South Carolina Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in South Carolina, based on S.C. Code Section 59-65-40; S.C. Code Section 59-65-45; S.C. Code Section 59-65-47. South Carolina is classified as Moderate regulation.
This is the general checklist for Option 3 - Accountability Association, the most common of South Carolina's 3 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 homeschool association with at least 50 members. Conditions: The required step is bona fide membership in a qualifying association; the parent files nothing with the district. The association reports the number and grade level of children to districts by January 30. 59-65-47 sets no deadline for the parent. The January 30 date is the association's report to districts. The statute sets an annual association report to districts; membership terms are set by the association.
Deadline: Before you start
More details
Conditions: 59-65-47 sets no deadline for the parent. The January 30 date is the association's report to districts..
Confirm your qualification
This pathway requires a high school diploma or GED. Alternatives: general educational development (GED) certificate.
Deadline: Before you start
Ongoing
Required subjects
reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies Conditions: Grades 7 through 12 also include composition and literature.
More details
Conditions: Grades 7 through 12 also include composition and literature..
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 180 days/year. You must track and document hours. Conditions: Membership exempts the home school from the 4.5-hour day in 59-65-40; 59-65-47 sets 180 days and no daily hours.
Testing: what applies to you
The semiannual progress report under 59-65-47(d)(3) is a records duty, not a test. The association sets its own academic standards as a condition of membership and may require more than the statute (for example testing). Those are membership terms, not statutory duties. Option 3 is exempt from the Section 59-65-40 testing requirements, and Section 59-65-47 itself sets no testing or test-reporting duty. The association reports only the number and grade level of members' children to districts. An association may set its own academic standards.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: attendance records, student portfolio. Conditions: The statute does not require letter grades or a transcript, but the semiannual progress report must include individualized documentation of academic progress in each basic area. 59-65-47(d) requires the records to be kept but gives the district no inspection right; the association may review them under its own standards.
More details
Portfolio must include: plan book, diary, or other record of subjects taught and activities, portfolio of samples of the student's academic work, semiannual progress report with attendance records and documentation of academic progress.
Good news
Education savings: Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF)
Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF): $7,634 per student for 2026-27, paid in quarterly amounts of $1,908.50 ($7,500 in 2025-26). — A South Carolina resident at least 5 years old on or before September 1, with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines (2026-27 and later), who will not be enrolled full time in the zoned public school. Students in the Exceptional Needs Children's Fund program are excluded (S.C. Code 59-8-110(4); 59-8-115(D)(4)(d)). Not while homeschooling under Option 1, 2 or 3: the parent attests each year not to take part in a home instruction program under 59-65-40, 59-65-45 or 59-65-47. A family can still educate at home under the ESTF agreement, which itself satisfies compulsory attendance (S.C. Code 59-8-115(D)(4)(e), (H)).
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- homeschool association with at least 50 members
- How often
- annual
S.C. Code §59-65-47(A)
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓reading
- ✓writing
- ✓mathematics
- ✓science
- ✓social studies
- Grades 7 through 12 also include composition and literature.
S.C. Code §59-65-47(A)
Instructional time
Varies by pathway. Option 1 - School Board Approval: true; Option 2 - SCAIHS: null; Option 3 - Accountability Association: true
- Days per year:
- 180
S.C. Code §59-65-47(A)
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Option 1 - School Board Approval: "school district (tests are administered by a certified school district employee)"; Option 2 - SCAIHS: null; Option 3 - Accountability Association: null
- The semiannual progress report under 59-65-47(d)(3) is a records duty, not a test.
- The association sets its own academic standards as a condition of membership and may require more than the statute (for example testing). Those are membership terms, not statutory duties.
- Accepted types
See our full assessment guide for South Carolina for details.
S.C. Code §59-65-47
Recordkeeping
Varies by pathway. Option 1 - School Board Approval: ["plan book, diary, or other written record of subjects taught and activities","portfolio of samples of the student's academic work","record of evaluations of the student's academic progress","semiannual progress report with attendance records and individualized assessments"]; Option 2 - SCAIHS: undefined; Option 3 - Accountability Association: ["plan book, diary, or other record of subjects taught and activities","portfolio of samples of the student's academic work","semiannual progress report with attendance records and documentation of academic progress"]
- ✓Attendance records
- ✓Student portfolio
Portfolio must include:
- •plan book, diary, or other record of subjects taught and activities
- •portfolio of samples of the student's academic work
- •semiannual progress report with attendance records and documentation of academic progress
S.C. Code §59-65-47(A)
Instructor qualifications
Varies by pathway. Option 1 - School Board Approval: ["general educational development (GED) certificate","baccalaureate degree"]; Option 2 - SCAIHS: ["general educational development (GED) certificate"]; Option 3 - Accountability Association: ["general educational development (GED) certificate"]
The instructor must have a high school diploma or GED.
Alternatives: general educational development (GED) certificate
S.C. Code §59-65-47(A)
What you don't need to worry about
Education savings: Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF)
Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF): $7,634 per student for 2026-27, paid in quarterly amounts of $1,908.50 ($7,500 in 2025-26). — A South Carolina resident at least 5 years old on or before September 1, with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines (2026-27 and later), who will not be enrolled full time in the zoned public school. Students in the Exceptional Needs Children's Fund program are excluded (S.C. Code 59-8-110(4); 59-8-115(D)(4)(d)). Not while homeschooling under Option 1, 2 or 3: the parent attests each year not to take part in a home instruction program under 59-65-40, 59-65-45 or 59-65-47. A family can still educate at home under the ESTF agreement, which itself satisfies compulsory attendance (S.C. Code 59-8-115(D)(4)(e), (H)).
Other ways to homeschool in South Carolina
This checklist covers Option 3 - Accountability Association, the most common pathway. South Carolina offers 3 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Option 1 - School Board Approval : You apply to your local school district board of trustees for approval of your home school program (S.C. Code 59-65-40). The program must have an instructional day of at least 4.5 hours (not counting lunch and recesses) and an instructional year of at least 180 days, and must teach reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, plus composition and literature in grades 7-12. You keep a plan book, a portfolio of your child's work, and a record of evaluations available for district inspection, and you submit a semiannual progress report to the district. Your child takes part in the annual statewide testing program, given by a certified school district employee either with public school students or at your child's place of instruction. The parent must have at least a high school diploma or GED, or a bachelor's degree.
- •Option 2 - SCAIHS : You teach under the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS) (S.C. Code 59-65-45). Membership and continuing compliance with SCAIHS academic standards exempt you from the further requirements of Option 1, including its 4.5-hour day and testing. At a minimum, SCAIHS standards require a parent with at least a high school diploma or GED, an instructional year of at least 180 days, and a curriculum that includes reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, plus composition and literature in grades 7-12. SCAIHS may set additional requirements of its own. By January 30 each year, SCAIHS reports the number and grade level of its students to their school districts.
- •Option 3 - Accountability Association(this checklist) : You teach under a homeschool association that has at least 50 members (S.C. Code 59-65-47). Membership and continuing compliance with the association's academic standards exempt you from the further requirements of Options 1 and 2, including Option 1's 4.5-hour day and testing. At a minimum, the association's standards require a parent with at least a high school diploma or GED, an instructional year of at least 180 days, a curriculum that includes reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies (plus composition and literature in grades 7-12), and records kept by the parent: a plan book, a portfolio of your child's work, and a semiannual progress report with attendance and documentation of academic progress. Your association may set additional requirements of its own. By January 30 each year, the association reports the number and grade level of its students to their school districts.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for South Carolina
Education savings available
South Carolina offers Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF). 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 South Carolina checklistRequirements sourced from S.C. Code Section 59-65-40; S.C. Code Section 59-65-45; S.C. Code Section 59-65-47. Last reviewed October 2026