California homeschool requirements
Track your California homeschool requirements without spreadsheets
Homeschool Fox helps you understand California's requirements, log activities, track progress, and generate records when you need them.
California at a glance
Verified June 2026- Required days
- 175 days/year
- Required subjects
- 7 subjects
- Notice
- Required
- Testing / evaluation
- Not required
- Recordkeeping
- Recommended
Jump to the full California requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.
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Calculate your homeschool pace
California tracks days, not hours. We suggest aiming for 900 hours/year as a personal target. Enter your end date to see the pace.
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What Homeschool Fox tracks for California
Everything California expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Days toward your 175-day goal
- Required subjects & core hours
- Daily activity logs
- Attendance records
- Notes & portfolio records
- Printable PDF reports
- High school transcripts
- State-specific progress tracking
See it work
Log a homeschool day in seconds
Type or speak what you did in plain English. Homeschool Fox sorts it into subjects, adds up the time, and updates your California progress automatically.
You write
Homeschool Fox logs
- Reading 45 min
- Math 30 min
- History / Social Studies 20 min
Today's total
1 hr 35 min
Your California requirements, in plain English
Tap any item for the details.
Notice requirements
Required
Required days
175 days/yr
Required subjects
7 subjects
Testing / evaluation
Not required
Recordkeeping & portfolio
Recommended
Withdrawing from public school
Letter + notice
Full guide
Homeschooling in California: the complete guide
Homeschooling in California sits squarely in the middle of the country's regulatory spectrum. Families have real freedom to teach how they see fit, but the state does ask for paperwork and proof of progress along the way. Because the compulsory attendance age in California runs from 6-18, families plan their homeschool schedule around that window.
The California statute's focus is on consistency more than minute-tracking. Families teach for at least 175 school days a year and are trusted to define those days around their household's real schedule.
Before instruction begins, or promptly at the start of each school year, families in California submit a notice of intent to the state Department of Education. Filing at the state level keeps the process out of the district's hands, which is a welcome simplification for families who move between districts.
California expects instruction in math, language arts, social studies, science, visual/performing arts, health, and physical education. How those subjects show up day-to-day is entirely a family's call. In practice, California homeschool families use Homeschool Fox to log daily activities, keep portfolios in one place, and generate the compliance reports that the state's paperwork moments call for.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
You must notify the state Department of Education of your intent to homeschool.
Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft a California-ready letter.
Deeper guides: how to write a notice of intent to homeschool covers the language admins look for, and when and where to file your notice of intent covers state-by-state deadlines and recipients.
Generate your notice of intentWithdrawing from public school
California handles the transition from public school at the state level: send a withdrawal letter to the child's current school, then file a notice of intent directly with the state Department of Education. Homeschool Fox generates a compliant withdrawal letter from your family's details in a few clicks.
For the play-by-play, how to withdraw your child from public school walks through the conversation, the timing, and the paperwork. What to send the district when you pull your child covers exactly what the letter should and shouldn't say.
Assessment requirements
Assessment not required
California does not require standardized testing or formal assessment.
Portfolio & records
Portfolio not required
While California doesn't mandate a portfolio, keeping records is still recommended.
Required subjects
California requires instruction in the following subjects.
Looking for curriculum?
Browse our curriculum directory to find the right fit for your family, then track your hours with Homeschool Fox to stay compliant with California's requirements.
Umbrella schools
California treats homeschoolers as private schools. Most California families pick one of four legal vehicles, and one of them — the Private School Satellite Program (PSP) — works exactly like an umbrella school. A PSP is an established private school that lets families enroll as satellite students; the PSP files the Private School Affidavit under § 33190 and keeps the attendance register required by § 48222 on your behalf.
Day to day you still teach your own child and pick your own curriculum. What changes is that the PSP carries the legal weight: the state-mandated attendance and recordkeeping requirements live with the school rather than with you, and a PSP director can issue a transcript or diploma at the end of high school. Most PSPs charge an annual fee (commonly $100–$500), and many require members to submit a withdrawal letter, an annual enrollment form, and sometimes work samples or testing. The alternatives — filing your own PSA, enrolling in a public charter independent-study program, or using a credentialed private tutor under § 48224 — each shift the paperwork and oversight differently.
Tax credits & deductions
California does not have a homeschool-specific tax credit or deduction — but California families using a 529 plan need to know about a recapture rule that catches many homeschoolers off guard. ScholarShare (California's 529 plan) does NOT conform to the federal expansion that allows tax-free 529 withdrawals for K-12 tuition. If you withdraw 529 funds for K-12 expenses, California treats the earnings portion as taxable income and adds a 2.5% additional state tax on top.
The practical impact: federal-level 529 K-12 use can still be tax-free, but the California-side benefit you accumulated while saving (deductions if any plus tax-deferred growth) gets recaptured at withdrawal time. Run the numbers with a CPA before pulling 529 money for homeschool curriculum, tuition, or supplemental classes. Saving for college only? No issue. Using the 529 as a homeschool sinking fund? Likely not the right vehicle in California. Note: this affects 529 K-12 withdrawals specifically; 529 college withdrawals remain tax-free under California rules.
Deeper guides: homeschool tax credits and deductions by state for 2026 covers every state with a credit, and are homeschool expenses tax-deductible — an honest breakdown covers the boundaries on what counts and which gimmicks to avoid.
Tax laws change. Check your California Department of Revenue page (or talk to a CPA) before filing — the figures above reflect our last verified review (June 2026).
Additional notes
File Private School Affidavit (PSA) annually between Oct 1-15.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to notify anyone to homeschool in California?
How many hours do I need to homeschool in California?
Does California require testing for homeschoolers?
Do I need to keep a portfolio in California?
What subjects must I teach in California?
Nearby states
View all statesWant the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
Reviewed and sourced
Last verified: June 2026. We review California's requirements against official sources and update this page when the rules change.
Sources
Homeschool Fox is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. We turn public homeschool requirements into practical tracking tools for families. Always confirm details with your state or a qualified advisor.
More California guides
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