NewsNew: talk to your tutor out loud and get instant feedback on every answer.

Homeschooling in Arizona

Homeschool rules in Arizona, in plain English

Arizona families who homeschool must file one notarized Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool with the county school superintendent for their county within 30 days of starting, and provide proof of the child's birth or identity within the same 30 days. The family must then give instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. No testing, approval, parent credential, or set number of days or hours is required.

See another state

This explains each state's homeschool rules in plain English, from the state's own published sources. It isn't legal advice, and we aren't lawyers. Laws change and every family is different, so check with your state, your school district or a lawyer before you rely on it.

How much it asks
Some paperwork
School age
6 through 16
Time
No set number

Option 1

Homeschool under the Arizona home instruction law

Families who want to teach their child at home themselves and keep the state's filing to a minimum. No state approval or testing applies.

  1. Before you startTime

    Choose the start date

    A child under 8 may wait to start formal home instruction until age 8. If you wait, you still must file the affidavit and say on it that you do not yet want instruction to begin. Otherwise, the affidavit is due when home instruction begins.

  2. Before you startPaperwork

    Get the Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool

    This is the form that tells the county you are homeschooling. It must include your child's name, date of birth, the current address, and the names, phone numbers and addresses of the people who have legal custody. The signature must be notarized. Your county school superintendent's office provides the form; many counties also post it online.

  3. Within 30 days of startingRecords

    Gather proof of age and identity

    Provide one of these to the county school superintendent: a certified copy of the birth certificate, other reliable proof of identity and age, or a letter from an agency that has legal custody of the child.

  4. Within 30 days of startingPaperwork

    File the affidavit with the county school superintendent

    File it with the county school superintendent for the county where you live, not your local school district. Keep a copy. The statute does not set a fee for filing.

  5. OngoingWhat to teach

    Teach the five required subjects

    Instruction must cover at least reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science. The state does not set textbooks, methods, hours or a schedule.

  6. Within 30 days of a changePaperwork

    Notify the county if you stop or return to school

    If home instruction ends, tell the county school superintendent in writing within 30 days. If you later resume homeschooling, file a new affidavit within 30 days. If the child re-enrolls in public school, notify the county within 30 days.

Option 2

Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) contract

Families who want state ESA funds for their child's education, including instruction at home. Under state law, a family with an ESA contract is not filing a homeschool affidavit and is in a different legal category from a homeschool.

  1. Before you startGood to know

    Confirm eligibility on the state ESA page

    The Arizona Department of Education runs the ESA program. Check eligibility and the application process on the state's ESA page before you apply.

  2. Before you startPaperwork

    Sign an ESA contract

    Signing the contract replaces the homeschool affidavit. The contract still requires instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science.

  3. Within 30 days of signing the ESA contractPaperwork

    Do not file a homeschool affidavit

    If you already filed a homeschool affidavit and then sign an ESA contract, the state's guidance says you must notify the county school superintendent within 30 days that the child is no longer homeschooled.

  4. OngoingWhat to teach

    Teach the five required subjects

    The ESA contract requires instruction in the same five subjects as home instruction.

Subjects to teach

  • Reading
  • Grammar
  • Mathematics
  • Social studies
  • Science

Tests and reviews

Homeschooled children are not subject to statewide assessments while they are homeschooled. No testing or portfolio review is required. A child who enrolls in kindergarten or grades 1 through 12 after homeschooling is tested to place the child at the right grade level.

Records to keep

  • Notarized Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool, filed with the county school superintendent
  • Certified birth certificate or other proof of identity and age, given to the county school superintendent

About time

Arizona sets no minimum number of school days or instructional hours for homeschooling.

Also good to know

  • Homeschool students may try out for public school interscholastic activities where they live, under the same rules as enrolled students. A child who was enrolled in a school before homeschooling cannot take part in those activities for the rest of that school year.
  • If a homeschool student has a disability, the state treats the homeschool as a private school for special education purposes. Homeschooled students do not have an individual right to the services a public school would provide.
  • If a family does not file the required notice, the school, district or county superintendent will notify the parents in writing. If the parents do not comply within 10 days, the case is referred to local law enforcement.

What we couldn’t confirm

  • How long families must keep curriculum, attendance or other home records. The sources I read do not say.
  • Whether a homeschool affidavit filed by a family must be renewed each year. The statute says the affidavit is not required again unless instruction stops and then resumes, but I did not confirm how each county handles this.
  • The exact amount and rules of ESA awards and approved expenses. The ADE pages I found were not complete enough to state these details.

From Arizona’s own sources

Last checked against these sources on November 7, 2026. We check every state each week.

How Study Naturally helps in Arizona

Choose Arizona in your dashboard and these steps sit on your home page, next to each child's work and progress.

  • Set each child’s lessons, in the subjects you teach
  • A patient tutor teaches every child at their own level
  • A learning record of days, time and subjects for each child
  • Print it, save it as a PDF, or download a spreadsheet for your files

Homeschooling in Arizona

A patient tutor for every child, and the records to show for it

Set each child's lessons, let them learn at their own level, and print days, time and subjects whenever your state asks. Try the tutor yourself free for 14 days, no card needed.

Questions? hello@studynaturally.com