Hawaii Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Hawaii, based on HRS 302A-1132(a)(5) (Home Instruction). Hawaii is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home Instruction, the most common of Hawaii's 2 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
File your Letter of Intent & instructional plan
Submit to principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend based on residence. Deadline: before the child's attendance at school would otherwise be required, or at the time of withdrawal.
Deadline: before the child's attendance at school would otherwise be required, or at the time of withdrawal
More details
Include: child name address phone, child birthdate grade, parent signature
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 registrar or office, plus notification to local public school principal.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Show your child's progress
Standardized test or Teacher evaluation or Portfolio review or Other approved method — annually. At grades: 3, 5, 8, 10.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.
More details
Portfolio must include: commencement and ending dates, weekly hours of instruction, subject areas covered, mastery determination method, bibliography of textbooks and materials.
Submit annual progress reports
Submit annual progress reports to principal of the local public school.
More details
Submit: annual progress report. Due: end of each school year.
Good news
No specific subjects required
Hawaii does not mandate specific subjects under this pathway.
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- detailed plan
- Send to
- principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend based on residence
- Deadline
- before the child's attendance at school would otherwise be required, or at the time of withdrawal
- How often
- annual
Your notice must include:
- •child name address phone
- •child birthdate grade
- •parent signature
HAR 8-12-13
Ongoing requirements
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Home Instruction: "principal of the local public school"; Private School or Umbrella Program Enrollment: null
- Accepted types
- Standardized test, Teacher evaluation, Portfolio review, Other approved method
- Frequency
- annually
- At grades
- 3, 5, 8, 10
See our full assessment guide for Hawaii for details.
HAR 8-12-18
Recordkeeping
Varies by pathway. Home Instruction: ["commencement_and_ending_dates","weekly_hours_of_instruction","subject_areas_covered","mastery_determination_method","bibliography_of_textbooks_and_materials"]; Private School or Umbrella Program Enrollment: undefined
- ✓Student portfolio
Records may be reviewed by the district.
Portfolio must include:
- •commencement and ending dates
- •weekly hours of instruction
- •subject areas covered
- •mastery determination method
- •bibliography of textbooks and materials
HAR 8-12-15
Reporting
Varies by pathway. Home Instruction: "end of each school year"; Private School or Umbrella Program Enrollment: undefined
- Progress reports
- annual reports to principal of the local public school
HAR 8-12-13; HAR 8-12-18
What you don't need to worry about
No specific subjects required
Hawaii does not mandate specific subjects under this pathway.
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Other ways to homeschool in Hawaii
This checklist covers Home Instruction, the most common pathway. Hawaii offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home Instruction(this checklist) : You file a one-time notice of intent with the principal of your local public school, then submit annual evidence of your child's progress. You also maintain a curriculum record (not submitted, but kept on file). Hawaii requires both an initial notification and an end-of-year assessment, making it one of the more hands-on states for oversight.
- •Private School or Umbrella Program Enrollment : You enroll in a private school or umbrella program that handles compliance on your behalf. Your child is classified as a private school student, not a homeschooler, so the annual assessment and curriculum plan requirements of the home instruction statute do not apply. Best for families who want less state oversight or prefer institutional support.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Hawaii
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 Hawaii checklistRequirements sourced from HRS 302A-1132(a)(5) (Home Instruction). Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026