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⚖️ Mississippi Homeschool Laws & Requirements

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

Homeschooling in Mississippi: the basics

Who must file: the parent, legal guardian or custodian of a compulsory-school-age child taught at home. Compulsory school age runs from 6 on or before September 1 until 17 on or before September 1 of the calendar year (37-13-91(2)(f)).
What to file: MDE's Certificate of Enrollment (revised September 17, 2026), one for each child, every school year. The law limits it to the child's name, address, phone and date of birth, the parent's name, address and phone, the school district where the child lives, a simple description of the education the child is receiving, and the signature and date. The form has boxes for home instruction and for home instruction through an online program.
When: on or before August 15 each year. SB 2103 (2026), approved April 8, 2026 and in effect since July 1, 2026, moved the deadline up from September 15. If a school attendance officer finds you out of compliance, you have 10 days after written notice to comply.
Where: to the school attendance officer for the district where the child lives. MDE also accepts the completed form by email at homeschool@mdek12.org. Keep a copy for your records. Under State Board Rule 30.7, only MDE's attendance office hands out and collects certificates, and school district staff can't fill one out for you.
Timing for a new school year: MDE's page says you must wait until the current school year has ended before enrolling a child in home school for the upcoming year.
Leaving a public school midyear: the law lets a child who was enrolled in a public school move later to a legitimate home instruction program, as long as the parent sends the certificate of enrollment to the attendance officer at that time.
Proof of enrollment: MDE's School Attendance Officer Procedures (June 16, 2026) say officers send a Verification of Compliance form to the child's former school within two weeks of receiving the certificate, and give one to homeschool parents on request. That document adds "with appropriate justification," which HSLDA says is not in the law.
Older students: under Rule 30.7, a certificate for a student past compulsory school age is accepted only if the student was already in a home instruction program before passing that age. A student who is past compulsory age can't register for home instruction for the first time.
No testing, curriculum approval or teacher qualifications. MDE recommends reviewing the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards so a return to public school goes smoothly, keeping a portfolio of each child's work with a log of books and materials and any national test results, and checking early with colleges about their admission requirements.
Returning to school: the public school decides grade placement and which credits to accept, so good records matter. Check your district's policy before you enroll.
Special education: every district must locate, identify and evaluate children with disabilities (Child Find), and the ESA law says nothing in it negates federal law requiring districts to identify and serve students with disabilities in nonpublic schools or home instruction programs (37-181-3(l)). Children placed by their parents outside public school have no individual right to the full services a public school student would get. Any services come through a services plan and a limited share of federal funds. Ask your district's special education director what it offers home-instructed children.

Read the full section in our Mississippi guide

Official sources

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

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