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Homeschooling in California

Homeschool rules in California, in plain English

In California, children from 6 through 18 must attend school full time unless an exemption applies. Most homeschool families make their home a private school by filing a Private School Affidavit (PSA) with the California Department of Education (CDE) once a year, during October 1 to 15. The family must keep an attendance register and records of courses and teachers, and must offer the state's core subjects.

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 18
Time
175 days a year or 3 hours a year

Option 1

Home as a private school (Private School Affidavit)

Parents who want to teach their own children at home as a full-time private school. No teaching credential is required, only that the instructor is capable of teaching.

  1. Before you startPaperwork

    Withdraw from public school, if enrolled

    If your child is enrolled in a public school, withdraw them first. The CDE has a guidance page for school districts on this process.

  2. Before you startRecords

    Set up your records

    Start an attendance register, a list of courses you offer, and a file with names, addresses and qualifications of the people who teach. Keep a copy of your affidavit.

  3. Within the October 1 to 15 window each yearPaperwork

    File the Private School Affidavit (PSA)

    File online at the CDE website. It is also called the R-4 form. You report your school name, address, records location, enrollment by grade, and staff. You sign it under penalty of perjury. Save the confirmation number and a printed copy.

  4. OngoingWhat to teach

    Start teaching full time

    Teach in English. Offer the required subjects for your child's grade. The law does not set a number of school days or hours for a private school.

  5. OngoingRecords

    Keep the attendance register

    Record every absence of a half day or more on each day school is held. You do not need to record days present.

  6. OngoingPaperwork

    Let the district verify your exemption

    Your child's exemption from public school is valid only after the local district's attendance supervisor confirms your affidavit is on file. Keep your confirmation number ready to show them.

Option 2

Credentialed private tutor

Families where a tutor holding a valid California teaching credential for the grade taught gives the full instruction. The tutor is the legal basis for the exemption, and the child is not enrolled in a school.

  1. Before you startWho teaches

    Confirm the tutor's credential

    The tutor must hold a valid California state credential for the grade being taught. A parent may use this pathway only if the parent holds that credential.

  2. Before you startTime

    Set a schedule

    Instruction must be at least three hours a day, for at least 175 days each calendar year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., in English, in the branches of study required in public schools.

  3. OngoingWhat to teach

    Teach the required subjects

    Cover the branches of study required in public schools for each grade.

  4. OngoingRecords

    Keep attendance records

    Keep a daily record that shows the schedule was met. The exact record rules for this pathway are not covered in the sources read.

Option 3

Public school independent study or charter school

Families who want public school enrollment with home-based study, a teacher of record, and state-funded programs. The school sets the rules, so details vary.

  1. Before you startGood to know

    Choose a program

    Ask your school district or a public charter school whether it offers independent study or home-based study.

  2. Before you startPaperwork

    Enroll your child

    Enroll through the program. Enrollment in public school means the public school sets the requirements for your child.

  3. OngoingTesting

    Follow the program's requirements

    Expect check-ins with a credentialed teacher and the program's testing and reporting rules. Program details are set locally and were not confirmed from state sources.

Subjects to teach

  • Grades 1 to 6: English, mathematics, social science, science, visual and performing arts, health, and physical education
  • Grades 7 to 12: English, social sciences, foreign language (starting no later than seventh grade), physical education, science, mathematics, visual and performing arts, applied arts, career technical education, driver education, and other studies the local governing board may set

Tests and reviews

No California statute requires testing for homeschooled students. Nothing in the sources read requires an evaluation or portfolio review.

Records to keep

  • Attendance register showing every absence of a half day or more on each day school is held
  • List of courses of study offered
  • Names and addresses of teachers, with a record of their educational qualifications
  • Copy of each Private School Affidavit filed
  • Individual pupil records as described in California Code of Regulations, Title 5, sections 430 to 437 (recommended by CDE)

About time

These numbers apply only to the credentialed tutor pathway: at least three hours a day for 175 days each calendar year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The private school pathway sets no number of days or hours.

Also good to know

  • Filing the PSA does not approve your school or its courses. It registers the school for statistical reporting.
  • The PSA system opens August 1 and closes June 30 for new schools and homeschools. The official filing window is October 1 to 15.
  • The CDE does not collect or store private school student records, transcripts or diplomas. You issue your own.
  • Private schools are not required to follow the state's content standards.
  • There is no statute that gives homeschooled students access to public school classes or activities. Ask your district of residence.
  • Parents are not required to report to the school district, but the district checks the PSA to confirm the exemption.

What we couldn’t confirm

  • How long records must be kept. The sources read did not state a retention period.
  • Whether a parent who holds a credential can use the tutor pathway for their own child, beyond what the CDE and county pages say.
  • Details of private school satellite programs (umbrella schools), which the sources did not confirm from official pages.
  • Kindergarten and preschool rules, and how the entry age cutoff of September 1 applies.
  • Special education services, part-time enrollment, and returning to public school. The sources read did not cover these.
  • Continuation school rules for students aged 16 to 18.
  • Exact record-keeping rules for the credentialed tutor pathway.
  • Whether the affidavit collects criminal record information on the people who teach.

From California’s own sources

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

How Study Naturally helps in California

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  • A learning record counts days and time against what the state asks
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Homeschooling in California

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