Virginia homeschool requirements
Overview
Virginia parents who meet one of four qualification options notify the division superintendent every August with a list of subjects and evidence of qualification, then provide evidence of progress by August 1 of the following year.
Legal pathway: Home instruction under Va. Code 22.1-254.1 (a religious-exemption path also exists under 22.1-254).
Notification and registration
Annually notify the division superintendent in August (no later than August 15) of your intent to provide home instruction, with a description of the curriculum limited to a list of subjects to be studied that year, and evidence you meet one of the qualification criteria. If you begin after the school year starts or move into a division, notify as soon as practicable and comply within 30 days of notice.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Annual notice of intent + subject list + qualification evidence | In August, no later than August 15 |
| Evidence of progress for the prior year | By August 1 following the school year |
Who may teach: A parent may teach if he or she (i) holds a high school diploma; (ii) is a teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board; (iii) provides a program of study or curriculum, which may be a correspondence or distance-learning program; or (iv) provides evidence of ability to provide an adequate education.
Ages: Children who have reached age 5 by September 30 and have not passed age 18 may be home instructed; the progress-evidence requirement does not apply to children under 6 as of September 30.
Required subjects
- No state-mandated subject list: You must list the subjects you plan to study in your annual notice; the statute does not prescribe which subjects.
How our subjects line up
MathematicsNot listed
No mandated subjects in 22.1-254.1; you list your subjects in your notice.
English Language Arts (Reading & Writing)Not listed
No mandated subjects in 22.1-254.1; you list your subjects in your notice.
ScienceNot listed
No mandated subjects in 22.1-254.1; you list your subjects in your notice.
History & Social StudiesNot listed
No mandated subjects in 22.1-254.1; you list your subjects in your notice.
Spanish (world language)Not listed
The required subjects this guide lists for Virginia do not include a world language. Spanish is an elective here; it can still count toward a broad, balanced program.
English as a Second LanguageNot listed
This guide does not list an English or language-arts requirement for Virginia. ESL is an elective that builds English skills.
Instruction time: No minimum days or hours stated in 22.1-254.1.
Testing and assessment
Evidence of progress is due each year by August 1 (for the school year just finished).
- Option 1: a composite score at or above the 4th stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test, or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT or PSAT.
- Option 2: an evaluation or assessment the division superintendent determines shows adequate educational growth and progress, including an evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state or with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, or a report card/transcript from a higher-education institution, college distance-learning program or home-education correspondence school.
- If evidence is not provided, the program may be placed on probation for one year with a remediation plan; if still not provided by the following August 1, home instruction must cease.
Record-keeping
The statute does not set an attendance or portfolio requirement beyond the notice and progress evidence.
- Keep copies of your annual notice and the evidence you submitted.
- School boards must make AP, PSAT/NMSQT and PreACT exams available to home-instructed students and set registration deadlines (22.1-254.1(F)).
- Information you provide cannot be disclosed outside the division without written consent (22.1-254.1(G)).
Virginia homeschool checklist
Guidance only. Last verified 2026-10-26. Verify each step with the official sources below.
Notes and limits of this guide
- VDOE's home instruction page was not retrieved; this guide is based on the statute text from the Virginia Law Library.
Official sources
Last verified 2026-10-26. Always check these pages for the current rules.