Missouri Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Missouri, based on Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.012; Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.031. Missouri is classified as Low regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home School Under Section 167.012, the most common of Missouri's 2 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
Withdrawal letter recommended
A formal letter isn't required, but it is recommended if your child is enrolled in school. Send it to the public school district where your child legally resides. Conditions: If your child is enrolled in a public school, RSMo 167.042 says the school must remove the child from its rolls promptly when you give written notification of your intent to pursue other educational options and ask that the child be dropped.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Required subjects
reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 1000 hours/year.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: attendance records, student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.
More details
Portfolio must include: plan book or daily log, work samples, evaluation record.
Good news
No notification required
Missouri does not require you to notify anyone to begin homeschooling.
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Education savings: Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program
Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program: A share of Missouri's state adequacy target (set each year by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education): up to 175% for a student with an IEP, up to 160% for a limited English proficiency student, up to 125% for a student eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and up to 100% for all other students (RSMo 135.714.1(6)(a)). — A Missouri resident elementary or secondary student, lawfully present in the United States, who has an IEP, or whose household income is at or below 300% of the free and reduced-price lunch income standard and who also attended public school full time for at least one semester in the past 12 months, is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade, or is a sibling of a current scholarship recipient (RSMo 166.700(9)). Not available to a child in a home school under RSMo 167.012: a home school may not enroll MOScholars participants. The student must attend a qualified school, which includes an FPE (Family Paced Education) school under RSMo 167.013 (RSMo 166.700(8); 167.012.1(4)).
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓reading
- ✓language arts
- ✓mathematics
- ✓social studies
- ✓science
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.012 (five core subjects; 600 hours minimum)
Instructional time
- Hours per year:
- 1000
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.012 (1,000 hours total; 600 in core subjects; 400 at home location)
Recordkeeping
Varies by pathway. Home School Under Section 167.012: ["plan_book_or_daily_log","work_samples","evaluation_record"]; Private School / Umbrella (Cover) School Enrollment: undefined
- ✓Attendance records
- ✓Student portfolio
Records may be reviewed by the district.
Portfolio must include:
- •plan book or daily log
- •work samples
- •evaluation record
Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.012.2(1), .4 (plan book or diary, portfolio, evaluation record, or equivalent evidence)
What you don't need to worry about
No notification required
Missouri does not require you to notify anyone to begin homeschooling.
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Education savings: Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program
Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program: A share of Missouri's state adequacy target (set each year by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education): up to 175% for a student with an IEP, up to 160% for a limited English proficiency student, up to 125% for a student eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and up to 100% for all other students (RSMo 135.714.1(6)(a)). — A Missouri resident elementary or secondary student, lawfully present in the United States, who has an IEP, or whose household income is at or below 300% of the free and reduced-price lunch income standard and who also attended public school full time for at least one semester in the past 12 months, is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade, or is a sibling of a current scholarship recipient (RSMo 166.700(9)). Not available to a child in a home school under RSMo 167.012: a home school may not enroll MOScholars participants. The student must attend a qualified school, which includes an FPE (Family Paced Education) school under RSMo 167.013 (RSMo 166.700(8); 167.012.1(4)).
Other ways to homeschool in Missouri
This checklist covers Home School Under Section 167.012, the most common pathway. Missouri offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home School Under Section 167.012(this checklist) : You teach at home with no notification, registration or approval. You offer at least 1,000 hours of instruction a year, at least 600 of them in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science or related academic courses, with at least 400 of those 600 at your regular home school location. You keep a plan book, diary or other written record of subjects taught, a portfolio of samples of your child's work, and a record of evaluations, or other equivalent evidence. You do not submit these records; they are subject to review only by the local prosecuting attorney. No testing is required, and the hour and record requirements do not apply to a pupil 16 or older (Mo. Rev. Stat. 167.012).
- •Private School / Umbrella (Cover) School Enrollment : You enroll with a private umbrella or cover school while you teach your own children at home. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.012 defines a home school as a school whose primary purpose is private or religious-based instruction, that enrolls no more than four children who are not related within the third degree, and that charges no tuition or fees for instruction. A parent teaching their own children at home meets that definition, so enrolling with an umbrella school does not change your duties, and you follow the Section 167.012 home school rules (1,000 hours, the five core subject areas, and the plan book, portfolio and evaluation records). No notice to the state or district is required.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Missouri
Education savings available
Missouri offers Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program. 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 Missouri checklistRequirements sourced from Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.012; Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 167.031. Last reviewed October 2026