Maryland Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Maryland, based on COMAR 13A.10.01. Maryland is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System, the most common of Maryland'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 local school superintendent or designated office. Deadline: at least 15 days before the start of home instruction.
Deadline: at least 15 days before the start of home instruction
More details
Include: child's name, child's age, child's grade level, parent/guardian name, parent/guardian address, list of subjects to be taught
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 local school system homeschool office.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Required subjects
English (reading, writing, spelling), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education
Show your child's progress
Portfolio review — three times per year.
More details
Timeline: 30 days from receipt of written notification. Consequence: Child must be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school
Keep basic records
You must maintain: student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.
More details
Portfolio must include: work samples, instructional materials used, writing samples.
Good news
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- local school superintendent or designated office
- Deadline
- at least 15 days before the start of home instruction
- How often
- one time
Your notice must include:
- •child's name
- •child's age
- •child's grade level
- •parent/guardian name
- •parent/guardian address
- •list of subjects to be taught
COMAR 13A.10.01.01(B) (notification to local superintendent at least 15 days before instruction begins)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓English (reading, writing, spelling)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓science
- ✓social studies
- ✓art
- ✓music
- ✓health
- ✓physical education
Varies by pathway. Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System: "general_list"; Umbrella Program or Church-Exempt School: "none"
COMAR 13A.10.01.01(C) (regular, thorough instruction in required subject areas)
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System: "three_times_per_year"; Umbrella Program or Church-Exempt School: null
- Accepted types
- Portfolio review
- Frequency
- three times per year
If scores fall short:
- Process:
- Timeline: 30 days from receipt of written notification
- Consequence: Child must be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school
See our full assessment guide for Maryland for details.
COMAR 13A.10.01.01 (portfolio review; not more than three reviews per school year)
Recordkeeping
Varies by pathway. Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System: ["work_samples","instructional_materials","writing_samples"]; Umbrella Program or Church-Exempt School: undefined
- ✓Student portfolio
Records may be reviewed by the district.
Portfolio must include:
- •work samples
- •instructional materials used
- •writing samples
COMAR 13A.10.01.01(D) (portfolio with work samples, materials evidence, and instructional log)
What you don't need to worry about
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Other ways to homeschool in Maryland
This checklist covers Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System, the most common pathway. Maryland offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home Instruction Supervised by the Local School System(this checklist) : You notify your local school superintendent at least 15 days before starting and teach eight required subjects including art, music, and PE. A school-system reviewer inspects your portfolio up to three times per year (typically at each semester's end) to verify regular, thorough instruction. No standardized testing required — the portfolio review is the primary accountability mechanism.
- •Umbrella Program or Church-Exempt School : You enroll in an umbrella program or church-exempt school that handles oversight instead of the local school system. No state-mandated portfolio reviews, no required subject list from the state, and no direct reporting to the school district. Best for families affiliated with a church organization or who want to avoid the three-times-per-year portfolio review of the standard pathway.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Maryland
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 Maryland checklistRequirements sourced from COMAR 13A.10.01. Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026