North Carolina homeschool checklist for this year

Answer two questions and get the year's deadlines with their dates, the notice, testing and records, each linked to the law. Print it or tick it off here.

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

Deadlines, forms and amounts checked on October 29, 2026 against the sources linked on this page.

North Carolina homeschool checklist, school year

Things to do, with their deadlines

At least five business days before you begin
File a Notice of Intent with the Division of Non-Public Education through its online portal (one per home school).
Source: DNPE: How to start a home school
Each school year
Give each student a nationally standardized test and keep the results for at least one year.
Source: DNPE: Standardized testing required for home schools

The state's own form: Notice of Intent (online portal, Division of Non-Public Education).

All year

All year
Keep annual attendance records and immunization records for each student, and keep the test results for at least one year. DNPE may ask to see them. DNPE recommends, but does not require, keeping a daily log and keeping records until the student graduates.
Source: DNPE: How to start a home school; DNPE: Standardized testing required for home schools

If you stop homeschooling

When you stop
Close the home school in the DNPE portal, or tell DNPE it is no longer operating.
Source: DNPE: How to start a home school

Good habits (not in the law)

Keep a copy of everything you send, and of any acknowledgement you get back, with the date.
Start simple records on day one: the days you teach, the books you read and a few samples of work in each subject. They help if you move, return to school or apply to college.

Dates shown are the next time each deadline comes round from today. Your ticks and answers stay in this browser; nothing is sent.

Where this comes from

NC General Statutes Chapter 115C, Article 39 (private and home schools) (the law)
NC General Statutes Chapter 115C, Article 41 (Personal Education Student Accounts) (the law)
G.S. 115C-378 (children required to attend) (the law)
DNPE: How to start a home school (state agency)
DNPE: Standardized testing required for home schools (state agency)
DNPE: Home school miscellaneous FAQs (state agency)
DNPE: Home schools (state agency)
NC State Education Assistance Authority: ESA+ new student application guide, January 2026 (PDF) (state agency)
NC State Education Assistance Authority: ESA+ for home schools, January 2025 (PDF) (state agency)

Checked on October 29, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and forms change; confirm a date with your school district or the state agency before you rely on it. For legal advice, ask a lawyer licensed in North Carolina; homeschool legal-help organizations and your state's homeschool groups can also point you to help. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.