How to Complete and File the Florida Letter of Intent to Homeschool

To start homeschooling in Florida, file a Letter of Intent to homeschool with your county’s district school superintendent within 30 days of beginning the program. The letter is a short signed notice listing each child’s full legal name, home address, and date of birth, and filing it satisfies Florida’s compulsory attendance requirement.¹

What the Letter Must Contain

Florida Statute 1002.41(1)(a) sets a short list. For each child you’re enrolling in the program, include:

Full legal name as it appears on official records, not a nickname.
Current home address where instruction will take place.
Date of birth.

The notice must be in writing, signed by the parent or guardian, and clearly state your intent to establish and maintain a home education program.¹ No special form is required. Many county districts publish a template or an online portal, but a plain typed or handwritten letter containing the three data points above and your signature is legally sufficient.²

Check spelling and birthdates before sending. Small errors tend to generate follow-up correspondence from the superintendent’s office that delays confirmation.

Compulsory attendance applies to children who are at least six years old (or who turn six by February 1 of the school year) through age sixteen, so filing matters most for children in that age range.³

When and Where to File

The notice must reach the district school superintendent’s office within 30 days of the date you begin your home education program. The same deadline applies whether you are withdrawing a child from public or private school or starting homeschool for the first time.¹ File in the county where you live, not the county where your child previously attended school, if those are different.

For delivery, you have a few options. Certified mail with return receipt gives you a signed, date-stamped proof of delivery and is the most defensible choice. Many districts also accept hand-delivered letters or offer an online portal where you upload a signed copy or complete a digital form. If you use an online system, save the confirmation number or any automated email it generates.

Keep a complete copy: the signed letter, the mailing receipt or digital confirmation, and anything the district sends back. That paper trail is what protects you if a question about timely filing ever comes up.

What Happens If You Miss the 30-Day Window

Missing the deadline exposes the family to compulsory attendance enforcement. Under Florida Statute 1003.27, the district superintendent is required to pursue criminal prosecution of the parent when a child who should be in school is neither enrolled nor covered by a valid home education notice, and no valid reason for the absence is found.⁴

A parent who fails to have a child attend school regularly commits a second-degree misdemeanor.⁴ Under Florida’s general penalty statute, that carries a maximum fine of $500.⁵ The larger practical risk is the disruption that comes with truancy proceedings: court appearances, and pressure from the district to enroll the child in school while the matter is resolved. Filing on time avoids all of it.

What You’re Agreeing to After You File

The Letter of Intent is the beginning of an ongoing obligation, not a one-time filing. Two things come with it.

Annual Evaluation

Each year, you must document that your child is making educational progress and file a copy of the evaluation with the superintendent. Florida Statute 1002.41(1)(f) lets you choose from five methods: a Florida-certified teacher’s portfolio review, a nationally normed achievement test administered by a certified teacher, a state student assessment used by the local district, an evaluation by a licensed psychologist or school psychologist, or another measurement tool you and the superintendent agree on.¹ You pick the method.

If an evaluation shows the child is not making adequate progress, the superintendent places the student on a one-year probation and expects corrective instruction during that year. A second insufficient evaluation at the end of probation can lead to a requirement that the child enroll in an approved school.

Portfolio

You must maintain a portfolio of records throughout the year with two components: a contemporaneous log of educational activities that lists by title any reading materials used, and samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials the student produced or used. “Contemporaneous” means written as you go, not reconstructed later. You must preserve the portfolio for two years, and the superintendent can request to inspect it with 15 days’ written notice.¹ Most districts never ask, but having it organized matters when they do. For high school years, keeping records longer is sensible, since colleges and employers may request transcripts well after the two-year window.

Ending the Program or Moving Counties

When your child finishes the home education program, whether through graduation, enrolling in a school, or the family moving out of the county, you must file a written notice of termination with the district superintendent within 30 days of ending the program, along with the final annual evaluation.¹

If you are moving to another Florida county and continuing to homeschool, file the termination notice with your current county, then file a new Letter of Intent with the superintendent of the new county. The 30-day filing window applies to each.

1
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 1002.41 – Home Education Programs
2
Florida Department of Education. Parent Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 1003.21 – School Attendance
4
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 1003.27 – Court Procedure and Penalties
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines