirmation of required courses of study, and whether criminal background checks were conducted. If beginning mid-year, file as soon as possible rather than waiting for the October window.
Withdrawal letter recommended
A formal letter isn't required, but it is recommended if your child is enrolled in school. Send it to child's current school.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
More details
No specific withdrawal statute exists. Notify school in writing. School should code student as transferring to a private school (CALPADS code T180). Send via certified mail or obtain written confirmation. File the PSA before or concurrent with withdrawal if within the October 1-15 window. Having the PSA on file helps avoid SARB (School Attendance Review Board) truancy referrals.
Ongoing
Required subjects (varies by grade)
Grades 1–6: English (speaking, reading, listening, spelling, handwriting, composition, literature), mathematics, social sciences (anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology), science (biological and physical sciences, scientific investigation, ecology), visual and performing arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts), health (individual, family, and community health), physical education. Grades 7–12: English (literature, language, composition), social sciences (history, geography, civics/government, economics), world language or languages (beginning not later than grade 7), physical education, science (biological and physical sciences), mathematics, visual and performing arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts), applied arts (consumer/homemaking education, industrial arts, general business, general agriculture), career technical education, automobile driver education
More details
Elementary subjects per EC Section 51210; secondary subjects per EC Section 51220. The PSA asks the school to confirm instruction in these courses. However, there is no state inspection or verification of curriculum content for private schools. The state does not approve textbooks, curricula, or lesson plans.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: attendance records.
More details
Attendance register required by EC 48222. Enrollment records (names, addresses, birth dates) required by EC 33190. Faculty information required. Records must be maintained but do not need to be submitted to anyone. An attendance register is important evidence of compliance if ever questioned in a truancy proceeding or custody dispute.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by October 1-15.
More details
Only reporting obligation is the annual PSA renewal. No progress reports, test scores, curriculum plans, or attendance reports need to be submitted to the state or district.
Good news
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- California Department of Education (CDE), Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Deadline
- Between October 1 and October 15 (filing window)
- How often
- annual
- Official form
- Download / access form
The PSA is a notification, not an application for permission. The CDE does not approve or deny it. Filed online through the CDE Private School Affidavit portal. PSA requires: school name, address (home address), owner/administrator names, enrollment by grade, student names/addresses/birth dates, teacher names and qualifications, confirmation of required courses of study, and whether criminal background checks were conducted. If beginning mid-year, file as soon as possible rather than waiting for the October window.
EC Section 33190 (annual Private School Affidavit filing); EC Section 48222 (private school exemption from compulsory attendance)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects (varies by grade)
Grades 1–6
- ✓English (speaking, reading, listening, spelling, handwriting, composition, literature)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓social sciences (anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology)
- ✓science (biological and physical sciences, scientific investigation, ecology)
- ✓visual and performing arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts)
- ✓health (individual, family, and community health)
- ✓physical education
Grades 7–12
- ✓English (literature, language, composition)
- ✓social sciences (history, geography, civics/government, economics)
- ✓world language or languages (beginning not later than grade 7)
- ✓physical education
- ✓science (biological and physical sciences)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓visual and performing arts (dance, music, theatre, visual arts)
- ✓applied arts (consumer/homemaking education, industrial arts, general business, general agriculture)
- ✓career technical education
- ✓automobile driver education
Elementary subjects per EC Section 51210; secondary subjects per EC Section 51220. The PSA asks the school to confirm instruction in these courses. However, there is no state inspection or verification of curriculum content for private schools. The state does not approve textbooks, curricula, or lesson plans.
EC Section 51210 (elementary courses of study, grades 1-6); EC Section 51220 (secondary courses of study, grades 7-12)
Recordkeeping
- ✓Attendance records
Attendance register required by EC 48222. Enrollment records (names, addresses, birth dates) required by EC 33190. Faculty information required. Records must be maintained but do not need to be submitted to anyone. An attendance register is important evidence of compliance if ever questioned in a truancy proceeding or custody dispute.
EC Section 48222 (attendance register); EC Section 33190 (enrollment records: names, addresses, birth dates)
Reporting
- Annual renewal
- Required by October 1-15
Only reporting obligation is the annual PSA renewal. No progress reports, test scores, curriculum plans, or attendance reports need to be submitted to the state or district.
EC Section 33190 (annual PSA filing between October 1 and October 15)
What you don't need to worry about
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Other ways to homeschool in California
This checklist covers Home-Based Private School (Private School Affidavit), the most common pathway. California offers 4 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home-Based Private School (Private School Affidavit)(this checklist) : You file a one-page Private School Affidavit with the CDE each October, keep an attendance register, and teach required subjects. No testing, no curriculum approval, no reporting beyond the annual PSA. Most California homeschoolers choose this pathway.
- •Private School Satellite Program (PSP / Umbrella School) : You enroll in a Private School Satellite Program (umbrella school) that handles all state paperwork on your behalf. The PSP files the PSA, maintains records, and keeps your home address out of the public CDE directory. You teach at home with PSP guidance. Good for families who want administrative support or privacy.
- •Private Tutor : A credentialed California teacher tutors your child for at least 3 hours per day, 175 days per year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. No state notification required, but the tutor must hold a valid credential for the grade taught. This pathway is costly and impractical for most families.
- •Independent Study Through Public School or Charter School : Your child enrolls in a public school or charter school independent study program and learns at home under a credentialed teacher's supervision. The school provides curriculum, handles all reporting, and your child retains full IEP and special education rights. Less parent autonomy but more support and services.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for California
Related guides
Get your personalized checklist
This is the general checklist for the most common pathway. The wizard customizes it for your family's specific situation, including grade, pathway, and IEP status.
Get your California checklistRequirements sourced from EC Section 48222 (Private School Exemption). Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026