New Mexico Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in New Mexico, based on NMSA 22-1-2.1. New Mexico is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home School, the most common of New Mexico'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 New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED). Deadline: Within 30 days of establishing the home school.
Deadline: Within 30 days of establishing the home school
More details
Include: School district where the students reside, Legal names of all parents or guardians, Physical home address of the students and custodial parents or guardians, Each child's name, date of birth, gender, grade, and ethnicity, Parent signature affirming the instructor has at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, Email address and phone
Confirm your qualification
This pathway requires a high school diploma or GED. Alternatives: High school equivalency credential.
Deadline: Before you start
Ongoing
Required subjects
reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 1140 hours/year. Conditions: New Mexico sets an annual minimum of 1,140 instructional hours (550 for half-day kindergarten) under NMSA 22-2-8.1(A), not a number of days. NMPED’s current home-school guidance lists 1,140 hours annually, except 550 for half-day kindergarten. This is the department’s published guidance; statutory scope and any other applicable exceptions remain relevant. New Mexico sets an annual minimum of 1,140 instructional hours (550 for half-day kindergarten) under NMSA 22-2-8.1(A), not a daily duration.
Testing: what applies to you
This addresses annual standardized testing for home-school students. Placement or graduation requirements can apply when transferring to a traditional school.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by By August 1 of each subsequent year of operation.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED)
- Deadline
- Within 30 days of establishing the home school
- How often
- annual
- Official form
- Download / access form
Your notice must include:
- •School district where the students reside
- •Legal names of all parents or guardians
- •Physical home address of the students and custodial parents or guardians
- •Each child's name, date of birth, gender, grade, and ethnicity
- •Parent signature affirming the instructor has at least a high school diploma or its equivalent
- •Email address and phone
NMSA 22-1-2.1 (home school notification within 30 days; annual renewal)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓reading
- ✓language arts
- ✓mathematics
- ✓social studies
- ✓science
Varies by pathway. Home School: "general_list"; Private School: "none"
NMSA 22-1-2 (home school definition: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science)
Instructional time
Varies by pathway. Home School: null; Private School: false
- Hours per year:
- 1140
NMSA 22-2-8.1 (1,140 instructional hours, as listed in NMPED home school guidance); NMSA 22-12A-4(B)
Reporting
Varies by pathway. Home School: "By August 1 of each subsequent year of operation"; Private School: null
- Annual renewal
- Required by By August 1 of each subsequent year of operation
NMSA 22-1-2.1 (annual notification renewal)
Instructor qualifications
Varies by pathway. Home School: ["High school equivalency credential"]; Private School: []
The instructor must have a high school diploma or GED.
Alternatives: High school equivalency credential
NMSA 22-1-2.1 (instructor must possess at least a high school diploma or equivalent)
Other ways to homeschool in New Mexico
This checklist covers Home School, the most common pathway. New Mexico offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home School(this checklist) : You notify the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) within 30 days of establishing your home school, and by August 1 each later year, using its registration form or online registry. You provide instruction in at least reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science, keep each student's immunization records or an approved waiver, and affirm that the person instructing your child has at least a high school diploma or a high school equivalency credential (NMSA 22-1-2, 22-1-2.1). NMPED does not approve curriculum, and home school students are not required to take annual standardized tests. NMPED's guidance lists 1,140 instructional hours per year (550 for half-day kindergarten) under NMSA 22-2-8.1.
- •Private School : New Mexico law defines a private school as a school, other than a home school, that offers on-site programs of instruction (NMSA 22-1-2). If your child attends a private school, your duty under state law is your child's attendance (NMSA 22-12A-4); the home school notice, subject, instructor and record rules do not apply to the family. The private school must have an attendance policy that follows public school attendance law as closely as practicable (NMSA 22-12A-4(E)).
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for New Mexico
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 New Mexico checklistRequirements sourced from NMSA 22-1-2.1. Last reviewed October 2026