Maryland Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Maryland, based on COMAR 13A.10.01. Maryland is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System, the most common of Maryland's 2 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 local school superintendent or designated office. Deadline: at least 15 days before the start of home instruction.
Deadline: at least 15 days before the start of home instruction
More details
Notification must include child's name, age, and grade level; parent's name and address; and acknowledgment that instruction will cover required subjects.
Withdrawal letter recommended
A formal letter isn't required, but it is recommended if your child is enrolled in school. Send it to current school and local school system homeschool office.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
More details
Submit notification of intent to homeschool and written notice of withdrawal concurrently. No mandatory waiting period; instruction may begin upon proper notification. Some local school systems may request a conference but parents are not required to obtain approval before beginning.
Ongoing
Required subjects
English (reading, writing, spelling), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education
More details
Must provide 'regular, thorough instruction' in these areas. Specific curriculum, textbooks, and materials are chosen by the parent.
Show your child's progress
Portfolio review — three times per year.
More details
Portfolio reviewed by the local superintendent or designee at the conclusion of each semester, at mutually agreeable times. COMAR limits reviews to not more than three during a school year. In practice, most districts conduct two reviews (one per semester). Effective August 2019, 'observe instruction' was removed from reviewer requirements. Reviewer examines for evidence of regular, thorough instruction in required subjects. No standardized testing required. If instruction is deemed inadequate, corrective action may be required.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.
More details
Portfolio must include: work samples in each required subject, evidence of materials/resources used, a log of instructional activities and topics covered, and other documentation demonstrating regular, thorough instruction. Must be available for the school system reviewer at scheduled intervals.
Good news
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- local school superintendent or designated office
- Deadline
- at least 15 days before the start of home instruction
- How often
- one time
Notification must include child's name, age, and grade level; parent's name and address; and acknowledgment that instruction will cover required subjects.
COMAR 13A.10.01.01(B) (notification to local superintendent at least 15 days before instruction begins)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓English (reading, writing, spelling)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓science
- ✓social studies
- ✓art
- ✓music
- ✓health
- ✓physical education
Must provide 'regular, thorough instruction' in these areas. Specific curriculum, textbooks, and materials are chosen by the parent.
COMAR 13A.10.01.01(C) (regular, thorough instruction in required subject areas)
Testing and assessment
- Accepted types
- Portfolio review
- Frequency
- three times per year
Portfolio reviewed by the local superintendent or designee at the conclusion of each semester, at mutually agreeable times. COMAR limits reviews to not more than three during a school year. In practice, most districts conduct two reviews (one per semester). Effective August 2019, 'observe instruction' was removed from reviewer requirements. Reviewer examines for evidence of regular, thorough instruction in required subjects. No standardized testing required. If instruction is deemed inadequate, corrective action may be required.
See our full assessment guide for Maryland for details.
COMAR 13A.10.01.01 (portfolio review; not more than three reviews per school year)
Recordkeeping
- ✓Student portfolio
Records may be reviewed by the district.
Portfolio must include: work samples in each required subject, evidence of materials/resources used, a log of instructional activities and topics covered, and other documentation demonstrating regular, thorough instruction. Must be available for the school system reviewer at scheduled intervals.
COMAR 13A.10.01.01(D) (portfolio with work samples, materials evidence, and instructional log)
What you don't need to worry about
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Other ways to homeschool in Maryland
This checklist covers Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System, the most common pathway. Maryland offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System(this checklist) : You notify your local school superintendent at least 15 days before starting and teach eight required subjects including art, music, and PE. A school-system reviewer inspects your portfolio up to three times per year (typically at each semester's end) to verify regular, thorough instruction. No standardized testing required — the portfolio review is the primary accountability mechanism.
- •Umbrella Program or Church-Exempt School : You enroll in an umbrella program or church-exempt school that handles oversight instead of the local school system. No state-mandated portfolio reviews, no required subject list from the state, and no direct reporting to the school district. Best for families affiliated with a church organization or who want to avoid the three-times-per-year portfolio review of the standard pathway.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Maryland
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 Maryland checklistRequirements sourced from COMAR 13A.10.01. Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026