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Maine Homeschool Requirements Checklist

Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Maine, based on 20-A MRSA Section 5001-A. Maine is classified as Moderate regulation.

This is the general checklist for Standard Home Instruction, the most common of Maine'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 school officials of the school administrative unit where the student resides and the commissioner, simultaneously. Deadline: within 10 days of the start of home instruction.

Deadline: within 10 days of the start of home instruction

More details

Include: parent name signature address, student name age, program start date, 175 day and subject assurance, annual assessment assurance

Ongoing

Required subjects

English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills, fine arts, Maine studies (at least one grade from 6 to 12), computer proficiency (one grade from 7 to 12)

Meet instructional time requirements

Minimum: 175 days/year. Conditions: The provision specifies 175 days annually, without a numeric daily or annual hours count. The subject and assessment obligations still apply.

Show your child's progress

Standardized test or Teacher evaluation or Portfolio review or Other approved method — annually. Conditions: Use one statutory option; some require advance agreement with school officials. A portfolio support-group review must include a currently certified Maine teacher or administrator. Annual assessment applies; the cited provision does not set particular test grades or a numerical passing score. Assessment option requirements still apply.

More details

Submit by: 09-01

Renew each year

You must renew your homeschool notice each year by September 1 of each subsequent year.

Filing requirements

What to file
simple notice
Send to
school officials of the school administrative unit where the student resides and the commissioner, simultaneously
Deadline
within 10 days of the start of home instruction
How often
annual

Your notice must include:

  • •parent name signature address
  • •student name age
  • •program start date
  • •175 day and subject assurance
  • •annual assessment assurance
Practical tip: Send the notice of intent at the same time to the school officials of your local school administrative unit and to the Commissioner of Education (20-A MRSA §5001-A(3)(A)(4)(a)). The statute calls this a notice of intent, not an application for approval. If you plan to use the district's standardized test, a district-developed test or a local advisory board review for your annual assessment, your school officials must agree to it before you send the notice.

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Ongoing requirements

Required subjects

  • ✓English and language arts
  • ✓math
  • ✓science
  • ✓social studies
  • ✓physical education
  • ✓health education
  • ✓library skills
  • ✓fine arts
  • ✓Maine studies (at least one grade from 6 to 12)
  • ✓computer proficiency (one grade from 7 to 12)

Varies by pathway. Standard Home Instruction: "general_list"; Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: "none"

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Instructional time

Varies by pathway. Standard Home Instruction: null; Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: false

Days per year:
175

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Testing and assessment

Varies by pathway. Standard Home Instruction: "09-01"; Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: undefined

Accepted types
Standardized test, Teacher evaluation, Portfolio review, Other approved method
Frequency
annually
Submission deadline:
09-01

See our full assessment guide for Maine for details.

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Reporting

Varies by pathway. Standard Home Instruction: ["annual_assessment"]; Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: undefined

Annual renewal
Required by September 1 of each subsequent year
Evidence required:
annual assessment

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Other ways to homeschool in Maine

This checklist covers Standard Home Instruction, the most common pathway. Maine offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:

  • •
    Standard Home Instruction(this checklist) : You send a written notice of intent to your local school officials and the Commissioner of Education within 10 calendar days of beginning home instruction. You provide at least 175 days of instruction a year in the required subject areas. On or before September 1 of each following year, you file a letter stating you will continue, with a copy of one annual assessment: a standardized achievement test, a test developed by your local school officials, a review by a certified Maine teacher, a portfolio review by a local homeschool support group that includes a certified Maine teacher or administrator, or a review by a local advisory board.
  • •
    Approved Private School or Correspondence Program : You enroll your child in a private school approved for attendance purposes under 20-A MRSA §2901, or in a private school recognized by the Maine Department of Education as providing equivalent instruction. Your child is credited with attendance when the school files a certificate with your local school officials showing your child's name, residence and attendance (20-A MRSA §5001-A(3)(A)(1)-(2)).

Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Maine

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 Maine checklist

Requirements sourced from 20-A MRSA Section 5001-A. Last reviewed October 2026