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State Requirements

Homeschooling in Delaware

Flexible hours Notice required

Delaware has light but formal homeschool requirements with no mandated hour or day minimums, and you'll file notice with the state Department of Education.

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Homeschool families in Delaware operate with broad freedom, with the main formality being an annual or one-time notice filed with the appropriate office. Compulsory attendance in Delaware covers children ages 5-16, which means a homeschool program needs to be in place for any child in that range.

Delaware is one of the rare states where the schedule is entirely up to the family. Some households lean into year-round learning at a relaxed pace; others keep a traditional September-through-May calendar. A personal target of around 900 hours a year gives parents a useful anchor without any legal pressure.

Notice filing is the gateway for Delaware homeschool families: a short document submitted to the state Department of Education sets the record straight for the year ahead. Because notice goes to the state rather than the district, families don't have to coordinate separately with their local school office.

Homeschool Fox was built to make the bookkeeping side of Delaware homeschooling invisible. Log the day in plain English or by voice, and the hours, attendance, and subject coverage roll up automatically into the reports families need at evaluation time or the end of the year.

At a glance

Ages 5-16

Compulsory attendance

Flexible requirements

Delaware does not mandate specific hours or days.

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 Delaware-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 intent

Withdrawing from public school

In Delaware, the withdrawal step is tied to a state-level filing. Send a written withdrawal letter to your child's current school and file a notice of intent with the state Department of Education before you begin homeschool instruction. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

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

Delaware does not require standardized testing or formal assessment.

Portfolio & records

Portfolio not required

While Delaware doesn't mandate a portfolio, keeping records is still recommended.

Additional notes

Register with DOE when opening homeschool. Annual enrollment report due Oct 5, attendance report due Jul 31. Three options available.

Calculate your Delaware hours

Delaware doesn't mandate a minimum. Use 900 hours/year as a general guide to stay on pace.

Leave at 0 if you haven't started tracking yet

Enter an end date to see your targets

Prefer a full-page version? Open the standalone hours calculator.

Sources

Verified May 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to notify anyone to homeschool in Delaware?
Yes, Delaware requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify the state Department of Education.

How many hours do I need to homeschool in Delaware?
Delaware does not mandate a specific number of instructional hours. Families have flexibility in determining their own schedule and pace of learning.

Does Delaware require testing for homeschoolers?
No, Delaware does not require standardized testing or formal assessments for homeschooled students. However, many families choose to use assessments voluntarily to track progress.

Do I need to keep a portfolio in Delaware?
No, Delaware does not legally require you to maintain a portfolio. However, keeping records of your homeschool activities is still highly recommended for your own reference and for potential college applications or if you ever need to demonstrate educational progress.

What subjects must I teach in Delaware?
Delaware does not mandate specific subjects. Families have complete flexibility in designing their curriculum and choosing what to teach.

Nearby states

View all states

Want the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.

What we track

Stay compliant in Delaware without spreadsheets

Log activities by voice or text and Homeschool Fox rolls them up against Delaware's requirements automatically. Free for 14 days.

  • Instruction hours per student
  • Attendance days logged
  • Subject coverage (core & non-core)
  • Activity log (text, voice, AI-parsed)
  • Portfolios & PDF year-end reports
  • Transcripts with GPA & credits
  • Test scores & evaluations
  • Notice of intent & withdrawal letters
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