District of Columbia Homeschool Letter of Intent

District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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. District of Columbia's range is 5-18.

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

Most District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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.

District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia expects you to track, starting the day you file saves you from backfilling months later. Homeschool Fox sets up your District of Columbia targets during signup, so the first day you teach is the first day that counts.

Common mistakes in District of Columbia

• Counting 15 business days as two weeks

  OSSE wants notice 15 business days before you start, which runs to three calendar weeks once weekends land in the middle. Families who count on a calendar rather than a work week file late.

• The continuation notice is its own filing

  The initial notice is not the end of it. DC wants a continuation notice by August 15 each year you keep homeschooling. Missing it is the single most common DC filing gap.

What this looks like in Homeschool Fox

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

Free District of Columbia printables

Two ready-to-use PDFs for District of Columbia homeschoolers. No account needed.

Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for District of Columbia

Everything District of Columbia expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Required hours or days
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More District of Columbia guides

• District of Columbia Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• How to Start Homeschooling in District of Columbia A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
• Homeschooling High School in District of Columbia Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in District of Columbia What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in District of Columbia The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to District of Columbia What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in District of Columbia Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Required Subjects in District of Columbia The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• District of Columbia Year End Report What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• District of Columbia Homeschool Portfolio What belongs in it, who can ask to see it, and a printable checklist.
• Homeschool Testing in District of Columbia What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.