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Homeschooling in North Carolina: the DNPE notice, attendance, the yearly test

North Carolina asks for one notice, a few records and a test every year. Here is each, from the statute and the Division of Non-Public Education.

To homeschool in North Carolina, file a Notice of Intent with the Division of Non-Public Education online at least five business days before you begin, run a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months, keep attendance and immunization records, and give a nationally standardized test every year, according to G.S. 115C Article 39 and DNPE. There is no minimum score.

Checked October 27, 2026.

By Peabody editors.

This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.

What do I file, with whom, and by when?

From the box on the [North Carolina page](/north-carolina), read against the record checked October 27, 2026.
LineNorth Carolina
FileA Notice of Intent, once per home school (not per child), through the DNPE online portal.
ToDivision of Non-Public Education (DNPE), NC Department of Administration.
ByAt least five business days before you begin. DNPE takes no notices in May or June.
KeepAnnual attendance and immunization records for each student, and test results for at least one year.
TestA nationally standardized test every year: English grammar, reading, spelling and math. No minimum score.

What does the Notice of Intent ask for?

The school's name and address, the chief administrator's name, and proof that the teacher has a high school diploma or its equivalent. One notice covers the whole home school. DNPE says not to withdraw your child from school or start until it has acknowledged your notice, and to tell it when the school closes.

How many days or hours?

The law sets no number. A home school must run on a regular schedule, apart from reasonable holidays and vacations, for at least nine calendar months of the year. DNPE recommends, but does not require, five hours of instruction a day.

Which test, and what happens to the score?

Each year the chief administrator gives every student a nationally standardized test, or an equivalent measure, covering English grammar, reading, spelling and math. DNPE's testing page says there is no minimum score; results stay in your files for at least a year and are shown to DNPE if it asks. The state does not provide or pay for the test. See standardized tests compared.

Who may teach, and who counts as one home school?

The person teaching needs at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. A home school is made up of the children of not more than two families or households. The immunization law still applies.

What else changed or is worth knowing?

  • DNPE says the Driving Eligibility Certificate requirement for teen drivers was eliminated effective October 1, 2026, citing S.L. 2026-46.
  • No state law gives homeschooled students a right to public school classes or activities; each school decides (DNPE FAQ).
  • Homeschooled students may take the PSAT/NMSQT or PreACT at their assigned public school, paying the cost.

Keep the attendance record

North Carolina is one of the states where attendance is a record the law names. Peabody's attendance record is a tap-a-day month grid with totals, CSV and a signed print sheet, kept on your device. Add the test results to the evaluation pack so the year sits in one folder.

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