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.
Deadline: Within 30 days of beginning the home education program
More details
Include: child's name, address where instruction takes place, child's date of birth
Withdrawal letter recommended
A formal letter isn't required, but it is recommended if your child is enrolled in school. Send it to child's current school principal or registrar.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
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: Must demonstrate progress within one year of probation notice. Consequence: Continuation in a home education program is contingent upon demonstrating educational progress
Keep basic records
You must maintain: student portfolio.
More details
Portfolio must include: reading log, work samples, writing samples.
Good news
No specific subjects required
Florida does not mandate specific subjects under this pathway.
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Education savings programs available
Personalized Education Program (PEP): ~$8,000/student (2025-2026) — All Florida students (universal since HB 1, 2023). No income limitation.. Family Empowerment Scholarship - Unique Abilities (FES-UA): ~$10,000/student; up to $34,000+ for severe disabilities (matrix-funded) — Students with disabilities or unique abilities. Must have a current IEP, Section 504 plan, or documented diagnosis of an eligible disability.
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
- •address where instruction takes place
- •child's date of birth
Fla. Stat. §1002.41(1)(a)
Ongoing requirements
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: ["certified teacher evaluation of portfolio","licensed psychologist or school psychologist evaluation (per s. 490.003(7)-(8))","method agreed upon with superintendent"]; 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: Must demonstrate progress within one year of probation notice
- 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
Portfolio must include:
- •reading log
- •work samples
- •writing samples
Fla. Stat. §1002.41(1)(d)-(e)
What you don't need to worry about
No specific subjects required
Florida does not mandate specific subjects under this pathway.
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Education savings programs available
Personalized Education Program (PEP): ~$8,000/student (2025-2026) — All Florida students (universal since HB 1, 2023). No income limitation.. Family Empowerment Scholarship - Unique Abilities (FES-UA): ~$10,000/student; up to $34,000+ for severe disabilities (matrix-funded) — Students with disabilities or unique abilities. Must have a current IEP, Section 504 plan, or documented diagnosis of an eligible disability.
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 one-time Notice of Intent with the county superintendent, maintain a portfolio of your child's work, and submit one annual evaluation (your choice of method, including a teacher review of your portfolio or a standardized test). Florida does not mandate specific subjects, hours, or curriculum — just that instruction is 'sequentially progressive.' This is the most popular pathway and gives families broad flexibility.
- •Private Tutoring : You hire a tutor who holds a valid Florida teaching certificate to provide instruction covering the same subjects required in public schools. There is no annual evaluation or portfolio requirement — the tutor's certification serves as the accountability mechanism. This pathway is uncommon because it requires a certified teacher.
- •Private School (Including Umbrella/Cover Schools) : You enroll your child in a private school or umbrella (cover) school that registers with the Florida Department of Education on your behalf. You do not file a Notice of Intent with the county, and there is no annual evaluation or portfolio requirement. Your child is legally a private school student, not a home education student, which may affect eligibility for some homeschool-specific benefits like public school dual enrollment.
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. Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026