California Homeschool Letter of Intent

California requires written notice of your intent to homeschool, filed with the state Department of Education. You are notifying the office, not applying to it. No approval is required, and most families never hear back.

Notice

Required

File with

State Department Of Education

Generate your California letter

Fill in your details and copy or print a ready-to-send letter. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.

What goes in the letter

Keep it short and complete. These are the pieces California offices look for.

1. 1

   Parent or guardian name and mailing address

   The address you want any reply sent to.

2. 2

   Each child's name

   Each child of compulsory school age. California's range is 6-18.

3. 3

   The date your school year starts

   Use the date instruction begins at home. Families often put the date they wrote the letter here by mistake.

4. 4

   A plain statement of intent

   One sentence saying you're providing home instruction under California law. Anything more elaborate gives the office more to respond to.

5. 5

   Your signature and the date

   Sign it, date it, and keep a copy of the signed version.

Yes, California requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify the state Department of Education.

Most California notices are short: your name and address, each child's name, the date instruction starts, and one sentence stating that you're providing home instruction under state law. Resist the urge to add curriculum plans, philosophy, or credentials unless the state asks for them. A longer letter gives an office more to respond to and nothing to gain.

In California the notice goes to the state Department of Education. Call the office first and ask who the letter should be addressed to and whether they take email. Two minutes on the phone keeps your letter out of the wrong inbox and gives you a name to reference if anything comes back.

California publishes no hard date for most families. File before instruction starts and you are covered. Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt for a couple of dollars. If you send it by email, keep the sent message and ask the office to confirm receipt.

Save what you sent along with the date. If the district ever raises a question about attendance, a dated copy of your notice is what closes it in one email.

The notice is a one-day job. The records run all year. Whatever California expects you to track, starting the day you file saves you from backfilling months later. Homeschool Fox sets up your California targets during signup, so the first day you teach is the first day that counts.

Common mistakes in California

• Missing the October 1 to 15 affidavit window

  The Private School Affidavit is filed online between October 1 and 15 each year. Outside that window the form is still available but you are filing late. Families starting mid-year often assume they file immediately rather than waiting for the window.

What this looks like in Homeschool Fox

Signed-in families can regenerate the California notice any year from details already on file, and Homeschool Fox reminds you before the deadline comes back around.

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.

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

More California guides

• California Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• 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.
• Homeschool Days Required in California The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in California The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• California Year End Report What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.