- How much it asks
- Some paperwork
- School age
- 6 through 17. A child must be 6 on or before September 1, and the requirement ends at 17 unless the child has already graduated from high school.
- Time
- No set number
Home-based private school under 105 ILCS 5/26-1
Any family that homeschools a child of compulsory age. Illinois treats a home school as a private school, so there is no separate homeschool law or state approval step.
- Before you startGood to know
Check the child's age
Compulsory attendance applies to children who turned 6 on or before September 1 through age 17, unless the child has already graduated from high school.
- Before you startPaperwork
Withdraw the child from public school, if enrolled
Send the principal or attendance office a dated written notice saying your child is leaving to receive home instruction, with the child's name, grade, school, and the start date. Illinois does not require a specific state form for this. ISBE warns that without notice a child may be marked absent and referred to a truancy officer.
- Every school year, ideally when you startPaperwork
Optional: file the ISBE Home Schooling Registration (Form 87-02)
This is a voluntary one-page form listing parents, children, last school, and subjects taught. Email it to hsregist@isbe.net or send it as ISBE directs. ISBE does not confirm receipt or issue a letter. The form says registration is not a requirement to homeschool.
- At the same time as the withdrawal letterPaperwork
Optional: send a copy to your Regional Office of Education
ISBE encourages families to send the letter and form to the Regional Office of Education for their county. This is encouraged, not required. The ROE directory is on the ISBE website.
- OngoingWhat to teach
Teach the required subject areas in English
Cover language arts, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health. The law does not set courses, textbooks, or the order of topics. Other languages may be taught as extra subjects, but the required subjects must be taught in English.
- OngoingRecords
Keep your own records
No state record list or retention period is set. Keep a copy of your withdrawal letter and any form you send, plus a simple log of subjects and student work. These help if a truancy question arises or if your child later enrolls in a school or applies to college.
Subjects to teach
- Language arts
- Mathematics
- Biological and physical sciences
- Social sciences
- Fine arts
- Physical development and health
Tests and reviews
No state test, portfolio review, or evaluation is required. If you choose to test your child, you do not have to send the results to any school official, according to ISBE.
Records to keep
- Copy of any withdrawal letter you send to the school
- Copy of any ISBE Form 87-02 you submit
- Simple log of subjects taught and samples of student work (recommended, not required by law)
About time
The state sets no minimum number of instructional days or hours for home-based private schools, according to ISBE. The law asks that the child be taught the branches of education taught to children of the same age and grade in public schools.
Also good to know
- Compulsory attendance ends when the child turns 17 or graduates from high school, whichever comes first.
- The law excuses some children from public school attendance, including a child who is physically or mentally unable to attend (with certification by a licensed professional) and a child who is lawfully employed under child labor rules. A county or district truant officer or the Regional Office of Education handles truancy questions.
- Illinois law requires that instruction for the required subjects be in English. The statute allows teaching other languages as additional subjects.
- The voluntary ISBE registration is a record of intent only. It is not a legal requirement and does not give you approval.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Whether a 2025 bill (HB 2827) that would have added an annual homeschool notice became law. A bill tracker says it died, but I did not read the official General Assembly record. Check ilga.gov before acting.
- Whether the Illinois Education Expense Credit (Schedule ICR) applies to your family, and its dollar amount. I found the Department of Revenue rule that home schools meeting Section 26-1 qualify, but I did not confirm the current amount or the form details on an official page.
- Whether public schools must let homeschooled students take individual classes, and the conditions (for example a May 1 request deadline). I only found this on non-official sites.
- Whether homeschooled students may play on public school sports teams. I found the Illinois High School Association rules only on non-official sites.
- Whether homeschooled children with disabilities may receive special education services through the public school. An ISBE memo quoted by a third-party site says they may, but I did not read it on an official page.
- Immunization rules for homeschoolers. I found conflicting information and did not confirm it on an official page.
- How long records must be kept. No official source I read gives a retention period.
- Any teacher or parent qualification rules. I did not confirm the statute's wording on an official page, so I have left this out.
From Illinois’s own sources
Last checked against these sources on November 7, 2026. We check every state each week.