Florida Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Florida, based on Fla. Stat. 1002.41. Florida is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home Education Program, the most common of Florida'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 county school district superintendent. Deadline: Within 30 days of beginning the home education program. Conditions: The notice must be in writing, signed by the parent, and include the full legal names, addresses, and birthdates of all children enrolled in the home education program (s. 1002.41(1)(a)).
Deadline: Within 30 days of beginning the home education program
More details
Include: child's name, child's address, child's date of birth, parent/guardian signature
Ongoing
Review curriculum requirements
Check the cited source for curriculum requirements that may be described without a subject-by-subject list.
Review instructional-time requirements
Check the cited source for the school-term or instructional-time rule that applies to your pathway.
Show your child's progress
Standardized test or Teacher evaluation or Other approved method — annually.
More details
Process: One-year probationary period with remedial instruction. Timeline: 1 year from receipt of the superintendent's written notice to provide remedial instruction, then the student is reevaluated. Consequence: Continuation in a home education program is contingent upon demonstrating educational progress
Keep basic records
You must maintain: student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.
More details
Portfolio must include: reading log, work samples, writing samples.
Good news
Education savings programs available
Personalized Education Program (PEP): Set each year by the Florida Legislature, based on the child's grade level and county of residence; paid in four equal quarterly amounts (Step Up For Students, PEP funding page). — A Florida resident (or child of an active-duty service member ordered to Florida) who is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a Florida public school and will not be enrolled full time in a public or private school (Fla. Stat. 1002.395(3)(b), (7)(b)). Not available while the child is in a home education program under Fla. Stat. 1002.41: PEP is a separate attendance option, so a homeschooling family registers the child in PEP instead (Fla. Stat. 1002.395(4)(e); 1002.01(2)).. Family Empowerment Scholarship - Unique Abilities (FES-UA): Set by formula, not a fixed dollar figure. With a Level I to III matrix of services or a diagnosis: the state's total per-student funding for the basic exceptional student education program for the child's grade and school district, plus shares of certain categorical funds. With a Level IV or V matrix: the per-student funding for that exceptional student education level, plus shares of certain categorical funds (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(12)(b)2.-3.). — A Florida resident (or child of an active-duty service member ordered to Florida) who is 3 or 4 years old or eligible for kindergarten through grade 12 in a Florida public school, has a disability as defined in the law, and has an IEP or a disability diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(3)(b)). A homeschooled child can use it while staying in a Florida home education program: funds may pay home education program costs (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(4)(b)4.).
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- county school district superintendent
- Deadline
- Within 30 days of beginning the home education program
- How often
- one time
Your notice must include:
- •child's name
- •child's address
- •child's date of birth
- •parent/guardian signature
Fla. Stat. §1002.41(1)(a)
Ongoing requirements
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: ["evaluation by a teacher holding a valid regular Florida certificate, after reviewing the portfolio and discussing it with the student","evaluation by an individual holding a valid, active license under s. 490.003(7) or (8)","any other valid measurement tool mutually agreed upon by the district school superintendent and the parent"]; Private Tutoring: undefined; Private School (Including Umbrella/Cover Schools): undefined
- Accepted types
- Standardized test, Teacher evaluation, Other approved method
- Frequency
- annually
If scores fall short:
- Process: One-year probationary period with remedial instruction
- Timeline: 1 year from receipt of the superintendent's written notice to provide remedial instruction, then the student is reevaluated
- Consequence: Continuation in a home education program is contingent upon demonstrating educational progress
See our full assessment guide for Florida for details.
Fla. Stat. §1002.41(1)(f)
Recordkeeping
Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: ["reading_log","work_samples","writing_samples"]; Private Tutoring: undefined; Private School (Including Umbrella/Cover Schools): undefined
- ✓Student portfolio
Records may be reviewed by the district.
Portfolio must include:
- •reading log
- •work samples
- •writing samples
Fla. Stat. §1002.41(1)(d)-(e)
What you don't need to worry about
Education savings programs available
Personalized Education Program (PEP): Set each year by the Florida Legislature, based on the child's grade level and county of residence; paid in four equal quarterly amounts (Step Up For Students, PEP funding page). — A Florida resident (or child of an active-duty service member ordered to Florida) who is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a Florida public school and will not be enrolled full time in a public or private school (Fla. Stat. 1002.395(3)(b), (7)(b)). Not available while the child is in a home education program under Fla. Stat. 1002.41: PEP is a separate attendance option, so a homeschooling family registers the child in PEP instead (Fla. Stat. 1002.395(4)(e); 1002.01(2)).. Family Empowerment Scholarship - Unique Abilities (FES-UA): Set by formula, not a fixed dollar figure. With a Level I to III matrix of services or a diagnosis: the state's total per-student funding for the basic exceptional student education program for the child's grade and school district, plus shares of certain categorical funds. With a Level IV or V matrix: the per-student funding for that exceptional student education level, plus shares of certain categorical funds (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(12)(b)2.-3.). — A Florida resident (or child of an active-duty service member ordered to Florida) who is 3 or 4 years old or eligible for kindergarten through grade 12 in a Florida public school, has a disability as defined in the law, and has an IEP or a disability diagnosis from a licensed physician or psychologist (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(3)(b)). A homeschooled child can use it while staying in a Florida home education program: funds may pay home education program costs (Fla. Stat. 1002.394(4)(b)4.).
Other ways to homeschool in Florida
This checklist covers Home Education Program, the most common pathway. Florida offers 3 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home Education Program(this checklist) : You file a written notice of intent with your county school district superintendent within 30 days of starting, keep a portfolio, and arrange one annual evaluation from the options in the statute, filing a copy with the superintendent (Fla. Stat. 1002.41). Florida does not list required subjects; a home education program is the sequentially progressive instruction of a student directed by the parent (Fla. Stat. 1002.01), and home education programs are excluded from the school day requirements (Fla. Stat. 1002.41(3)).
- •Private Tutoring : Your child is taught by a private tutor who holds a valid Florida certificate to teach the subjects or grades in which instruction is given. The tutor keeps all records and makes all reports required by the state and district school board, reports attendance, and keeps students in attendance for the minimum length of time set by law (Fla. Stat. 1002.43).
- •Private School (Including Umbrella/Cover Schools) : You enroll your child in a private school, including an umbrella or cover school, under Fla. Stat. 1002.42. Your child is then a private school student rather than a home education student. Attendance at a private school satisfies the attendance law (Fla. Stat. 1002.42(7)); the survey and records duties fall on the school, and state law requires no notice, testing or records from the family. Scholarship students take the norm-referenced test the school offers (Fla. Stat. 1002.394, 1002.395).
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Florida
Education savings available
Florida offers 2 education savings programs. Learn about ESA programs
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 Florida checklistRequirements sourced from Fla. Stat. 1002.41. Last reviewed October 2026