State Requirements
Homeschooling in Maryland
Maryland has light but formal homeschool requirements with no mandated hour or day minimums, and you'll file notice with your local school district.
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The Maryland homeschool framework is built around a single, simple idea: let the state know you're homeschooling, then get on with it. The state's compulsory school-age band is 5-18. A child outside those ages isn't legally required to be in formal instruction at all.
With no statutory minimum for hours or school days, families in Maryland design a schedule that fits their household, whether that's year-round learning, a traditional school calendar, or a mix of the two. Many families aim for around 900 instructional hours per year as a self-imposed benchmark, even though the state doesn't mandate it.
The one paperwork moment each homeschool year in Maryland is the notice of intent filed with your local school district before (or soon after) teaching starts. Districts vary slightly in expected format, but the core contents (student name, grade, and a statement of intent) are the same everywhere in Maryland.
Maryland expects portfolio review annually, which gives families a checkpoint for measuring progress rather than a surprise at the end of the school year. In Maryland, the portfolio is what ties the school year together: work samples, an activity log, and evidence that the required subjects were actually taught, ready for an evaluator's review.
Instruction must cover english, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education, though families have wide latitude in how they teach each topic. Homeschool Fox was built to make the bookkeeping side of Maryland 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 5-18
Compulsory attendance
Flexible requirements
Maryland does not mandate specific hours or days.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
You must notify your local school district of your intent to homeschool.
Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft a Maryland-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
Moving a child from public school to homeschool in Maryland starts with a written withdrawal to the current school and a notice of intent to the local district. Together they put the new arrangement on record. Homeschool Fox can draft the withdrawal letter for you. It fills in the student, district, and date fields automatically.
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 is required
- Type:
- Portfolio review
- Frequency:
- Annually
Standardized testing for homeschoolers walks through which test to choose, where to register, and how to prep. If Maryland lets you choose between portfolio review and a test, homeschool portfolio reviews vs standardized tests covers when each option is the better call.
Portfolio & records
Portfolio is required
Under COMAR 13A.10.01, the portfolio includes materials used for instruction — texts and reading lists — plus student work samples such as writings, worksheets, creative projects, and assessments. It stays at home and is shown at the scheduled review.
Building a high-school transcript? Start with our free transcript template. Homeschool portfolio reviews vs standardized tests covers what evaluators actually look at and how to curate samples without drowning in worksheets.
Required subjects
Maryland requires instruction in the following subjects.
Umbrella schools
Maryland's homeschool regulations (COMAR 13A.10.01.01) give families a clean choice between two supervision models. Option one is local school system supervision: you file with the county superintendent and meet with a county reviewer up to three times a year for portfolio reviews. Option two is enrolling under an MSDE-approved nonpublic school umbrella, which conducts its own portfolio review in place of the county process.
Day to day you still teach your own child and pick your own curriculum. What changes is who handles the regulatory side: the umbrella school files its annual paperwork with MSDE and conducts the required portfolio reviews on its own schedule, often less rigorously than a county reviewer. Most umbrellas charge an annual enrollment fee and have their own portfolio standards, sample-submission cadence, and curriculum or testing expectations. MSDE publishes a list of approved umbrella programs; many Maryland families pick this path specifically to step out of county-level reviews.
Additional notes
Notify superintendent 15 days before starting. Portfolio may be reviewed up to 3 times per year. Regular and thorough instruction required. Four homeschool options available.
Calculate your Maryland hours
Maryland 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
Target
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hours per day
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hours per week
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 Maryland?
How many hours do I need to homeschool in Maryland?
Does Maryland require testing for homeschoolers?
Do I need to keep a portfolio in Maryland?
What subjects must I teach in Maryland?
Nearby states
View all statesWant the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
What we track
Build your Maryland portfolio in minutes
Log activities by voice or text and Homeschool Fox rolls them up against Maryland'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)
- Portfolio-ready records & PDFs
- Transcripts with GPA & credits
- Test scores & evaluations
- Notice of intent & withdrawal letters
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