Wisconsin Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Wisconsin, based on Wis. Stat. 118.165. Wisconsin is classified as Low regulation.
This is the general checklist for Home-Based Private Educational Program (HBPEP), the most common of Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Deadline: October 15 of each school year. Conditions: The report is the online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report on DPI's form; DPI also asks for your resident school district.
Deadline: October 15 of each school year
More details
Include: number of children enrolled (elementary and high school grades), statement that the program meets the Wis. Stat. 118.165(1) criteria
Ongoing
Required subjects
reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, health
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 875 hours/year.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by October 15. Conditions: The report is the online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report on DPI's form; DPI also asks for your resident school district.
Good news
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
- Deadline
- October 15 of each school year
- How often
- annual
- Official form
- Download / access form
Your notice must include:
- •number of children enrolled (elementary and high school grades)
- •statement that the program meets the Wis. Stat. 118.165(1) criteria
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓reading
- ✓language arts
- ✓mathematics
- ✓social studies
- ✓science
- ✓health
Wis. Stat. 118.165(1)(a)
Reporting
Varies by pathway. Home-Based Private Educational Program (HBPEP): "October 15"; Private School: null
- Annual renewal
- Required by October 15
What you don't need to worry about
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Other ways to homeschool in Wisconsin
This checklist covers Home-Based Private Educational Program (HBPEP), the most common pathway. Wisconsin offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Home-Based Private Educational Program (HBPEP)(this checklist) : You file Form PI-1206 with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction by October 15 each school year (Wis. Stat. 115.30(3)), and provide at least 875 hours of instruction each year in a sequentially progressive curriculum of reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health (118.165(1)). There is no testing, curriculum approval, portfolio, or progress report.
- •Private School : A private school that meets the criteria in Wis. Stat. 118.165(1), including at least 875 hours of instruction a year and the same six-subject curriculum, is structured as a school rather than a home-based program. The school's administrator files the school's enrollment report with DPI by October 15 (Wis. Stat. 115.30(3)); a family whose child is enrolled in a Wisconsin private school does not file a PI-1206. State teacher licensing (Wis. Stat. 118.19(1)) does not apply to private schools.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin checklistRequirements sourced from Wis. Stat. 118.165. Last reviewed October 2026