Maryland Homeschool Laws and Requirements
What Maryland 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
Maryland has light but formal homeschool requirements with no mandated hour or day minimums, and you'll file notice with your local school district.
Maryland at a glance
Verified September 2026- Required hours
- No state minimum
- Required subjects
- 8 subjects
- Notice
- Required each year
- Testing / evaluation
- Portfolio review
- Portfolio
- Required
Jump to the full Maryland requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.
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Maryland 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 Maryland
The records Maryland asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Required subjects
- Portfolio records
- Portfolio review
- 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 Maryland 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 Maryland requirements, in plain English
Tap any item for the details.
Notice requirements
Required
Required hours
Flexible
Required subjects
8 subjects
Testing / evaluation
Required
Recordkeeping & portfolio
Portfolio required
Withdrawing from public school
Letter + notice
Full guide
Homeschooling in Maryland: the complete guide
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.
Each homeschool year in Maryland begins with a notice of intent filed with your local school district, on the schedule the withdrawal section below sets out. Read the required contents before drafting, since Maryland sets them. The withdrawal section below covers the form and where it goes.
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 ties the school year together: work samples and evidence that you taught the required subjects.
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 add up on their own, ready to print whenever you need them.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
Yes, Maryland requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district. The notice is filed again each school year.
Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft your Maryland filing, then check the withdrawal section below for the form or affidavit Maryland 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
If your child is enrolled in a Maryland public school, file the home-instruction notification with the county superintendent at least 15 days before you begin. You file it even under a supervising nonpublic school, since COMAR 13A.10.01.05A keeps that requirement in force. Then notify the current school so attendance reflects the change. Keep a copy. Portfolio reviews follow on the county's schedule, or your supervising school's conferences and progress reports instead. Before each school year after the first, verify with your superintendent or supervising school that you're continuing.
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.
Looking for curriculum?
Browse our curriculum directory to find the right fit for your family, then log the year in Homeschool Fox.
Umbrella schools
Maryland's homeschool regulations (COMAR 13A.10.01.01) give families four supervision routes. The first is local school system supervision: you file with the county superintendent and have a county reviewer look over your portfolio at the end of each semester, with no more than three reviews a year. The other three put you under a supervising nonpublic school or institution instead: an MSDE-approved nonpublic school, a church-exempt nonpublic school, or a bona fide church organization's education ministry. Under all four you still file the MSDE notification with your county superintendent, because COMAR 13A.10.01.05A keeps that filing in force.
Day to day you still teach your own child and pick your own curriculum. What changes is who handles the regulatory side: the supervising school verifies its list of home-instruction students with your local superintendent each year (COMAR 13A.10.01.05C), and COMAR asks it for conferences and progress reports rather than the county's portfolio reviews. 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 the superintendent 15 days before starting, then verify each year before the school year begins that you're continuing. The county reviews the portfolio at the end of each semester, with no more than three reviews in a school year. Regular and thorough instruction required. Four homeschool options available.
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 statesHow Maryland compares
Nine rules side by side with the states families move between most, and what changes in each direction.
- Maryland vs Delaware (5 rules differ)
- Maryland vs District of Columbia (3 rules differ)
- Maryland vs Florida (4 rules differ)
- Maryland vs Pennsylvania (4 rules differ)
- Maryland vs Virginia (3 rules differ)
- Maryland vs West Virginia (5 rules differ)
Want the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
Common mistakes in Maryland
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Not comparing the umbrella options
Maryland's four paths change who reviews your portfolio, and an umbrella program can move the review out of the district entirely. That is worth comparing before your first review rather than after.
Free Maryland printables
Three ready-to-use PDFs for Maryland homeschoolers. No account needed.
Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.
Get notified when Maryland changes its rules
We track Maryland's statute and department pages and email you when the requirements move. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Maryland last verified September 25, 2026.
Reviewed and sourced
Last verified: September 2026. We review Maryland'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 Maryland guides
Maryland in context: one of 16 states that require testing or evaluation · one of 36 states that require notice · one of 6 states that require a portfolio · one of 31 states that name required subjects.
- How to Start Homeschooling in Maryland A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
- Homeschooling High School in Maryland Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
- Record Keeping in Maryland What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
- How to Withdraw From School in Maryland The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
- Moving to Maryland What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
- Required Subjects in Maryland The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
- Maryland Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
- Maryland Homeschool Portfolio What belongs in it, who can ask to see it, and a printable checklist.
- Homeschool Testing in Maryland What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.
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