Washington Homeschool Laws and Requirements
What Washington 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
Washington has moderate homeschool requirements. Families meet either 1000 hours of instruction or 180 school days, and you'll file notice with your local school district.
Washington at a glance
Verified September 2026- Required hours
- 1000 hrs/year
- School days (either/or)
- 180 days/year
- Required subjects
- 12 subjects
- Notice
- Required each year
- Testing / evaluation
- Parent's choice (testing or evaluation)
- Recordkeeping
- Required
Jump to the full Washington requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.
Free tool
Calculate your homeschool pace
Washington accepts 1000 hours or 180 days. If you are counting hours, 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.
Add your school year end date to see your pace.
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What Homeschool Fox tracks for Washington
The records Washington asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Hours toward your 1000-hour goal
- Required subjects
- Days attended
- The records Washington asks you to keep
- Parent's choice (testing or evaluation)
- Daily activity logs
- Printable PDF reports
- Progress tracking
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 Washington 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 Washington requirements, in plain English
Tap any item for the details.
Notice requirements
Required
Required hours
1000 hrs/yr
Required subjects
12 subjects
Testing / evaluation
Required
Recordkeeping & portfolio
Records required
Withdrawing from public school
Letter + notice
Full guide
Homeschooling in Washington: the complete guide
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. The homeschool rules can start or stop at different ages, and the requirements below say when.
A Washington homeschool year is defined by a single headline number: 1000 hours of instruction, or 180 school days instead. 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. Check what Washington asks the notice to contain before you send it. The contents are set by the state rather than by local preference, and the withdrawal section below names the form Washington expects.
Assessment in Washington takes the form of parent's choice of assessment 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 work samples in one place, and print a record of the year when they want one.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
Yes, Washington 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 Washington filing, then check the withdrawal section below for the form or affidavit Washington 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
File your declaration of intent with your local school district by September 15, or within two weeks of the start of any quarter, and notify your child's current school in writing so attendance records show the transfer. Keep a copy. To sign the declaration you must meet one of Washington's parent-qualification options: 45 college quarter credits, a qualifying parent-education course, approval by the superintendent, or working with a certified teacher who contacts the child weekly.
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 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.200.010(1)(c), each year's standardized test or written assessment becomes part of the child's permanent records, and (1)(b) has you forward those records if your child transfers to another school. Washington requires no portfolio beyond that.
Required subjects
Washington 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.
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.
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 statesHow Washington compares
Nine rules side by side with the states families move between most, and what changes in each direction.
- Washington vs Arizona (7 rules differ)
- Washington vs California (6 rules differ)
- Washington vs Idaho (5 rules differ)
- Washington vs Oregon (5 rules differ)
- Washington vs Texas (6 rules differ)
Want the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
Common mistakes in Washington
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Overlooking the parent qualification rule
Washington asks the supervising parent to meet one of a few qualifications: 45 college quarter credits, completion of a parent qualifying course, supervision by a certified teacher, or district superintendent approval. It is the requirement families most often discover after they have already filed.
Free Washington printables
Three ready-to-use PDFs for Washington homeschoolers. No account needed.
Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.
Get notified when Washington changes its rules
We track Washington's statute and department pages and email you when the requirements move. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Washington last verified September 25, 2026.
Reviewed and sourced
Last verified: September 2026. We review Washington'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 Washington guides
Washington in context: one of 19 states that require hours or days · one of 16 states that require testing or evaluation · one of 36 states that require notice · one of 31 states that name required subjects.
- How to Start Homeschooling in Washington A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
- Homeschooling High School in Washington Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
- Record Keeping in Washington What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
- How to Withdraw From School in Washington The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
- Moving to Washington What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
- Public School Sports in Washington Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
- Homeschool Hours Required in Washington The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
- Required Subjects in Washington The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
- Washington Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
- Homeschool Testing in Washington What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.
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