Yes, homeschooling is legal in California. The state has no standalone homeschooling statute, so the legal path runs through the California Education Code, which requires children between six and eighteen to attend school full-time and then provides exemptions families can use to teach at home.1California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 48200 – Compulsory Full-Time Education Four pathways use those exemptions, and each carries different rules about who can teach, what you have to file, and how much control you keep.
The Four Legal Pathways
California families choose from four options:
- Establish your home as a private school, file an annual affidavit with the state, and run the program yourself.
- Hire a credentialed private tutor, or teach as one yourself if you hold a California credential.
- Enroll your child in a public school independent study program through a district or public charter school.
- Enroll your child in a private school satellite program that permits home-based instruction.
The private school route is the most common because it gives parents the widest curricular freedom and does not require a teaching credential.
Running Your Home as a Private School
California Education Code Section 48222 exempts children who receive full-time instruction from someone “capable of teaching” at a private school.2California Legislative Information. California Education Code 48222 – Attendance in Private School The statute does not define that phrase and does not require a teaching credential, so in practice any parent willing to direct their child’s education qualifies.
Instruction must be in English and must cover the same subjects public schools teach.2California Legislative Information. California Education Code 48222 – Attendance in Private School For grades one through six, Education Code Section 51210 requires English, mathematics, social sciences, science, visual and performing arts, health, and physical education.3California Legislative Information. California Education Code 51210 – Areas of Study Grades 1 to 6 For grades seven through twelve, the required list expands to include foreign languages, applied arts, and career or technical education, among other subjects.4Justia Law. California Education Code 51220-51228 – Courses of Study Grades 7 to 12 The statute does not dictate textbooks. You choose the materials and set the pace.
You are required to keep an attendance register that records every absence of a half day or more on each day school is in session. Education Code Section 33190 also requires you to keep on file a list of courses taught and the names and educational qualifications of every instructor.5California Legislative Information. California Education Code EDC 33190 – Private School Affidavit
No one from the school district reviews your curriculum. The statute is explicit that the district’s verification of your filing “shall not be construed as an evaluation, recognition, approval, or endorsement of any private school or course.”2California Legislative Information. California Education Code 48222 – Attendance in Private School Keep your records organized anyway. They are what you show if a question about enrollment ever comes up.
Filing the Private School Affidavit
Every private school in California, including a one-student home school, must file a Private School Affidavit with the California Department of Education each year between October 1 and October 15.5California Legislative Information. California Education Code EDC 33190 – Private School Affidavit If you start homeschooling outside that window, file as soon as you establish the school. The affidavit is submitted online through the CDE website.6California Department of Education. Private School Affidavit Form
The form asks for the school’s name and address, current enrollment by grade, and the names and qualifications of instructors.5California Legislative Information. California Education Code EDC 33190 – Private School Affidavit You also confirm that you keep the required records at the address listed. Print and save a copy after you submit. That printout is your proof of registration, and it becomes especially useful when you withdraw your child from a traditional school or if a truancy question surfaces later.
Hiring a Private Tutor
Education Code Section 48224 exempts a child taught by a private tutor who holds a valid California teaching credential for the grade being taught. A parent with a credential can be the tutor. Instruction must run at least three hours a day, take place between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and continue for at least 175 days per calendar year.7California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 48224 – Private Tutor Exemption Instruction must be in English and cover the required public school subjects.
No affidavit is filed under this pathway because you are not operating a school. The credential requirement is what keeps this option out of reach for most families unless they already hold one or are willing to pay hourly rates for someone who does.
Public School Independent Study
Independent study keeps your child enrolled in a public school district or charter while they do the coursework at home. A credentialed teacher employed by the school assigns work, tracks progress, and evaluates performance. The school provides instructional materials and often technology and internet access at no cost.
The advantage is professional oversight and administrative support. The trade-off is control: you follow the district’s curriculum, meet its deadlines, and participate in regular check-ins. Your child is also subject to the same graduation requirements as any other district student.
Private School Satellite Programs
A private school satellite program (PSP) sits between running your own private school and enrolling in independent study. Your child enrolls in an existing private school that permits home-based instruction. The school files the affidavit and keeps the required records. You teach at home, often selecting your own curriculum with the school’s guidance. Because the enrolled school is the entity of record, it sets graduation requirements and issues transcripts and diplomas. Fees run from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars per year depending on the program.
Withdrawing Your Child From School
Once your legal homeschool is in place, formally withdraw your child from their current school. Skip this step and the school has no record that the child left, so it will report unexplained absences. California classifies a student as truant after three unexcused full-day absences in a school year, or three instances of being more than 30 minutes late without a valid excuse.8California Legislative Information. California Education Code 48260 – Truancy Definition Truancy reports can trigger letters, meetings, and eventually a referral to the district attorney.
Submit written notice to the principal or attendance office of the child’s former school with the child’s full name, date of birth, and the effective date of withdrawal. Attaching a copy of your filed affidavit is not required, but it demonstrates that the child is now attending a registered private school and usually clears up questions on the spot. The district cannot approve or deny your homeschool plan, but it is responsible for confirming the child falls under a valid attendance exemption.2California Legislative Information. California Education Code 48222 – Attendance in Private School Keep copies of everything you submit.
Immunizations, Special Education, and Diplomas
California’s school immunization mandates do not apply to home-based private schools or to independent study programs without classroom instruction.9California Department of Education. Immunization Requirements A satellite program that includes on-site class time may be different, so check with the specific program.
Homeschooled children remain covered by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Under the “child find” mandate, public school districts must identify, locate, and evaluate children with disabilities regardless of where they attend school, and the obligation runs from birth through age 21.10U.S. Department of Education. Questions and Answers on Serving Children With Disabilities Placed by Their Parents in Private Schools You can request an evaluation through your local district at no cost, and the district cannot refuse simply because your child is homeschooled. The level of services offered to privately placed children is not the same as what enrolled students receive.
Diplomas depend on the pathway. If you operate your own private home school, you set graduation requirements, decide when the work is done, and issue the diploma and transcripts. There is no state-mandated course load or credit count for private school graduation. Independent study students follow the district’s requirements and receive a district-issued diploma. Satellite program students follow that school’s standards, and the school issues the transcripts and diploma. Because colleges, employers, and the military all look at transcripts, detailed records built throughout high school matter.
Federal Financial Aid
Homeschooled students in California are eligible for federal financial aid. Under the Higher Education Act, a student who completed secondary education in a home school setting recognized under state law qualifies for Title IV aid, including Pell Grants, federal loans, and work-study, without a GED or traditional diploma.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 20 USC 1091 – Student Eligibility The student self-certifies home school completion on the FAFSA. Individual colleges may still ask for transcripts, course descriptions, or standardized test scores as part of admissions.