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Washington 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 Washington'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 Washington

File
A signed declaration of intent, every year. §
To
Superintendent of the school district where you live. §
By
September 15, or within two weeks of the start of a public school quarter, trimester or semester. §
Keep
The yearly test or assessment goes in the child's permanent records. Hours equal to private school hours: 1,000 a year for grades 1 to 12. §
Test
Every year: an approved standardized test, or a written assessment by a certificated person. §

The law's number: 1,000 hours. In its words: “1,000 hours for grades 1 through 12”. Your Record Book offers it as a target; it is never filled in for you.

Starting this year
  • By September 15 (or within two weeks of the start of a public school quarter, trimester or semester): File a signed declaration of intent with the superintendent of the district where you live.
  • Each year: A state-approved standardized achievement test given by a qualified person, or a written assessment by a certificated person working in education.
Already homeschooling
  • By September 15 (or within two weeks of the start of a public school quarter, trimester or semester): File a signed declaration of intent with the superintendent of the district where you live.
  • Each year: A state-approved standardized achievement test given by a qualified person, or a written assessment by a certificated person working in education.
Leaving a school mid-year

Any parent whose child moves to a public school must forward the test scores or assessment, immunization records and other records kept. The district may require a standardized achievement test and decides the child's grade and course placement after talking with the parents and reviewing the records.

Open your attendance recordStart the Tap Clock

What Washington's law asks you to keep, as tools: Hours log · Evaluation packet. The same rows for every state: what to file, by state.

Checked . § = source: RCW 28A.200.010, home-based instruction duties of parents (Washington Legislature). Information, not legal advice.

Quick answers

Notice
Notice every yearFile a signed declaration of intent every year. It gives each child's name and age and says whether a certificated person will supervise. File it by September 15 of the school year, or within two weeks of the start of any public school quarter, trimester or semester, with the superintendent of the school district where you live (or the district that accepts your transfer). OSPI has a sample format. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: RCW 28A.200.010, home-based instruction duties of parents (Washington Legislature), OSPI: Home-Based Instruction
Days or hours
HoursHome-based instruction must be provided for a number of hours equal to the annual program hours for approved private schools. The private school statute sets an annual average of 1,000 hours for grades 1 through 12 and at least 450 hours for kindergarten (or 180 school days or the equivalent). The home-based statute says these rules are to be liberally construed because home instruction is less structured. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: RCW 28A.225.010, attendance mandatory and home-based instruction (Washington Legislature), RCW 28A.195.010, private schools minimum requirements (Washington Legislature)
Subjects
The instruction includes a curriculum and instruction in the basic skills of occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing and spelling, and the development of an appreciation of art and music. Choice of books, materials, curriculum and methods is the parent's. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: RCW 28A.225.010, attendance mandatory and home-based instruction (Washington Legislature)
Testing or evaluation
A test or an evaluationEvery year, either have a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education given to the child by a qualified person, or have a certificated person who is working in education write an annual assessment of the child's academic progress. The result goes into the child's permanent records. If the child is not making reasonable progress, the parent must make a good faith effort to fix any deficiency. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: RCW 28A.200.010, home-based instruction duties of parents (Washington Legislature)
Records
The yearly test or assessment becomes part of the child's permanent records. If the child moves to another school, the parent makes sure the test scores or assessment, immunization records and any other records kept about the instruction go to the new school. We did not find a rule in the statute asking for other records. Checked October 27, 2026. Source: RCW 28A.200.010, home-based instruction duties of parents (Washington Legislature)
Who must attend school
Parents must send any child age eight and under eighteen to the public school of the district, unless an exemption applies. Approved private school and home-based instruction are two of the exemptions (RCW 28A.225.010). Source: RCW 28A.225.010, attendance mandatory and home-based instruction (Washington Legislature)
Education savings accounts and vouchers
No program foundWe did not find a state-funded education savings account or voucher open to homeschool families. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's page on Washington's education options lists alternative learning experiences, online learning, magnet schools, dual credit and other public options, but no ESA or voucher (checked 2026-10-27). Check OSPI's pages for changes. Source: OSPI: Washington's Education Options

What to do first

  1. Read Washington's own pages, linked under each row below, so you know what applies to your situation.
  2. Notice: By September 15, or within two weeks of the start of any school quarter, trimester or semester To: Superintendent of the school district where the parent lives.
  3. If your child is in school now: Any parent whose child moves to a public school must forward the test scores or assessment, immunization records and other records kept. The district may require a standardized achievement test and decides the child's grade and course placement after talking with the parents and reviewing the records.
  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.
  6. Put the testing or evaluation date on your calendar.

The state's own form or page: ospi.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/2023-08/2.pdf

Other legal routes in Washington

  • Approved private school or its extension program. A child may attend a private school approved by the state board of education, or be in an approved private school's extension program, where the parent teaches under the supervision of one of the school's certificated staff (RCW 28A.225.010, 28A.195.010).

Records to keep

The yearly test or assessment becomes part of the child's permanent records. If the child moves to another school, the parent makes sure the test scores or assessment, immunization records and any other records kept about the instruction go to the new school. We did not find a rule in the statute asking for other records. 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

  • Who may teach: the parent must be supervised by a certificated person who has a monthly average of one contact hour per week with the child, or have 45 college-level quarter credit hours (or equivalent semester hours), or have completed a home-based instruction course at a postsecondary or vocational-technical institute, or be deemed sufficiently qualified by the local district superintendent.
  • Not filing or not meeting the duties counts as the child failing to attend school without valid justification; a parent who meets them is presumed to be providing home-based instruction (RCW 28A.200.010).
  • Part-time public school: a home-based student may take courses at, or get ancillary services from, the local school district, and the district must permit enrollment as a part time student if the student would otherwise be eligible for full time enrollment (RCW 28A.150.350).
  • Home-based students are not required to meet state learning goals, learn the state learning standards, or take the state assessments.

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.