My Learning Source Ohio › Homeschooling in Ohio › How to start

🚀 How to Start Homeschooling in Ohio

The first steps for a Ohio family starting to homeschool: what to file, how to leave a public school, and where to find co-ops, classes and help — drawn from our Ohio guide and articles.

What Ohio offers homeschool families, and what it doesn't

Ohio asks very little of homeschool families. You send a notice to your district superintendent each year and teach the six required subjects. Nobody approves your curriculum, and there is no testing, portfolio review or hours requirement. DEW says parents who home educate are completely responsible for choosing the curriculum and course of study, and that there is no state financial assistance for families who choose home education.

Read the full section in our Ohio guide

Homeschooling in Ohio: the basics

The law: Ohio's home education law is ORC 3321.042, rewritten by House Bill 33 (effective October 3, 2023). "Home education" means education directed by a child's parent for a child between 6 and 18. It doesn't include a child enrolled full time in a public or chartered nonpublic school. The section is not subject to DEW rules, and the old home education rules in Ohio Administrative Code chapter 3301-34 are no longer on the books.
Compulsory age: 6 to 18 (ORC 3321.01). A child under 6 who has been enrolled in kindergarten also counts as compulsory school age unless the parent formally withdraws the child from kindergarten.
When to send the notice: within five calendar days after you start home education, move into a new school district, or withdraw your child from a public or nonpublic school, and by August 30 each year after. Send it to the superintendent of your school district of residence. DEW warns that failing to notify the district may result in truancy.
What goes in it: the parent's name and address, the child's name, and an assurance that the child will be taught English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government and social studies. DEW's superintendent guidance also lists the parent's signature. DEW posts a recommended notification form in English and Spanish; you don't have to use it. Districts may not request or require anything the law doesn't list.
What happens next: the exemption from school attendance takes effect as soon as the superintendent receives the notice. The superintendent must give you a written acknowledgment within 14 calendar days. Keep every year's acknowledgment letter. You'll need it for College Credit Plus funding, Ohio State's homeschool admission requirement and, for the final year, to accompany the diploma you issue.
What isn't required: approval, standardized testing, a portfolio, a set number of days or hours, or teaching credentials. If there is evidence a child isn't receiving an education in the required subjects, the child may be subject to the truancy law (ORC 3321.19).
Records: Ohio law doesn't require you to keep attendance or grade records. It is still wise to keep a course list, samples of work, grades and the acknowledgment letters. You'll write your own transcript, and returning College Credit Plus students must upload grades or college transcripts.
Online schools aren't home education: Ohio online schools (e-schools) are public community schools or district-run programs, so students in them are public school students. If your child is enrolled in an online school based in another state, you don't send a home education notice. You tell your district your child attends an out-of-state school, and the child is subject to that state's testing and graduation rules.
Diplomas: the parent issues the diploma. Under ORC 3313.6110, a person who completes the final year of home education and the high school curriculum may be granted a diploma by the parent or guardian. It serves as proof of completing high school for any legal requirement, and for job applications regardless of state testing. The current law also lets the parent add a state seal of biliteracy, an OhioMeansJobs-readiness seal or another state diploma seal. DEW doesn't supply a template. It suggests sending the superintendent's acknowledgment for the final year of home education along with the diploma when applying for college or a job.
Returning to school: a child who enrolls in public school after home education must be placed in the appropriate grade level, without discrimination or prejudice, based on the district's policies (ORC 3321.042(D)).
Questions: DEW's home education contact is HomeEdRules@education.ohio.gov, 614-728-2678 or 877-644-6338.

Read the full section in our Ohio guide

Official sources

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

More for Ohio homeschool families

Loading the full Ohio site… If it does not appear, everything on this page is readable above.