Homeschooling in Nevada: the law and how to start

Yes. Nevada's compulsory attendance law excuses children who are homeschooled, and NRS Chapter 388D sets out the rules for homeschooling families. You can also enroll your child in a private school instead.

Nevada's law is fairly light-touch. You file a notice of intent with your school district, and the contents of that notice are limited by statute, so districts can't ask for extra information as a condition of accepting it.

Recent change: Assembly Bill 65 (2023) lowered the compulsory attendance age from 7 to 6, effective July 1, 2024. If your child is 6, you now need to enroll them in school or file a notice of intent to homeschool.

• Get the state form. The Nevada Department of Education sets the Notice of Intent to Homeschool form, and every district uses it. Your district's website or homeschool office will have a copy.
• Write your educational plan. Include a short plan covering English language arts, math, science and social studies, suited to your child's age and skill level as you judge it.
• File the notice with your district superintendent. File it before you begin homeschooling, within 10 days after formally withdrawing your child from public school, or within 30 days of moving to Nevada. Each parent signs a statement accepting full responsibility for the child's education.
• Keep the acknowledgment. The district must give you a written acknowledgment that you've filed the notice and that your child is being homeschooled. Keep it somewhere safe.

The notice is a one-time filing. You only refile if your name or address or your child's changes, or if your child returns to homeschooling after being enrolled in public school.

Under NRS 388D.050, your educational plan covers English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies, with social studies including history, geography, economics and government.

The plan is adjusted to your child's age and skill level as you see it, and the law says you don't have to cover every subject in every year. Nevada doesn't set a required number of school days or hours for homeschoolers.

Be ready to show your educational plan if a court ever asks for it, but districts can't use the plan as a reason to reject an otherwise complete notice.

Nevada's homeschool law doesn't require standardized tests, portfolio reviews or other evaluations.

If you'd like an outside benchmark, districts must allow homeschooled children to take the college entrance exams offered in the state, such as the PSAT, SAT and ACT. Contact your local high school to arrange this.

Keep your acknowledgment letter, a copy of your notice and educational plan, and a simple record of what you've taught. These are helpful if your child later enrolls in school or applies to college.

As a homeschooling parent, you decide when your child has finished high school, and you can prepare their transcript and issue a diploma. Keep course descriptions, grades and any test scores together for college and job applications.

Homeschoolers can take college entrance exams through their local district, and public school classes may be available too (see below). Nevada's colleges have their own admission rules for homeschool graduates, so check with the college your teen is interested in.

Nevada gives homeschoolers broad access to public school programs. To take part, you file a separate notice of intent to participate with your school district.

• Classes and activities: The school board must let your child join classes and extracurricular activities if space is available and your child is qualified. The district doesn't have to provide transportation.
• Sports: Homeschooled students must be allowed to take part in interscholastic sports and events governed by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), following its rules. The NIAA must consult the northern and southern Nevada homeschool advisory councils before changing rules that affect homeschoolers.
• Special education: The district's participation notice also covers requests for special education programs. Contact your district if your child may need an evaluation or services.

Nevada has no funding program for homeschoolers as of the 2026–27 school year. An education savings account law passed in 2015 would have covered homeschooling, but the Nevada Supreme Court struck down its funding mechanism and the program never launched; later bills to revive it did not pass.

Nevada's Opportunity Scholarship program, funded through business tax credits, pays tuition at participating private schools only and can't be used for homeschooling. In the 2025 session, the Legislature did not pass the governor's plan to expand it.

Nevada has statewide homeschool networks and regional advisory councils, as well as many local co-ops and support groups, especially in the Las Vegas and Reno areas. Larger districts such as Clark County and Washoe County have homeschool offices that can answer questions about forms and participating in school programs.