Homeschooling in Florida: the law and how to start

Yes. Florida law recognizes a home education program — sequentially progressive instruction of a student directed by their parent — as a way to meet compulsory attendance. The rules are in Florida Statutes § 1002.41 and are handled by your county's district school superintendent, with guidance from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE).

Florida families commonly use one of these routes:

• Home education program (§ 1002.41) — notice to the superintendent, a portfolio and an annual evaluation.
• Enrolling in a private school that supports home-based learning (often called an umbrella school). The private school, not the district, keeps the records, and the home education notice and evaluation rules don't apply.
• Personalized Education Program (PEP) — a scholarship for students not enrolled full time in a public or private school. PEP students are a separate category from home education students (see the funding section).

• Send a notice of intent to the district school superintendent in the county where you live, within 30 days of starting your program. It must be in writing, signed by you, and include each child's full legal name, address and birthdate.
• The district must register you. The statute says the superintendent must accept the notice and register the program immediately, and can't require extra information unless your child joins a district program.
• Withdraw from school. If your child is enrolled in a public school, tell the school in writing that they are withdrawing to a home education program, and keep a copy. Send your notice to the superintendent at the same time so there's no gap that could be treated as absence.
• Start your portfolio on day one (see below).

Florida's home education law doesn't prescribe subjects, a set curriculum, or a minimum number of days or hours. You choose what to teach, but the instruction should be sequentially progressive — building year on year — and your child must show educational progress at their ability level in the annual evaluation.

Your portfolio is the main record of what you teach. It must include a log of educational activities, made at the time they happen, that names the reading materials used, plus samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks or creative materials your child used or produced.

Each year you file an annual educational evaluation with the superintendent's office in your county. FLDOE says "annually" means one year from the date of your notice of intent, and the law doesn't require districts to grant extensions. You choose the method:

• a Florida-certified teacher evaluates your child's portfolio and discusses it with the child;
• your child takes a nationally normed achievement test given by a certified teacher;
• your child takes a state student assessment at a location and under conditions set by the district;
• a Florida-licensed psychologist (or school psychologist) evaluates your child;
• another method agreed in writing between you and the superintendent.

Keep your portfolio for two years and make it available for inspection if the superintendent asks, with 15 days' written notice. When you finish homeschooling — or return your child to school — file a written termination notice with your annual evaluation within 30 days.

Home education students don't receive a district diploma. You decide when your teen has completed high school and can issue your own diploma and transcript; keep course descriptions and grades alongside your portfolio.

Florida's dual enrollment law lets eligible home education students in secondary grades take college courses for both high school and college credit, typically through a written agreement between the parent and the college. Contact your local state college about its agreement and eligibility requirements.

Florida law lets home education students take part in interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular activities at a public school, typically the school they would be assigned to attend, provided they meet the statute's eligibility requirements (including registering with the district and meeting academic and conduct standards). The detailed conditions are in § 1006.15.

If you think your child may have a disability, contact your school district: under the federal IDEA, districts must locate and evaluate children who may need special education, including home education students. Ask the district what services, if any, it offers to home education students.

Florida's main option for families teaching at home is the Personalized Education Program (PEP), part of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (§ 1002.395). It funds students who will not be enrolled full time in a public or private school, using a student learning plan, and is administered by scholarship-funding organizations such as Step Up For Students.

PEP is not the same as home education under § 1002.41. According to Step Up For Students' 2026–27 handbook, families awarded PEP must terminate their home education program with the district (by August 15, 2026 for the 2026–27 year) and then follow PEP's rules instead of the home education notice and evaluation process.

For 2026–27, Step Up For Students says the regular application window closed on April 30, 2026 and that the program is capped at 140,000 students. Award amounts vary by county and grade level. Rules change every year, so check FLDOE and the scholarship organization's current information before applying.

Families who stay in a § 1002.41 home education program do not receive PEP funding.

Florida has a large homeschool community, with statewide associations, county support groups, co-ops and evaluators who offer annual portfolio reviews. Public libraries and state parks run many programs suitable for homeschoolers.

Your county school district's home education office is the place to send notices and evaluations and to ask about local procedures.