Louisiana Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Louisiana, based on La. R.S. 17:236. Louisiana is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home Study Program Approved by BESE, the most common of Louisiana's 3 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
File your Letter of Intent & instructional plan
Submit to Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) on behalf of BESE. Deadline: Within 15 days of beginning home study or withdrawing child from school.
Deadline: Within 15 days of beginning home study or withdrawing child from school
More details
Application must include parent/guardian name, address, contact info; child's name, date of birth, grade level; description of proposed program of study; certification that instruction will cover required subjects and provide sustained, quality education.
Send a withdrawal letter
If your child is currently enrolled in school, send a withdrawal letter to child's current school.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
More details
Submit home study application to BESE/LDOE and provide written notice of withdrawal to the current school. Application should be filed within 15 days of withdrawal.
Ongoing
Required subjects
English Language Arts (reading, writing, spelling, grammar), mathematics, science, social studies (U.S. history, Louisiana history, civics, geography)
More details
Program must offer a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools at the same grade level. Health and physical education are implicitly required under the 'at least equal to public schools' standard but are not separately enumerated in the home study statute.
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 180 days/year. You must track and document hours.
More details
180 days per school year. No specific hours per day mandated by statute; instructional day should be comparable in length to public school day.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: attendance records, grades or evaluations.
More details
Parents should maintain: approved home study application, curriculum descriptions, attendance records (180 days), samples of student work, grades and academic progress, and any voluntary test results. Records are not routinely collected by BESE/LDOE but should be available if requested.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by October 1 of the school year, or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later.
More details
Annual renewal application due by October 1 of each school year (or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later). Renewal requires documentation of prior year's program quality — either (1) a report card and/or copies of standardized tests, or (2) a statement from a third party observing the student's progress or copies of student work. Parent certifies continued quality of instruction in required subjects.
Good news
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Education savings programs available
LA GATOR Scholarships (Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise): ~$5,100/general student (above 250% FPL), $7,626/income ≤250% FPL, up to $15,253/student with qualifying disability (2025-2026, based on MFP percentages; amounts may be adjusted annually) — 2025-2026: Louisiana residents age 5-21 by September 30, must be entering kindergarten, prior public school enrollee, prior LSP participant, or family income ≤250% FPL. Future years expand eligibility. Students enrolled in an Approved Home Study Program or nonpublic school (not seeking state approval) are NOT eligible while in those programs — must exit home study to participate.. Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP): null — Family income at or below 250% of federal poverty level; student entering kindergarten or previously attended a C/D/F-rated public school; Louisiana resident. Being replaced by LA GATOR program starting 2025-2026.
More details
ESA program replacing the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) starting 2025-2026. Approved expenses include nonpublic school tuition and fees, tutoring, educational therapies, textbooks, curricula, dual enrollment courses, and uniforms. Recipients must take annual assessments. Student applications opened March 1, 2025. Publicly funded voucher program for participating nonpublic schools. Being phased out and replaced by the LA GATOR Scholarship Program starting 2025-2026. Not available to Pathway 1 (home study) families directly. Participating schools must administer state standardized tests to scholarship recipients.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- detailed plan
- Send to
- Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) on behalf of BESE
- Deadline
- Within 15 days of beginning home study or withdrawing child from school
- How often
- annual
- Official form
- Download / access form
Application must include parent/guardian name, address, contact info; child's name, date of birth, grade level; description of proposed program of study; certification that instruction will cover required subjects and provide sustained, quality education.
La. R.S. 17:236 (home study application to BESE within 15 days); La. R.S. 17:236.1 (home study program provisions)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓English Language Arts (reading, writing, spelling, grammar)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓science
- ✓social studies (U.S. history, Louisiana history, civics, geography)
Program must offer a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools at the same grade level. Health and physical education are implicitly required under the 'at least equal to public schools' standard but are not separately enumerated in the home study statute.
La. R.S. 17:236.1 (sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to public schools in required subjects)
Instructional time
- Days per year:
- 180
180 days per school year. No specific hours per day mandated by statute; instructional day should be comparable in length to public school day.
La. R.S. 17:236 (180-day school year requirement)
Recordkeeping
- ✓Attendance records
- ✓Grades or evaluations
Parents should maintain: approved home study application, curriculum descriptions, attendance records (180 days), samples of student work, grades and academic progress, and any voluntary test results. Records are not routinely collected by BESE/LDOE but should be available if requested.
La. R.S. 17:236.1 (home study program must maintain records of sustained instruction)
Reporting
- Annual renewal
- Required by October 1 of the school year, or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later
Annual renewal application due by October 1 of each school year (or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later). Renewal requires documentation of prior year's program quality — either (1) a report card and/or copies of standardized tests, or (2) a statement from a third party observing the student's progress or copies of student work. Parent certifies continued quality of instruction in required subjects.
La. R.S. 17:236.1 (annual renewal of home study application to BESE)
What you don't need to worry about
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Education savings programs available
LA GATOR Scholarships (Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise): ~$5,100/general student (above 250% FPL), $7,626/income ≤250% FPL, up to $15,253/student with qualifying disability (2025-2026, based on MFP percentages; amounts may be adjusted annually) — 2025-2026: Louisiana residents age 5-21 by September 30, must be entering kindergarten, prior public school enrollee, prior LSP participant, or family income ≤250% FPL. Future years expand eligibility. Students enrolled in an Approved Home Study Program or nonpublic school (not seeking state approval) are NOT eligible while in those programs — must exit home study to participate.. Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP): null — Family income at or below 250% of federal poverty level; student entering kindergarten or previously attended a C/D/F-rated public school; Louisiana resident. Being replaced by LA GATOR program starting 2025-2026.
Other ways to homeschool in Louisiana
This checklist covers Home Study Program Approved by BESE, the most common pathway. Louisiana offers 3 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home Study Program Approved by BESE(this checklist) : You submit a home study application to the Louisiana Department of Education within 15 days of starting, describing your proposed program and certifying that instruction will cover required subjects. No standardized testing is required, but you must teach 180 days and renew your application annually. This is the most common homeschool pathway in Louisiana.
- •Registered Nonpublic School (Non-State-Approved) : You register as or enroll in a nonpublic school that is registered with BESE but not state-approved. This pathway has fewer curriculum mandates and no standardized testing requirement, but the school must maintain enrollment, attendance, and academic records per BESE Bulletin 741. Best for families who prefer operating under a school structure rather than the home study application process.
- •State-Approved Nonpublic School : You enroll in a nonpublic school that is both registered with and approved by BESE, which means higher accountability standards including standardized testing, annual progress reports to the state, and subjects comparable to public schools. This pathway offers a state-recognized school credential but involves the most oversight of the three options.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Louisiana
Education savings available
Louisiana offers 2 education savings programs. Learn about ESA programs
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 Louisiana checklistRequirements sourced from La. R.S. 17:236. Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026