Your state guide · 2026

Iowa homeschool laws

Last verified 2026-10-28 · View official sources

The short answer

Iowa offers two homeschool paths.

Regulation levelNone

Editorial category; see the guide.

Notice requiredNo

Form A is due by September 1 of the school year.

Testing / evaluationNo

See requirements for options and exceptions.

Compulsory ages6–16

See the full guide for age exceptions.

Regulation level

N · None

None▲ This state

Low—

Moderate—

High—

The category supplied with this guide, not a score or a legal classification. Requirements depend on your homeschooling option.

View regulation data

Iowa regulation category
State	Category
Iowa	None

Your requirements

A practical checklist

“Not specified” means a single yes/no requirement is not explicit in the supplied information. Read each detail for options and exceptions.

Notice
Not required
Not required for independent private instruction or parent-supervised competent private instruction without dual enrollment. Families using a licensed teacher (outside a school's home school assistance program), and parent-supervised families who dual enroll or opt to report, file Form A, the competent private instruction report, listing the child's name and age, the period the child will be under private instruction, an outline of the course of study (subjects, lesson plans and time spent) or the texts to be used, and the instructor's name and address. First-time filers also give proof of immunizations and, for elementary-age children, a blood lead test.
Subjects
Required
Independent private instruction: mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies; Competent private instruction: Not specified in state law
Hours / days
Not specified
CPI by a licensed practitioner: at least 148 days a year, with at least 37 days each quarter. IPI and parent-supervised CPI: Not specified in state law.
Testing / evaluation
Not required
IPI: none required, though families may request an annual assessment at their own cost. CPI families who report: an annual evaluation by May 31 using an approved standardized test, or a portfolio reviewed by a licensed Iowa teacher the district approves, with results sent to the district and state by August 1. A child age 7 or new to CPI takes a baseline evaluation. Adequate progress means scores above the 30th percentile in reading, math and language arts (plus science and social studies from grade 6) showing six months' gain or grade-level work; a child who falls short must attend an accredited school unless they retest, pass a portfolio review or get a remediation plan.
Teacher qualifications
Not specified
CPI Option 1 requires a teacher with a valid Iowa license appropriate to the child's ages and grades. CPI Option 2 and IPI: Not specified in state law; the state education department says the parent does not need a current Iowa teaching license for Option 2.
Records / portfolio
Not specified
Not specified in state law for IPI. CPI families using the portfolio option submit lesson plans or a written record of subjects taught, samples of the child's work and any other assessments to the evaluator. Under the 2026 law, parents may sign any document the law requires to verify a child's private instruction, full- or part-time status, grades or other school information.
Immunizations
Required
Families starting competent private instruction for the first time who file the report must show the child's required immunizations and, for elementary-age children, a blood lead test. For IPI: Not specified in state law.

At a glance

IPI needs no notice or testing
CPI report due September 1 when required
Compulsory ages 6 to 16
Parents can issue accepted diplomas (2026 law)
CPI students can dual enroll for activities

Requirements at a glance

Read the details for your chosen homeschooling option below.

Open the full requirements table

Iowa homeschool requirements
Requirement	What to know
Compulsory school ages	6–16
Notice required	No
Filing deadline	Form A is due by September 1 of the school year.
Required subjects	Independent private instruction: mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies; Competent private instruction: Not specified in state law
Instruction time	CPI by a licensed practitioner: at least 148 days a year, with at least 37 days each quarter. IPI and parent-supervised CPI: Not specified in state law.
Parent qualifications	CPI Option 1 requires a teacher with a valid Iowa license appropriate to the child's ages and grades. CPI Option 2 and IPI: Not specified in state law; the state education department says the parent does not need a current Iowa teaching license for Option 2.
Tests & assessments	IPI: none required, though families may request an annual assessment at their own cost. CPI families who report: an annual evaluation by May 31 using an approved standardized test, or a portfolio reviewed by a licensed Iowa teacher the district approves, with results sent to the district and state by August 1. A child age 7 or new to CPI takes a baseline evaluation. Adequate progress means scores above the 30th percentile in reading, math and language arts (plus science and social studies from grade 6) showing six months' gain or grade-level work; a child who falls short must attend an accredited school unless they retest, pass a portfolio review or get a remediation plan.
Records to keep	Not specified in state law for IPI. CPI families using the portfolio option submit lesson plans or a written record of subjects taught, samples of the child's work and any other assessments to the evaluator. Under the 2026 law, parents may sign any document the law requires to verify a child's private instruction, full- or part-time status, grades or other school information.
Immunizations	Families starting competent private instruction for the first time who file the report must show the child's required immunizations and, for elementary-age children, a blood lead test. For IPI: Not specified in state law.

How to start homeschooling in Iowa

Independent private instruction needs no filing or testing: the program teaches math, reading and language arts, science and social studies, and reports basic details only if the district or state asks in writing. Competent private instruction is supervised either by a licensed teacher, which requires a report to the district by September 1 and 148 days of instruction, or by a parent, who files and tests only if they choose to report or want dual enrollment in the public school. A 2026 law lets parents issue diplomas and transcripts that the state must accept like a public school diploma.

Choose your homeschooling option
Independent private instruction (IPI). Unaccredited private or religious-based instruction covering math, reading and language arts, science and social studies in every grade. Since the 2026 law, there is no cap on how many unrelated students may take part and no ban on charging tuition. No notice or testing; a report naming the instructor, location, responsible authority and students is given only on written request from the superintendent or state education director.
Competent private instruction by a licensed practitioner (CPI Option 1). Instruction by or under a teacher with an Iowa license suited to the child's grade, including a parent who holds a license, a privately hired teacher, or a district or accredited nonpublic school home school assistance program. Requires the September 1 report and 148 days of instruction.
Competent private instruction by a parent (CPI Option 2). A parent without a teaching license provides instruction. Filing the report and an annual evaluation are optional, but they apply if the family reports or dual enrolls the child in public school.
Check the notice rules
Not required for independent private instruction or parent-supervised competent private instruction without dual enrollment. Families using a licensed teacher (outside a school's home school assistance program), and parent-supervised families who dual enroll or opt to report, file Form A, the competent private instruction report, listing the child's name and age, the period the child will be under private instruction, an outline of the course of study (subjects, lesson plans and time spent) or the texts to be used, and the instructor's name and address. First-time filers also give proof of immunizations and, for elementary-age children, a blood lead test.
Open the official notice resource ↗
Check when and where to file
When: Form A is due by September 1 of the school year.
Where: The child's resident school district.

Getting-started steps from the published Iowa guide. Follow the official links for your chosen option.

View steps as a table

How to start homeschooling in Iowa
Step	Details
1. Choose your homeschooling option	Independent private instruction (IPI). Unaccredited private or religious-based instruction covering math, reading and language arts, science and social studies in every grade. Since the 2026 law, there is no cap on how many unrelated students may take part and no ban on charging tuition. No notice or testing; a report naming the instructor, location, responsible authority and students is given only on written request from the superintendent or state education director. Competent private instruction by a licensed practitioner (CPI Option 1). Instruction by or under a teacher with an Iowa license suited to the child's grade, including a parent who holds a license, a privately hired teacher, or a district or accredited nonpublic school home school assistance program. Requires the September 1 report and 148 days of instruction. Competent private instruction by a parent (CPI Option 2). A parent without a teaching license provides instruction. Filing the report and an annual evaluation are optional, but they apply if the family reports or dual enrolls the child in public school.
2. Check the notice rules	Not required for independent private instruction or parent-supervised competent private instruction without dual enrollment. Families using a licensed teacher (outside a school's home school assistance program), and parent-supervised families who dual enroll or opt to report, file Form A, the competent private instruction report, listing the child's name and age, the period the child will be under private instruction, an outline of the course of study (subjects, lesson plans and time spent) or the texts to be used, and the instructor's name and address. First-time filers also give proof of immunizations and, for elementary-age children, a blood lead test.
3. Check when and where to file	Form A is due by September 1 of the school year. The child's resident school district.

Subjects to teach

Independent private instruction: mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies
Competent private instruction: Not specified in state law

Sports & extracurricular activities

A child under competent private instruction may be dual enrolled in the public school on request and then join academic and extracurricular activities on the same basis as public school students. The dual enrollment section covers competent private instruction only.

Official forms & law

Iowa Department of Education ↗

Forms & guidance

Statutes

Questions, answered.

What do I file to homeschool in Iowa?

Not required for independent private instruction or parent-supervised competent private instruction without dual enrollment. Families using a licensed teacher (outside a school's home school assistance program), and parent-supervised families who dual enroll or opt to report, file Form A, the competent private instruction report, listing the child's name and age, the period the child will be under private instruction, an outline of the course of study (subjects, lesson plans and time spent) or the texts to be used, and the instructor's name and address. First-time filers also give proof of immunizations and, for elementary-age children, a blood lead test.

When do I file in Iowa?

Form A is due by September 1 of the school year.

What assessments are required in Iowa?

IPI: none required, though families may request an annual assessment at their own cost. CPI families who report: an annual evaluation by May 31 using an approved standardized test, or a portfolio reviewed by a licensed Iowa teacher the district approves, with results sent to the district and state by August 1. A child age 7 or new to CPI takes a baseline evaluation. Adequate progress means scores above the 30th percentile in reading, math and language arts (plus science and social studies from grade 6) showing six months' gain or grade-level work; a child who falls short must attend an accredited school unless they retest, pass a portfolio review or get a remediation plan.

Check the original

Sources and last checked

Iowa Code Chapter 299A, Private Instruction ↗Iowa Legislature
Iowa Code § 299.1A, Compulsory attendance age ↗Iowa Legislature
Iowa Code § 299.4, Reports as to private instruction ↗Iowa Legislature
House File 2754 (enrolled), signed May 12, 2026 (2026 Iowa Acts ch. 1086) ↗Iowa Legislature
Homeschooling (Private Instruction) ↗Iowa Department of Education
Homeschool Technical Assistance Based on 2026 Legislation ↗Iowa Department of Education
Bill History for House File 2754 ↗Iowa Legislature

Last verified 2026-10-28.

Iowa homeschool laws

The short answer

Regulation level

A practical checklist

Notice

Subjects

Hours / days

Testing / evaluation

Teacher qualifications

Records / portfolio

Immunizations