Homeschooling in Virginia: the law and how to start

Yes. Virginia law says that once its requirements are met, parents teaching their own children at home is an acceptable alternative to school. Families typically use one of these routes:

• Home instruction (§ 22.1-254.1) — an annual notice of intent, a parent qualification option and annual evidence of progress. This is the most common route.
• Religious exemption (§ 22.1-254(B)(1)) — your local school board must excuse a child whose family objects to school attendance on bona fide religious grounds. You apply to the school board; political, sociological or philosophical views, or a merely personal moral code, don't qualify. Once granted, the home instruction notice and progress rules don't apply.
• Tutor or private school — the compulsory attendance law also lets a child be taught by a tutor with qualifications approved under state rules, or attend a private school.

• Choose your parent qualification option. Under home instruction you must have a high school diploma or higher credential, meet the Board of Education's teacher qualifications, give your child a correspondence course or approved program of study, or provide evidence you can give an adequate education.
• File your notice of intent with the division superintendent for your local school division by August 15. Include a description of the curriculum — a list of subjects is enough — and the evidence for your qualification option (for example, a copy of your diploma). Many divisions post their own form.
• Starting mid-year or moving in? Send your notice as soon as practicable; division guidance generally gives you 30 days to complete the remaining requirements.
• Withdrawing from school. Send the notice to the division superintendent and let your child's school know in writing that your child is withdrawing for home instruction. Keep copies of both.
• File again every year — the notice of intent is annual.

Virginia's home instruction law doesn't list mandatory subjects or set a minimum number of days or hours. You describe your curriculum in the notice of intent — a list of subjects meets the requirement — and choose your own materials and schedule.

Because you'll need to show progress each year, it helps to cover core subjects such as language arts and math steadily and to keep samples of your child's work.

Under home instruction you must give your division superintendent evidence of progress by August 1 after each school year. You can choose:

• a standardized achievement test with a composite score in or above the fourth stanine, or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT or PSAT; or
• an evaluation or assessment the superintendent finds shows adequate progress — for example, a letter from a person licensed to teach in any state or with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, or a report card or transcript from a community college, college, distance-learning program or correspondence program.

If the evidence doesn't show adequate progress, the program may be placed on probation for one year, and you file a remediation plan. If progress still isn't shown by the following August 1, home instruction must stop.

The law limits what school divisions can pass to VDOE: they may report the number of home-instructed students but not the personal information in your notice. Keep copies of your notices, test results or evaluations, and work samples.

Home-instructed students don't receive a Virginia public school diploma. You decide when your teen has finished high school and can issue your own diploma and transcript; record courses, grades and credits as you go.

VDOE says homeschool students may enroll directly in dual enrollment courses at a local community college as non-degree-seeking students, if they meet the college's placement or GPA requirements. Homeschool students usually pay tuition, though some divisions or colleges offer reduced rates. VDOE also lists online dual enrollment courses through Virtual Virginia as an option.

Sports: Virginia has no law giving homeschoolers access to public school teams. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) limits interscholastic competition to students attending its member schools, and "Tebow" bills to change this have repeatedly failed in the General Assembly. In 2026 a Roanoke County homeschool family filed a federal lawsuit challenging the VHSL rule; a hearing was held in May 2026, and we did not find a ruling as of October 2026.

Classes: Some school divisions allow home-instructed students to enroll part time in public school classes. Policies vary, so ask your division.

Special education: Virginia's special education regulations include home-instructed children in the school division's child find duties, so your division must locate and evaluate a homeschooled child who may have a disability. Ask the division's special education office what services it can offer while your child is home instructed.

Virginia has statewide homeschool associations, regional support groups and many local co-ops. Public libraries, museums and state parks offer programs that work well for homeschoolers.

Your local school division's home instruction contact can answer questions about where to send your notice and evidence of progress.