Homeschooling in Indiana: the law and how to start

Yes. Indiana's compulsory attendance law (Indiana Code 20-33-2) allows children to attend a nonpublic school, and the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) describes homeschools as non-accredited nonpublic schools. A homeschool does not need approval, accreditation or a license.

The legal duties are few: provide instruction equivalent to public school, provide 180 days of instruction each year, and keep a daily attendance record that you show on request. Everything else (curriculum, schedule, teaching style) is up to you.

In 2025, a bill (Senate Bill 483) proposed extra oversight for homeschooling families of chronically absent students. It died in April 2025, so the rules did not change.

• If your child has never been enrolled in a public school, you can begin once they reach compulsory age. Nothing has to be filed.
• If your child is enrolled now, send the school a written notice that you are withdrawing them to homeschool, and keep a copy. This avoids your child being marked absent.
• Optional: report your homeschool's enrollment to IDOE through its online process. It is voluntary, but some families like having the record.
• Start your attendance record on day one. Indiana has no required form; a calendar or spreadsheet showing the days you held school is enough.

Indiana does not set a homeschool subject list or approve curriculum. The law expects instruction equivalent to what public schools provide, so most families teach reading, writing, math, science and social studies, plus health, the arts and electives.

IDOE says homeschools should provide 180 days of instruction in each school year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. There is no set number of hours per day.

Indiana does not require standardized tests, portfolio reviews or evaluations for homeschool students.

The one record the law requires is a daily attendance record (Indiana Code 20-33-2-20). You must provide it if the Secretary of Education or the superintendent of your local public school district asks for it. No specific format is required.

IDOE notes that Indiana law does not require any other specific educational records, but keeping work samples, a list of materials and any test scores is wise if your child may return to school or apply to college.

As a nonpublic school, your homeschool sets its own graduation requirements and you can issue your child's diploma and transcript.

2025 change: House Bill 1348, enacted in 2025, recognizes diplomas from homeschools and other non-accredited schools as meeting state requirements for completing high school. It stops state agencies and state colleges from requiring extra skills tests or treating applicants differently based only on where their diploma came from.

Keep a clear transcript (courses, credits, grades) and course descriptions through grades 9–12. Colleges and employers will ask for them.

Indiana does not have a broad law guaranteeing homeschoolers access to public school classes or sports.

In practice, part-time enrollment in individual classes is decided by each school district, and Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) eligibility depends on a student's enrollment at a member school. Ask your local school and check the IHSAA's current rules before a season starts.

If you think your child has a disability, you can ask your local public school district for an evaluation. Contact the district about what services it offers to students in nonpublic schools, including homeschools.

Indiana's Choice Scholarship (voucher) program pays tuition at participating private schools. It does not pay for home instruction.

What homeschoolers can use is the private school/homeschool deduction on the Indiana income tax return: up to $1,000 per qualifying child for out-of-pocket education expenses such as textbooks, workbooks, curriculum, software, supplies and academic tutoring.

• The child must be one you claim as a dependent and must have been educated for at least 180 days in the year.
• Costs paid by scholarships, grants or other reimbursements don't count.
• It reduces taxable income rather than tax owed, so the actual saving is much smaller than $1,000.

Check the Department of Revenue's deductions page for the current tax year's rules.