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

Homeschooling in Louisiana

Homeschool rules in Louisiana, in plain English

Louisiana families homeschool most often through a BESE-approved home study program. You apply to the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) within 15 days after your program starts, then renew every year by October 1. Your program must offer a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to public schools at the same grade level, and each renewal must show evidence of that.

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
Detailed: notices plus tests or reviews
School age
5 through 18
Time
No set number

Option 1

BESE-Approved Home Study Program

Parents who want to teach their child at home themselves. This is the route that keeps TOPS scholarship eligibility and the state's diploma recognition.

  1. Before you startGood to know

    Choose your start date

    Your program's start date sets every deadline. The 15-day application clock runs from the day the program begins. Louisiana does not set a minimum number of days or hours for home study.

  2. Within 15 days after your program beginsPaperwork

    File the initial application with LDOE

    Apply through the LDOE online home study application. Include a certified copy of your child's birth certificate (a short-form card is accepted) and complete the parent assurance statement. Paper applications are allowed only if you cannot apply online.

  3. OngoingWhat to teach

    Teach a sustained curriculum

    Teach your child using a curriculum of quality at least equal to public schools at the same grade level. LDOE does not approve curricula or keep a list of them. You choose the materials and the grade level.

  4. OngoingRecords

    Keep evidence of progress

    Keep a subject outline, a list of books and materials, samples of your child's work, and any test results or third-party statements. You will need one of these for renewal.

  5. Every year by October 1 of the school year, or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is laterPaperwork

    Renew with LDOE

    Submit the renewal application with one of three kinds of evidence: a packet of materials, a standardized test result at or above grade level, or a statement from a teacher certified at your child's grade level. Approval lasts one year for the grade level on the application.

  6. When your child moves up a gradePaperwork

    Renew when your child changes grade

    LDOE asks families to renew when the student is ready to move up a grade, as well as on the annual deadline.

  7. At graduationRecords

    Issue the high school diploma

    The parent or program issues the diploma. BESE and LDOE do not award home study diplomas, and you may not use the state seal or wording that suggests state issue.

Option 2

Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval

Families who want to run a home school as its own private school without state approval. This route does not qualify for TOPS, and the statute says it does not receive state or federal funds.

  1. Before you startGood to know

    Set up the school

    Operate the home school as a nonpublic school. It may not accept state, federal or local funds, directly or indirectly. Staff requirements are set by the school or church.

  2. Every yearPaperwork

    Submit enrollment information to LDOE

    Submit your school's enrollment information to LDOE each year, as the department's current form requires. Confirm the form and timing with LDOE before you rely on them.

  3. OngoingRecords

    Keep your own records

    Keep attendance records, course lists, grades and work samples for your own use. Check with LDOE on what must be kept.

Tests and reviews

No state test is required for home study. At each renewal you choose one of three kinds of evidence: a packet of materials showing the program, a test result showing your child is at or above grade level (or one year of growth per year in the program), or a statement from a teacher certified at your child's grade level. You may also ask for the state competency test in May or September. The fee may not exceed $35.

Records to keep

  • Outline of each subject taught during the year
  • List of books and materials used
  • Copies of your child's work
  • Copies of standardized test results
  • Statements from people who have observed your child's progress
  • Copies of your renewal applications and LDOE approval letters

About time

For a BESE-approved home study program, the state sets no minimum number of days or hours. Some websites say 180 days; we could not confirm that in an official source for home study.

Also good to know

  • Home study programs are paid for by parents. The state provides no funding, and home study students cannot use the LA GATOR scholarship.
  • TOPS eligibility requires enrollment in a BESE-approved home study program for both 11th and 12th grade, plus ACT requirements.
  • A diploma from a BESE-approved home study program is recognized by Louisiana public colleges and state agencies as having the same rights as a diploma from a state-approved nonpublic school.
  • Children who are 11 and in an approved home study program need proof of meningococcal vaccination. Parents may submit a religious, medical or personal waiver to BESE instead.
  • A child who is at least 16 and meets BESE criteria may enroll in an adult education program, and that attendance counts for compulsory attendance.
  • Parents choose the grade level. LDOE does not judge it, and grade levels cannot be changed retroactively.
  • A child who is 5 by September 30 must attend, unless the parent has formally deferred kindergarten enrollment.
  • Students who have graduated are no longer subject to compulsory attendance.

What we couldn’t confirm

  • Required subjects: the statute names none. We did not confirm whether LDOE guidance lists any subjects.
  • Special education and related services for home study students were not researched.
  • Returning to public school, including placement testing: R.S. 17:236.2 was not read in full.
  • The exact 10-day notice to the former public school and the 30-day attendance report for the nonpublic route were not confirmed in an official source.
  • Whether the 180-day minimum in the school definition applies to the nonpublic route.
  • How long records must be kept: no official source gave a retention period.
  • Typical LDOE review time for applications: not confirmed in an official source.
  • Athletic eligibility for home study students: court and statute history is unclear from the sources read.

From Louisiana’s own sources

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

How Study Naturally helps in Louisiana

Choose Louisiana 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 Louisiana

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