Colorado Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Colorado, based on C.R.S. 22-33-104.5. Colorado is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home-Based Education, the most common of Colorado's 3 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
File your Notice of Intent
Submit to superintendent of the school district in which the child resides. Deadline: 14 calendar days before beginning home-based education program.
Deadline: 14 calendar days before beginning home-based education program
More details
Include: name of the child, age of the child, address where the child resides, number of hours of attendance (must meet 172-day requirement), attestation that required subjects will be covered
Withdrawal letter recommended
A formal letter isn't required, but it is recommended if your child is enrolled in school. Send it to current school and school district superintendent.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Required subjects
reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, United States Constitution
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 688 hours/year, 172 days/year, 4 hours/day. You must track and document hours.
Show your child's progress
Standardized test or Teacher evaluation — at specific grade levels. At grades: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Minimum: 13th percentile composite on a nationally standardized achievement test.
More details
Process: Retest opportunity with alternate version or different approved test. Timeline: If retest fails, placement in school until next testing period. Consequence: District may require placement in public, independent, or parochial school
Keep basic records
You must maintain: attendance records. Records may be reviewed by the district.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by before the beginning of each school year (14 days advance notice).
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- superintendent of the school district in which the child resides
- Deadline
- 14 calendar days before beginning home-based education program
- How often
- annual
Your notice must include:
- •name of the child
- •age of the child
- •address where the child resides
- •number of hours of attendance (must meet 172-day requirement)
- •attestation that required subjects will be covered
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓reading
- ✓writing
- ✓speaking
- ✓mathematics
- ✓history
- ✓civics
- ✓literature
- ✓science
- ✓United States Constitution
Varies by pathway. Home-Based Education: "general_list"; Enrollment in an Umbrella/Private School: "none"; Licensed-Teacher Home Instruction: "none"
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(2)(a)
Instructional time
Varies by pathway. Home-Based Education: true; Enrollment in an Umbrella/Private School: false; Licensed-Teacher Home Instruction: false
- Days per year:
- 172
- Hours per year:
- 688
- Hours per day:
- 4
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(2)(b)
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Home-Based Education: ["evaluation by a qualified person chosen by the parent"]; Enrollment in an Umbrella/Private School: undefined; Licensed-Teacher Home Instruction: undefined
- Accepted types
- Standardized test, Teacher evaluation
- Frequency
- at specific grade levels
- At grades
- 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
- Minimum score
- 13th percentile composite on a nationally standardized achievement test
If scores fall short:
- Process: Retest opportunity with alternate version or different approved test
- Timeline: If retest fails, placement in school until next testing period
- Consequence: District may require placement in public, independent, or parochial school
See our full assessment guide for Colorado for details.
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(2)(c)
Recordkeeping
Varies by pathway. Home-Based Education: true; Enrollment in an Umbrella/Private School: false; Licensed-Teacher Home Instruction: false
- ✓Attendance records
Records may be reviewed by the district.
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(2)(d)
Reporting
Varies by pathway. Home-Based Education: "before the beginning of each school year (14 days advance notice)"; Enrollment in an Umbrella/Private School: null; Licensed-Teacher Home Instruction: null
- Annual renewal
- Required by before the beginning of each school year (14 days advance notice)
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)
Other ways to homeschool in Colorado
This checklist covers Home-Based Education, the most common pathway. Colorado offers 3 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home-Based Education(this checklist) : You notify your local school district superintendent 14 days before starting, teach nine required subjects for 172 days per year, and administer a standardized test at grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Test results stay with the family unless the district requests them. No curriculum approval and no regular reporting beyond the annual notification.
- •Enrollment in an Umbrella/Private School : You enroll in a private umbrella school and operate under its policies instead of the homeschool statute. No notification to the school district, no state-mandated testing, and no attendance tracking required by the state. Best for families who want to avoid the testing requirements of the standard pathway or prefer institutional support.
- •Licensed-Teacher Home Instruction : If the teaching parent or instructor holds a valid Colorado teaching license, all notification, testing, and recordkeeping requirements are waived. No Notice of Intent to the district, no standardized testing, and no attendance records required by the state. This pathway is available only to families where at least one parent or instructor holds a current Colorado teaching license.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Colorado
Get your personalized checklist
This is the general checklist for the most common pathway. The wizard customizes it for your family's specific situation, including grade, pathway, and IEP status.
Get your Colorado checklistRequirements sourced from C.R.S. 22-33-104.5. Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026