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⚖️ California Homeschool Laws & Requirements

What California law asks of homeschool families — notice or registration, school days and subjects, testing, records and diplomas — summarized from our California guide with links to the official sources.

Four ways to homeschool in California

California law requires children from 6 to 18 to attend public school unless an exemption applies (EC 48200). CDE lists the ways families school at home: through a public charter school, through a public school independent study program, through an existing private school that offers independent study, by setting up a home-based private school, or with a credentialed tutor.

Home-based private school: the parent files the annual Private School Affidavit with CDE and runs the home as a small private school. The family chooses and pays for all curriculum, and there is no state funding.

Private school satellite program (PSP): a private school that enrolls home-educated students. The PSP files the affidavit as the school. CDE lists PSPs among the schools that must file the affidavit. Families pay any PSP fees.

Credentialed tutor: a child is exempt if taught by a person holding a valid California credential for the grade taught, at least three hours a day for 175 days each calendar year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., in English and in the subjects public schools teach (EC 48224). No affidavit is needed for this option.

Public independent study: a charter school or district enrolls the child, a credentialed teacher supervises the work, and the child learns mainly at home. This is public school, not private homeschooling under California law, and it is the only route that comes with public money for materials and classes.

Read the full section in our California guide

Homeschooling in California: the basics

File the Private School Affidavit every year. Anyone conducting private school instruction, including a parent running a home school, must file it with CDE, under penalty of perjury (EC 33190). The legal filing period is October 1–15. CDE's online system is open August 1 to June 30 so new homeschools can file mid-year. Schools started in July wait until the system opens in August.
The affidavit is a registration, not an approval. Filing doesn't mean the state has evaluated, approved or licensed your school, and it is unlawful to claim otherwise (EC 33190). Information for schools with fewer than six students isn't published in CDE's directories, and addresses are redacted if it is released under a records request.
The district's role: parents don't report to their school district. The district's attendance supervisor verifies that the affidavit was filed before the exemption is valid (EC 48222), usually by asking for a copy when you withdraw from public school. You can enroll your child in public school at any time.
What to teach: instruction must be in English and cover the branches of study taught in public schools. These are listed in EC 51210 for grades 1–6 and EC 51220 for grades 7–12. There is no required curriculum and no state testing for private schools.
Records to keep: an attendance register showing every absence of half a day or more, the courses of study offered, and the names, addresses and educational qualifications of the teachers (EC 33190, 48222). CDE also recommends keeping copies of each affidavit and individual student records.
Background checks: private schools must fingerprint employees who have contact with students (EC 44237), but this does not apply to a parent working only with their own children.
Diplomas: there are no state graduation requirements for private schools. The parent issues the diploma and transcript. A public school sets its own policy for placing a returning student and accepting credits. CDE points to the GED and the California Proficiency Program as diploma alternatives.
Immunizations: according to CDE, students in a home-based private school or in an independent study program with no classroom-based instruction are not required to show immunizations for school entry.

Read the full section in our California guide

Articles for California families

California's Four Legal Ways to Homeschool, Compared: Affidavit, PSP, Credentialed Tutor or Charter
California has no ESA, voucher or tax-credit scholarship. What it has is four legal routes to teaching at home: filing the Private School Affidavit, joining a private school satellite program, using…

Official sources

Summarized from our California guide (as of October 2026) and articles. Rules change — confirm on the official pages before you act.

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