Homeschool Requirements in Florida
Florida homeschooling runs through your county school district, not the state. You file one notice when you start, keep a simple portfolio, and do one evaluation a year. Here's each step, in plain English.
Homeschool mom of two and co-founder of Packet Day
✓ Last verified against the Florida Statutes and fldoe.org
The short answer ⚡
Yes, you file paperwork with your county, not the state. Send a notice of intent to your district superintendent within 30 days of starting, keep a portfolio for 2 years, and file one evaluation a year.
Florida at a glance 📋
- Notify the district
- Yes
- A notice of intent to your county superintendent within 30 days of starting
- Records
- Yes
- A portfolio (activity log plus work samples), kept 2 years
- Annual evaluation
- Yes
- One of five methods, due once a year from your letter of intent date
- Teaching certificate
- Not required
- Florida law says parents don't need one
- School day rules
- Excluded
- Home education is excluded from school day requirements
Pick your path 🛤️
Florida law lists several ways to meet school attendance. Here are the options beyond your local public school:
| Path | Who you notify | Records | Oversight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home education program | Who you notifyYour county superintendent, within 30 days | RecordsA portfolio you keep for 2 years | OversightAn annual evaluation filed with the district |
| Private school in Florida | Who you notifyNo home education registration needed | RecordsThe school keeps attendance records | OversightSet by the school |
| Private tutor | Who you notifyThe tutor reports attendance | RecordsThe tutor keeps attendance records and reports | OversightThe tutor holds a Florida teaching certificate |
At home
1. Home education program
You direct your child's education and register with your county superintendent only to meet attendance rules. It's not a school district program, and you don't need a teaching certificate.
Private option
2. Enroll in a private school
FLDOE says students at a private school located in Florida aren't required to register as home education students in their district. Florida private schools keep attendance records under state law.
Less common
3. Hire a private tutor
The tutor must hold a valid Florida certificate to teach the subjects or grades they teach, keep attendance records and reports, and meet the minimum attendance time.
Scholarship option
4. Personalized education program
Parent directed instruction while registered with an eligible nonprofit scholarship funding organization. It gets the same flexibility and opportunities as home education under s. 1002.41(3) to (12); the scholarship rules are in s. 1002.395.
How to file your notice of intent 📝
This is the one step that starts everything. It goes to your county's district school superintendent, not the state, and the law keeps it short.
Put these in your notice
- It's in writing and signed by you
- Each child's full legal name
- Each child's address
- Each child's birthdate
Write the notice and sign it.
File it with your county's district school superintendent within 30 days of starting your home education program.
Keep a copy of the notice and proof the district received it. FLDOE recommends both.
The superintendent must accept it and register your program right away. Want Florida Virtual School courses? Wait until the district has acknowledged your notice before signing up.
What the district can't ask for
- Any additional information or verification, unless your child joins a district program or service
- A grade level for your child, or their Social Security number in a district or state database
- Rules or paperwork beyond the home education law. FLDOE: "the school district must abide by the Florida Statutes regarding home education."
When you stop or move
- Stopping: file a written notice of termination with your superintendent, along with that year's annual evaluation, within 30 days.
- Moving to another Florida county: tell the new district you're transferring your home education program, and give the old district your change in district information. You don't need to terminate.
Source: Florida Statutes s. 1002.41
How the annual evaluation works 🗓️
Once a year you show your child's progress at a level that fits their ability. You pick the method, and the superintendent must accept the results.
Pick one of the five methods below.
Have the evaluation done. It's due once a year, counted from the date of your letter of intent.
File a copy with your district school superintendent's office.
Keep a copy and proof the district received it. FLDOE recommends both.
The five options
- A teacher you choose, who holds a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects, reviews the portfolio and talks with your child
- Any nationally normed achievement test, given by a certified teacher
- A state assessment used by the district, given by a certified teacher where and how the district approves
- An evaluation by a licensed psychologist or school psychologist
- Any other valid tool you and the superintendent agree on
If an evaluation is missed or progress isn't shown
- FLDOE says a missed evaluation puts the program out of compliance and lets the superintendent end it, after notice to you.
- If progress isn't shown, you're notified in writing and get 1 year of remedial instruction, then a re-evaluation.
Source: Florida Statutes s. 1002.41
Want this as a printable? Get the free Florida checklist.
Records to keep 🗂️
Florida requires you to keep a portfolio. You decide what goes in it, keep it for 2 years, and show it if the superintendent asks with 15 days' written notice. FLDOE also recommends keeping proof of what you filed.
- A log of educational activities written as you go, naming any reading materials by title
- Samples of your child's work writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials
- A copy of your letter of intent and proof the district received itRecommended
- Copies of each annual evaluation and proof each one was receivedRecommended
Keep it simple: a binder or folder for the portfolio, plus copies of everything you file.
Testing: what Florida actually requires 🧪
No specific test is required. A test is one of five ways to do your annual evaluation, and a certified teacher's portfolio review works too.
If you'd like them, your school district must make its national and statewide assessments available to home education students, and tell you the dates, locations, and sign up deadline.
What to teach 📚
Florida law doesn't list required subjects for home education, and says the state and districts can't control your curriculum:
- s. 1003.21: "nothing in this section shall authorize the state or any school district to oversee or exercise control over the curricula or academic programs of private schools or home education programs."
You choose what to teach. Your annual evaluation is where your child's progress shows.
6 mistakes new Florida homeschoolers make ⚠️
1. Missing the 30 day notice.
Your written notice must be filed with your county superintendent within 30 days of starting your home education program.
2. Starting the log later from memory.
The law says the log is made contemporaneously with the instruction, meaning as you go, and names reading materials by title.
3. Throwing out the portfolio too soon.
Keep it for 2 years. The superintendent can ask to see it with 15 days' written notice.
4. Forgetting to file the evaluation.
Doing the evaluation isn't enough: you file a copy with the superintendent's office every year. FLDOE says a missed evaluation puts the program out of compliance and lets the superintendent end it, after notice to you.
5. Picking an evaluator who doesn't qualify.
For a teacher evaluation, the teacher must hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects at the elementary or secondary level.
6. Signing up for Florida Virtual School before your letter of intent is acknowledged.
FLDOE says parents may not register students for virtual courses until the letter of intent has been submitted and acknowledged by the district, and to file it before enrolling in FLVS Flex.
Florida homeschool FAQ 💬
Do I have to tell anyone I'm homeschooling in Florida?
Yes. Send a written, signed notice of intent to the district school superintendent of your county within 30 days of starting. It lists each child's full legal name, address and birthdate. The superintendent must accept it and register your home education program right away.
What goes in a Florida notice of intent?
The law asks for just a few things: it must be in writing, signed by you, and include the full legal names, addresses, and birthdates of the children you're homeschooling. The district can't ask for more unless your child joins a district program or service.
What records do Florida homeschoolers have to keep?
A portfolio with two parts: a log of educational activities written as you go, naming any reading materials by title, and samples of your child's work. You decide what goes in it. Keep it for 2 years, and show it if the superintendent asks with 15 days' written notice.
How does the annual evaluation work?
Each year you choose one of five methods: a Florida certified teacher reviews the portfolio and talks with your child, a nationally normed test, a state assessment, a licensed psychologist or school psychologist, or another tool you and the superintendent agree on. It's due once a year, counted from the date of your letter of intent.
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Florida?
No. Florida law says the parent "is not required to hold a valid regular Florida teaching certificate." A certificate only matters for whoever does a teacher evaluation: that person must hold a valid regular Florida certificate to teach academic subjects.
Do Florida homeschoolers have to take standardized tests?
Not necessarily. A test is just one of five ways to do your annual evaluation; a certified teacher's portfolio review works too. If you want them, your school district must make its national and statewide assessments available to home education students.
Do Florida homeschoolers get a diploma?
FLDOE says the legal document of completion is an affidavit of completion signed by you, the parent, as a notarized letter. Florida College System schools accept a parent's signed affidavit of home education completion in place of a standard high school diploma for associate degree admission.
What happens if my child doesn't show enough progress?
The superintendent notifies you in writing. You then have 1 year to provide remedial instruction, and your child is evaluated again at the end of that year. Your home education program continues as long as that evaluation shows progress at a level that fits your child's ability.
Get your free Florida checklist ✅
We turned this whole page into a 1 page printable checklist: every notice, every record to keep, every evaluation step. Stick it in your homeschool binder and you're covered.
Plus, make your first learning packet free. 11 to 17 pages, generated around your kiddo in a minute or two.
Sources 📖
- Florida Statutes s. 1002.41: Home education programs (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 1002.01: Definitions (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 1003.01: Regular school attendance (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 1003.21: School attendance (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 1002.42: Private schools (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 1002.43: Private tutoring programs (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 490.003: Psychologist definitions (checked )
- Florida Statutes s. 1007.263: Florida College System admissions (checked )
- FLDOE: Parent Home Education FAQ (revised July 2024) (checked )
Last verified October 2026. Requirements are summarized from the sources above.
This page summarizes public information for general reference. It is not legal advice. Laws change; confirm current requirements with your county school district, the Florida Department of Education, or a qualified attorney before making decisions for your family.
Explore more states 🗺️
More state guides
- Texas homeschool requirementsHow to homeschool legally in Texas: withdraw from public school in writing, teach five required subjects, skip registering with the state. Checked against TEA.
- New York homeschool requirementsHow to homeschool legally in New York: notice by July 1, an IHIP, quarterly reports, and an annual assessment, with every deadline in one place. Plain English.
- Pennsylvania homeschool requirementsHow to homeschool legally in Pennsylvania: file an affidavit by August 1, keep a portfolio, test in grades 3, 5 and 8, and get an evaluation by June 30.
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