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Homeschooling in Tennessee

Homeschool rules in Tennessee, in plain English

In Tennessee, parents who homeschool on their own (independent home school) must file an Intent to Home School form with their local school district before each school year. They must teach at least 4 hours a day for 180 days, keep attendance records, and have their child take a standardized test in grades 5, 7 and 9. A parent who homeschools through a church-related school follows that school's rules instead of filing with the district.

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
6 through 17
Time
180 days a year

Option 1

Independent home school (under state home school law, Tenn. Code Ann. 49-6-3050)

Parents who teach their own children at home and want to register directly with their local school district. The parent must hold a high school diploma or an approved equivalency credential.

  1. Before you startWho teaches

    Confirm your education

    The parent-teacher must have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency credential approved by the State Board of Education. Proof of this is submitted with the intent form.

  2. Before you start (a first-time family may register during the school year)Paperwork

    File the Intent to Home School form

    Send the Intent to Home School form to the home school coordinator at your local school district (the director of schools' office). It lists each child's name, number, ages and grade levels, the school location, the curriculum, the proposed hours of instruction, and your qualifications. The form is for reporting only; the state does not approve it. Some districts accept an electronic version.

  3. OngoingTime

    Teach 4 hours a day for 180 days

    Instruction must be at least 4 hours per day for the same number of instructional days required of public schools, which is 180 days. You choose the schedule and the days.

  4. OngoingRecords

    Keep attendance records

    Keep records of each day of instruction. They must be available for inspection by the local director of schools.

  5. Grades 5, 7 and 9 (during the school year)Testing

    Arrange testing in grades 5, 7 and 9

    Your child takes a state-approved standardized test in grades 5, 7 and 9. Option one: a nationally normed test in English language arts and math that you choose, proctored by someone not related to your child, and taken at a testing service or a place you choose. Option two: the same secure state test given to public school students (currently the TCAP in grades 3 through 8). The grade 9 end-of-course exam is not allowed for this purpose. Test results go to you, the director of schools and the State Board of Education.

  6. Every year before the new school year startsPaperwork

    Renew the intent form each year

    File a new Intent to Home School form, or your district's electronic version, before each school year starts.

  7. At the end of each school yearPaperwork

    Submit attendance records

    Send your attendance records to the director of schools (or the district's home school coordinator, who often collects them).

  8. At graduationRecords

    Create transcripts and diploma

    You make the grades, transcripts and high school diploma or certificate of attendance. The state and local districts do not issue diplomas for home school graduates.

Option 2

Church-related umbrella school (enrolled through a church-related school)

Parents who want their child enrolled in a church-related school that is approved as a non-public school. The parent teaches as a parent-teacher under that school's rules. The school keeps the records and handles testing.

  1. Before you startGood to know

    Choose a church-related school

    Pick a church-related school recognized under state law. Ask the school what it requires of home school parent-teachers, including education requirements, curriculum, records and testing.

  2. Before you startGood to know

    Enroll your child

    Enroll your child in the church-related school. You may teach your child as a parent-teacher in that school. You are then subject to the school's requirements instead of the independent home school rules.

  3. When you withdraw from public schoolPaperwork

    Give proof of enrollment if you leave public school

    If your child is leaving public school, the district may ask for proof that your child is enrolled in the church-related school. No Intent to Home School form is needed.

  4. OngoingRecords

    Follow the school's records and testing rules

    The church-related school sets record-keeping and testing for students enrolled this way.

Tests and reviews

Independent home school students take a standardized test in grades 5, 7 and 9. The test is either a nationally normed test chosen by the parent, proctored by someone not related to the child, or the state-approved secure test given to public school students. Results go to the parent, the director of schools and the State Board of Education. If a child is 6 to 9 months behind in reading, language arts, math or science, the parent must consult a state-licensed teacher and design a remedial course, and report it to the director. If a child is more than one year behind on two consecutive tests, the director may require enrollment in a public, private or church-related school, unless the child is learning disabled in the opinion of a licensed teacher.

Records to keep

  • Daily attendance records showing instruction time, available for inspection by the local director of schools
  • Attendance records submitted to the director of schools at the end of each school year
  • Copies of each Intent to Home School form filed
  • Standardized test results for grades 5, 7 and 9, plus remedial course reports if required

About time

State law requires at least 4 hours of instruction per day for the same number of days required of public schools, which is 180 days. This applies to independent home schools. Umbrella school students follow the school's own rules.

Also good to know

  • A 17-year-old is no longer subject to compulsory attendance, and a child who completes high school with a diploma is also no longer subject to it. A child who is 18 is not subject to compulsory attendance and may choose to be homeschooled.
  • A child who is five on or before August 15 may enter kindergarten as an independent home school student if properly registered with the district.
  • Public school facilities may be used by home school students only with the principal's approval and under local board rules. This is permitted, not a right.
  • A tutor with the same qualifications required of the parent-teacher may teach in place of the parent during illness or at the parent's discretion. The parent must still meet the registration requirements.
  • Parents may register a child as an independent home school at any point in the school year after withdrawing from public school.

What we couldn’t confirm

  • Whether vaccination records are needed to register. The state's current independent home school document says proof of vaccination is not required to register, but other sites say otherwise. Confirm with your district.
  • How long records must be kept. I did not find an official statement.
  • Whether homeschool students may take part in public school sports or activities. Other sites describe a rule that I could not confirm in an official source.
  • Whether the state's Education Freedom Scholarship is open to homeschool families. Sources say it is only for private school students; I did not confirm this on an official page.
  • Exact test deadlines and how results must be reported, beyond the statute's rules on test timing.

From Tennessee’s own sources

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

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Homeschooling in Tennessee

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