California Homeschool Laws and Requirements
What California requires, in plain English — and a free way to track it without spreadsheets. Log activities, watch your pace, and generate records when you need them.
The short answer
California has light but formal homeschool requirements with no mandated hour or day minimums, and you'll file notice with the state Department of Education.
California at a glance
Verified September 2026- Required hours
- No state minimum
- Required subjects
- 7 subjects
- Notice
- Required each year
- Testing / evaluation
- Not required
- Recordkeeping
- Required
Jump to the full California requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.
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California doesn't set a minimum. If you want a personal target, 900 hours/year is a common one. Enter your end date to see the pace.
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What Homeschool Fox tracks for California
The records California asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Required subjects
- The records California asks you to keep
- Daily activity logs
- Printable PDF reports
- Progress tracking
- High school transcripts
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 hours
Flexible
Required subjects
7 subjects
Testing / evaluation
Not required
Recordkeeping & portfolio
Records required
Withdrawing from public school
Letter + notice
Full guide
Homeschooling in California: the complete guide
California takes a light-touch approach to homeschool law, with the main expectation being a filing so local officials know a family is teaching at home. Because the compulsory attendance age in California runs from 6-18, families plan their homeschool schedule around that window.
Because California law doesn't specify hours or school days, the shape of a homeschool year is a family decision. A common internal benchmark is 900 hours a year, loose enough to accommodate life's interruptions but firm enough to keep a program moving forward.
Families in California file a notice of intent with the state Department of Education each year. The withdrawal section below gives the deadline and the form. California sets what the notice has to carry. Where the state publishes its own form, start from that rather than a letter of your own.
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 work samples in one place, and print a record of the year when they want one.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
Yes, California requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify the state Department of Education. The notice is filed again each school year.
Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft your California filing, then check the withdrawal section below for the form or affidavit California expects it on.
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
Because California has no homeschool statute, how you withdraw depends on your pathway. If you file your own PSA or join a PSP, notify your child's current public school in writing that they now attend a private school; the PSA or PSP is the legal record. If you move to a charter or district independent study program, that program handles the transfer. Send the notice before you stop attending to avoid a truancy referral, and keep a copy.
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 log the year in Homeschool Fox.
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.
New for 2026-27: the Safe Learning Environments Act (effective July 1, 2026) applies to private schools, PSPs included — employees, volunteers, and board members become mandatory reporters, schools need written professional-boundary and social-media policies plus annual child-abuse-prevention training, and a statewide misconduct database arrives by July 2027. None of it touches a family teaching their own children under their own PSA, but if you're choosing a PSP, ask how they're handling it.
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 (September 2026).
Additional notes
California has no homeschool statute. Most families use one of four legal pathways: (1) file your own Private School Affidavit (PSA) and run a home-based private school; (2) enroll in a Private School Satellite Program (PSP), which files the PSA and keeps records for you; (3) enroll in a public charter or district independent study program (ISP); or (4) be taught by a California-credentialed private tutor (Ed Code 48224: at least 3 hours a day between 8am and 4pm, 175 days a year). The PSA's statutory filing window is October 1 to 15, though the state system accepts filings from August 1 to June 30. Choose the pathway first; it decides who files and who keeps your records.
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 statesHow California compares
Nine rules side by side with the states families move between most, and what changes in each direction.
- California vs Arizona (5 rules differ)
- California vs Colorado (6 rules differ)
- California vs Florida (7 rules differ)
- California vs Georgia (6 rules differ)
- California vs Idaho (4 rules differ)
- California vs Illinois (4 rules differ)
- California vs Nevada (3 rules differ)
- California vs New York (5 rules differ)
- California vs North Carolina (5 rules differ)
- California vs Oregon (4 rules differ)
- California vs Tennessee (6 rules differ)
- California vs Texas (5 rules differ)
- California vs Washington (6 rules differ)
Want the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
Common mistakes in California
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Reading California advice without knowing your pathway
California has no homeschool statute. Families use one of four legal pathways, and nearly every requirement depends on which one you are on. Advice that does not name a pathway is advice you cannot act on, because the affidavit, the records, and the oversight all differ between them.
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Treating a charter independent study program as homeschooling
A public charter or district independent study program brings public school rules with it: enrollment, funding, assigned oversight, and testing. The funds and support are real, and so is the tradeoff. It is a different legal status from running your own private school, not a version of it.
Free California printables
Two ready-to-use PDFs for California homeschoolers. No account needed.
Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.
Get notified when California changes its rules
We track California's statute and department pages and email you when the requirements move. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
California last verified September 25, 2026.
Reviewed and sourced
Last verified: September 2026. We review California's requirements against official sources and update this page when the rules change.
Our monitor last confirmed the source pages were live on Sep 28, 2026.
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
California in context: one of 36 states that require notice · one of 31 states that name required subjects.
- How to Start Homeschooling in California A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
- Homeschooling High School in California Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
- Record Keeping in California What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
- How to Withdraw From School in California The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
- Moving to California What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
- Public School Sports in California Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
- Required Subjects in California The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
- California Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
More on homeschooling in California
Law changes, filing walkthroughs, and the questions California families ask most.
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