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 Notice of Intent
Submit to principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend based on residence. Deadline: before initiating home schooling.
Deadline: before initiating home schooling
More details
Per HAR 8-12-13(a), the notice of intent requires only three items: (1) name, address, and telephone number of the child; (2) birthdate and grade level of the child; and (3) signature of the parent. May be submitted on Form 4140 or in a letter. No curriculum plan is required in the notification itself (curriculum records are maintained separately per HAR 8-12-15). Per HAR 8-12-13(c), notification does not need to be resubmitted annually as long as the annual progress report has been submitted per HAR 8-12-18(b), except when the child transfers to a different local public school (e.g., transition from elementary to intermediate). The notice is acknowledged by the principal and district superintendent for recordkeeping and to protect families from unfounded accusations of educational neglect or truancy.
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)
More details
No statutory waiting period between withdrawal and beginning home instruction. Keep copies of all correspondence.
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.
More details
Per HAR 8-12-18(b), at end of each school year the parent must submit an annual progress report to the principal. At GRADES 3, 5, 8, and 10: test scores are required per the Statewide Testing Program (HAR 8-12-18(a)); the child may participate at the local public school or the parent may arrange comparable private testing. For the annual progress report at ALL grades, parent chooses one of four methods: (1) nationally normed standardized test showing grade-level achievement, (2) standardized test showing progress equivalent to one grade level per calendar year, (3) written evaluation by a Hawaii-certified teacher showing appropriate progress, or (4) parent-written evaluation including subject progress descriptions, work samples, and representative tests/assignments. At grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, the parent may also opt to use the Statewide Testing Program results as the annual assessment (HAR 8-12-18(c)). If progress is inadequate, the principal may meet with the parent and request the curriculum record; no enforcement action may occur before third grade or unless progress is inadequate for two consecutive semesters (HAR 8-12-18(d)).
Keep basic records
You must maintain: student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.
More details
Per HAR 8-12-15, parents must keep a record of the planned curriculum that includes: (1) commencement and ending dates of the program; (2) weekly hours of instruction; (3) subject areas covered (elementary: language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health, physical education; secondary: social studies, English, mathematics, science, health, physical education, guidance); (4) method used to determine mastery of materials and subjects; and (5) a bibliography of textbooks and instructional materials in standard bibliographical format (for books: author, title, publisher, date; for magazines: author, article title, magazine, date, volume, pages). The curriculum must be structured and based on educational objectives, be cumulative and sequential, and take into account the child's interests, needs, and abilities. This record is kept by the parent and may be requested by the principal only if progress is found inadequate per HAR 8-12-18(d). Keep records of all notifications and assessments submitted.
Submit annual progress reports
Submit annual progress reports to principal of the local public school.
More details
Hawaii has a one-time intake obligation (notice of intent per HAR 8-12-13, not resubmitted annually) and an annual output obligation (progress report per HAR 8-12-18). The annual progress report is what keeps the notification active; no separate renewal filing is needed. Grade-level milestone assessments are also required at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 per HAR 8-12-18(a).
Good news
No specific subjects required
No specific list of required subjects is mandated in statute. HAR 8-12-15 lists suggested subject areas for the parent's curriculum record: elementary may include language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health, and physical education; secondary may include social studies, English, mathematics, science, health, physical education, and guidance. The word 'may' in the regulation gives families broad discretion.
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- principal of the public school the child would otherwise attend based on residence
- Deadline
- before initiating home schooling
- How often
- one time
Per HAR 8-12-13(a), the notice of intent requires only three items: (1) name, address, and telephone number of the child; (2) birthdate and grade level of the child; and (3) signature of the parent. May be submitted on Form 4140 or in a letter. No curriculum plan is required in the notification itself (curriculum records are maintained separately per HAR 8-12-15). Per HAR 8-12-13(c), notification does not need to be resubmitted annually as long as the annual progress report has been submitted per HAR 8-12-18(b), except when the child transfers to a different local public school (e.g., transition from elementary to intermediate). The notice is acknowledged by the principal and district superintendent for recordkeeping and to protect families from unfounded accusations of educational neglect or truancy.
HAR 8-12-13
Ongoing requirements
Testing and assessment
- Accepted types
- Standardized test, Teacher evaluation, Portfolio review, Other approved method
- Frequency
- annually
- At grades
- 3, 5, 8, 10
Per HAR 8-12-18(b), at end of each school year the parent must submit an annual progress report to the principal. At GRADES 3, 5, 8, and 10: test scores are required per the Statewide Testing Program (HAR 8-12-18(a)); the child may participate at the local public school or the parent may arrange comparable private testing. For the annual progress report at ALL grades, parent chooses one of four methods: (1) nationally normed standardized test showing grade-level achievement, (2) standardized test showing progress equivalent to one grade level per calendar year, (3) written evaluation by a Hawaii-certified teacher showing appropriate progress, or (4) parent-written evaluation including subject progress descriptions, work samples, and representative tests/assignments. At grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, the parent may also opt to use the Statewide Testing Program results as the annual assessment (HAR 8-12-18(c)). If progress is inadequate, the principal may meet with the parent and request the curriculum record; no enforcement action may occur before third grade or unless progress is inadequate for two consecutive semesters (HAR 8-12-18(d)).
See our full assessment guide for Hawaii for details.
HAR 8-12-18
Recordkeeping
- ✓Student portfolio
Records may be reviewed by the district.
Per HAR 8-12-15, parents must keep a record of the planned curriculum that includes: (1) commencement and ending dates of the program; (2) weekly hours of instruction; (3) subject areas covered (elementary: language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health, physical education; secondary: social studies, English, mathematics, science, health, physical education, guidance); (4) method used to determine mastery of materials and subjects; and (5) a bibliography of textbooks and instructional materials in standard bibliographical format (for books: author, title, publisher, date; for magazines: author, article title, magazine, date, volume, pages). The curriculum must be structured and based on educational objectives, be cumulative and sequential, and take into account the child's interests, needs, and abilities. This record is kept by the parent and may be requested by the principal only if progress is found inadequate per HAR 8-12-18(d). Keep records of all notifications and assessments submitted.
HAR 8-12-15
Reporting
- Progress reports
- annual reports to principal of the local public school
Hawaii has a one-time intake obligation (notice of intent per HAR 8-12-13, not resubmitted annually) and an annual output obligation (progress report per HAR 8-12-18). The annual progress report is what keeps the notification active; no separate renewal filing is needed. Grade-level milestone assessments are also required at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 per HAR 8-12-18(a).
HAR 8-12-13; HAR 8-12-18
What you don't need to worry about
No specific subjects required
No specific list of required subjects is mandated in statute. HAR 8-12-15 lists suggested subject areas for the parent's curriculum record: elementary may include language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health, and physical education; secondary may include social studies, English, mathematics, science, health, physical education, and guidance. The word 'may' in the regulation gives families broad discretion.
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
Related guides
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