State Requirements
Homeschooling in Washington
Washington has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must log at least 1000 hours of instruction per year, and you'll file notice with your local school district.
Try free for 14 days
Track your 1000 Washington hours automatically
Log activities by voice or text and Homeschool Fox keeps you compliant with Washington's requirements automatically.
No credit card required.
If you're homeschooling in Washington, you're working inside a moderately regulated framework with enough structure to keep the state informed but plenty of room to build a family-shaped program. Compulsory attendance in Washington covers children ages 8-18, which means a homeschool program needs to be in place for any child in that range.
A Washington homeschool year is defined by a single headline number: 1000 hours of instruction spread over at least 180 school days. Whether those hours happen at the kitchen table, in a co-op, on a nature walk, or through a structured curriculum is entirely up to the family.
Notice filing is the gateway for Washington homeschool families: a short document submitted to your local school district sets the record straight for the year ahead. Most districts accept a straightforward letter listing each student, their grade level, and a brief statement of intent.
Assessment in Washington takes the form of parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation) annually. It's more of a pulse-check on how learning is landing than a pass/fail exam.
The required subjects in Washington (reading, writing, spelling, language, math, science, social studies, history, health, occupational education, art, and music) form the backbone of each year's plan, with real freedom in how deeply or creatively each is taught. In practice, Washington homeschool families use Homeschool Fox to log daily activities, keep portfolios in one place, and generate the compliance reports that the state's paperwork moments call for.
At a glance
1000 hours/year
Instruction time
180 days/year
School days
Ages 8-18
Compulsory attendance
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 Washington-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
To withdraw your child from public school in Washington, send a written withdrawal letter to the principal or registrar, then file a notice of intent with your local school district so the transition is on record before instruction begins. 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 is required
- Type:
- Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)
- Frequency:
- Annually
Standardized testing for homeschoolers walks through which test to choose, where to register, and how to prep.
Portfolio & records
Portfolio not required
Under RCW 28A.200.020, each year's assessment becomes part of the child's permanent record kept at home. Washington doesn't require a specific portfolio format beyond that.
Required subjects
Washington requires instruction in the following subjects.
Additional notes
1000 hours or 180 days (grades 1-12). Declaration of intent by Sept 15 or within 2 weeks of any quarter. Annual assessment via standardized test or certified evaluator.
Calculate your Washington hours
Washington requires 1000 hours/year. Enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.
Leave at 0 if you haven't started tracking yet
Enter an end date to see your targets
Target
—
hours per day
—
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 Washington?
How many hours do I need to homeschool in Washington?
Does Washington require testing for homeschoolers?
Do I need to keep a portfolio in Washington?
What subjects must I teach in Washington?
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
Track your 1000 Washington hours automatically
Log activities by voice or text and Homeschool Fox rolls them up against Washington's requirements automatically. Free for 14 days.
- Hours toward 1000-hour goal
- Attendance days toward 180-day goal
- 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
14-day free trial. No credit card required.