Homeschool Affidavit: Which States Use One and How to File

A homeschool affidavit is the filing name used in 4 states: Arizona, California, Florida and Pennsylvania; Utah has not required one since 2025 for children starting at the beginning of a school year, and most other states that require notice use a notice, letter or declaration of intent.

Across the 50 states, 37 require a notice or similar filing. The name, recipient and filing schedule depend on your state, so check its official instructions before you submit paperwork.

• AAffidavit filing or sample form (4)
• FAnother notice or filing (33)
• NNo routine notice required (13)

50 states · Letters or ages identify each tile; counts appear in the legend.

Read the state-by-state chart

Which filing name does your state use?

State	Chart category
Alabama	Another notice or filing
Alaska	No routine notice required
Arizona	Affidavit filing or sample form
Arkansas	Another notice or filing
California	Affidavit filing or sample form
Colorado	Another notice or filing
Connecticut	No routine notice required
Delaware	Another notice or filing
Florida	Affidavit filing or sample form
Georgia	Another notice or filing
Hawaii	Another notice or filing
Idaho	No routine notice required
Illinois	No routine notice required
Indiana	No routine notice required
Iowa	No routine notice required
Kansas	Another notice or filing
Kentucky	Another notice or filing
Louisiana	Another notice or filing
Maine	Another notice or filing
Maryland	Another notice or filing
Massachusetts	Another notice or filing
Michigan	No routine notice required
Minnesota	Another notice or filing
Mississippi	Another notice or filing
Missouri	No routine notice required
Montana	Another notice or filing
Nebraska	Another notice or filing
Nevada	Another notice or filing
New Hampshire	No routine notice required
New Jersey	No routine notice required
New Mexico	Another notice or filing
New York	Another notice or filing
North Carolina	Another notice or filing
North Dakota	Another notice or filing
Ohio	Another notice or filing
Oklahoma	No routine notice required
Oregon	Another notice or filing
Pennsylvania	Affidavit filing or sample form
Rhode Island	Another notice or filing
South Carolina	Another notice or filing
South Dakota	Another notice or filing
Tennessee	Another notice or filing
Texas	No routine notice required
Utah	Another notice or filing
Vermont	Another notice or filing
Virginia	Another notice or filing
Washington	Another notice or filing
West Virginia	Another notice or filing
Wisconsin	Another notice or filing
Wyoming	No routine notice required

Key Takeaways

• Four states call their filing an affidavit.
• Filing deadlines and required details vary by state.
• Many states use a different filing name, such as notice of intent.

What Does the Filing Record?

A homeschool filing records that you have notified the required state or local office that you are educating your child at home. The form may ask for basic information about your child and program, or include added statements and supporting details.

The office that receives the filing varies by state. You might send it to a county school superintendent, a district superintendent, a school board or a state department.

Check the state’s filing instructions for the official form, deadline and filing address. If your child is enrolled in public school, read our guide How to Withdraw From Public School to Homeschool along with your state’s filing rules.

Which States Call Their Filing an Affidavit?

Arizona, California, Florida and Pennsylvania use a filing or form called an affidavit. Their requirements differ in what you submit, when you file and which office receives it.

The word affidavit does not tell you the full filing process. Florida’s posted affidavit is a sample notice of intent, while Pennsylvania allows an affidavit or an unsworn declaration.

Arizona's Homeschool Affidavit

In Arizona, you file an affidavit once with the county school superintendent within 30 days after homeschooling begins. The filing includes the child’s name and date of birth, the current address of the school the child attends, and the custodians’ names, phone numbers and addresses.

County offices ask for notarization and proof of the child’s identity, such as a certified birth certificate. You need a new affidavit only if homeschooling stops and later restarts; if homeschooling ends, notify the county within 30 days.

The official form listing is Maricopa County homeschool affidavit, withdrawal and change-of-information forms. For a homeschool affidavit form, use the instructions for the county where you live, since the filing goes to that county’s superintendent.

California's Private School Affidavit

If you set up a home-based private school in California, file a private school affidavit with the California Department of Education every year between October 1 and October 15. Parents in this option report to the state department, not their school district.

The official filing is called Private School Affidavit information and filing. Other California home-study options include enrolling in an existing private school with independent study, enrolling in a public charter school that offers home-based study, or joining a public school district’s independent study program. A credentialed tutor holding a California teaching credential is another option.

Florida's Home Education Affidavit

In Florida, submit a signed written notice to your district school superintendent within 30 days of starting the home education program. It must list the full legal names, addresses and birthdates of every child in the program.

The Department of Education posts a sample notice called Home Education Affidavit (sample notice of intent), and districts may have their own form. When you end the program, submit a termination notice within 30 days and provide the annual evaluation.

Pennsylvania's Affidavit or Unsworn Declaration

In Pennsylvania, file a notarized affidavit or an unsworn declaration with your school district superintendent before the home education program starts, then file each year by August 1. The filing names the supervisor and each child, gives each child’s age, and provides the program address and phone number.

You must also include an outline of learning objectives by subject, proof of immunizations and required health services, and a signed statement that no adult in the home has certain criminal convictions in the past five years.

The official forms include Elementary sample affidavit (Word), Elementary unsworn declaration (Word), Secondary sample affidavit (Word), Secondary unsworn declaration (Word) and the Home Education and Private Tutoring Guide (PDF).

What Changed in Utah?

Utah’s law no longer requires an affidavit for a child starting at the beginning of a school year or a statement about criminal background. A parent files a one-time initial notification, which may be a letter of intent, with the local school board for the child’s district of residence.

Submit the notification when you withdraw an enrolled child to homeschool or choose not to enroll a school-age child. The notification is required once per child, not every year.

How Does an Affidavit Differ From a Notice of Intent?

An affidavit’s filing rules can include notarization and added statements, while many notice filings use a shorter notice. Arizona county offices ask for notarization, and Pennsylvania requires a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with specific program details and statements.

Florida’s posted Home Education Affidavit is a sample notice of intent. For state-by-state filing names and notice details, see the homeschool letter of intent guide.

Which States Use a Different Filing?

Many states use a different filing name, such as a letter of intent, registration or declaration. Use the state page linked below for its filing instructions; the table gives each filing’s name without listing deadlines.