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Indiana homeschool law

Notice, days or hours, subjects, testing and records, in plain words, with the source for each.

This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and Indiana's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.

Checked on against the sources linked on this page.

What to file in Indiana

File
Nothing required. Reporting enrollment to the department is optional. Leaving a school? Tell the principal in writing. §
To
Optional: Indiana Department of Education. Leaving: the current school's principal. §
By
No date. §
Keep
Attendance records, no special form; the superintendent may ask for copies. 180 days of instruction. §
Test
None required. §

The law's number: 180 days. In its words: “180 days of instruction”. Your Record Book offers it as a target; it is never filled in for you.

Leaving a school mid-year
  • When you take your child out: Tell your child's current principal in writing that you are withdrawing your child to homeschool.
  • If your child has been enrolled in high school: Sign the Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Non-public School Located in Indiana form; without it the student is treated as a dropout.

Tell the child's current principal in writing that you are withdrawing the child to homeschool, and ask for a copy of the child's public school records. If the student has been enrolled in high school, the parent must sign the Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Non-public School Located in Indiana form; without it the student is considered a dropout and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will revoke or refuse a learner's permit or driver's license.

Open your attendance recordStart the Tap Clock, if you want to

What Indiana's law asks you to keep, as tools: Attendance. The same rows for every state: what to file, by state.

Checked . § = source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Information; Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Help Sheet. Information, not legal advice.

Quick answers

Notice
Notice is optionalNot required. The Department of Education says parents may report their homeschool's enrollment to it, but reporting (registering a homeschool) is not required in Indiana. You do not need a homeschool number before you begin. If your child is in a public school, tell the principal in writing that you are withdrawing the child to homeschool. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Information
Days or hours
Days180 days of instruction. The Department says you decide which days your school will be in session and how long to teach each day. For a mid-year transfer, days attended at the first school count toward the 180. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Help Sheet
Subjects
The law names no required subjects. State law exempts home schools from the curriculum and program requirements public schools must follow, and the Department says there is no state-approved curriculum or textbook; the parent decides what to teach. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Help Sheet
Testing or evaluation
No testing requiredState law does not require state testing or any other testing for children in homeschools. The Department recommends periodic standardized achievement testing, and a homeschooled child may take state standardized tests if enrolled in a particular program or initiative offered by a public or accredited nonpublic school. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Help Sheet
Records
Keep attendance records. There is no special form. The law lets the local public school superintendent and the State Attendance Officer ask for copies to verify attendance. The Department says that if educational neglect is ever questioned, good attendance records and other documentation of ongoing educational activity help. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Help Sheet
Who must attend school
The Department of Education says a child attending a nonaccredited, nonpublic school (which includes a homeschool) must be in school at age 7. Under the Indiana Code the duty ends at graduation or age 18 (IC 20-33-2-6). Kindergarten is not mandatory. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Homeschool Information
Education savings accounts and vouchers
A program exists, and taking the money changes your homeschool statusIndiana's Education Scholarship Account (ESA) is a statewide program for students with disabilities and their siblings: up to $20,000 a year for a student with a disability and up to $8,000 for a sibling. The Treasurer of State's page says homeschoolers who meet the requirements may apply, and that a student who is accepted and enrolled is no longer considered an independent homeschooler. From 2026-27 the Indiana Department of Education runs the program. The Choice Scholarship pays tuition at participating schools. Indiana Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program. What taking the money changes, in full. Source: Indiana Department of Education: Education Scholarship Account program, Indiana Treasurer of State: INESA parent page, Indiana Treasurer of State: INESA

What to do first

  1. Read Indiana's own pages, linked under each row below, so you know what applies to your situation.
  2. Notice: it is optional. Read the notice row below before you decide.
  3. If your child is in school now: Tell the child's current principal in writing that you are withdrawing the child to homeschool, and ask for a copy of the child's public school records. If the student has been enrolled in high school, the parent must sign the Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Non-public School Located in Indiana form; without it the student is considered a dropout and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will revoke or refuse a learner's permit or driver's license.
  4. Plan the year around the days or hours and the subjects below.
  5. Start your records on day one: a simple attendance log, a list of books read and a work sample or two for each subject.

The state's own form or page: in.gov/doe/students/homeschool-information

Records to keep

Keep attendance records. There is no special form. The law lets the local public school superintendent and the State Attendance Officer ask for copies to verify attendance. The Department says that if educational neglect is ever questioned, good attendance records and other documentation of ongoing educational activity help. Whatever the law asks, many families also keep a simple attendance log, a list of books read and a few work samples for each subject; they cost nothing and help if you move or return to school.

Good to know

  • Equivalence: the Department's help sheet lists 'instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools' among homeschool requirements, and says state law does not define equivalency for nonaccredited nonpublic schools.
  • Part-time classes: a student at a nonpublic, nonaccredited school may enroll in a particular program offered by an accredited school if that school's governing body or administrator approves (IC 20-33-2-12).
  • Sports and activities: participation in public school extracurricular activities and sports is the public school's local decision. The IHSAA criteria for homeschoolers include having been homeschooled for the previous three consecutive years and enrolling in the school for at least one class per day.
  • Homeschooled students do not receive a diploma from the local public school or the Indiana Department of Education. Under Indiana law, students in nonaccredited nonpublic schools (including homeschools) are not eligible for the 21st Century Scholars program.
  • When a homeschooled child returns to public school, the school decides placement and which credits to accept; parents may give test results, attendance records and curriculum information.

Where this comes from

Checked on October 27, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page, and confirm with your school district or the department before you rely on a date. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.