Homeschool States

Your state guide · 2026

Maine homeschool laws

Last verified · View official sources

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The short answer

Maine parents start home instruction by filing a notice of intent within 10 calendar days of beginning.

Regulation levelModerate

Editorial category; see the guide.

Notice requiredYes

Within 10 calendar days after home instruction begins (the DOE says by September 1 if starting in the fall), then each year by September 1.

Testing / evaluationYes

See requirements for options and exceptions.

Compulsory ages6–17

See the full guide for age exceptions.

Regulation level

M · Moderate
None—
Low—
Moderate▲ This state
High—
The category supplied with this guide, not a score or a legal classification. Requirements depend on your homeschooling option.
View regulation data
Maine regulation category
StateCategory
MaineModerate

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

    Required

    A signed notice with the parent's name and address, the child's name and age, the start date, and promises of 175 days of instruction, the required subjects and an annual assessment. Later years add a letter of intent to continue with a copy of the prior year's assessment.

  • Subjects

    Required

    English and language arts; Mathematics; Science; Social studies; Physical education; Health education; Library skills; Fine arts; Maine studies (in at least one grade from 6 to 12); Computer proficiency (in at least one grade from 7 to 12)

  • Hours / days

    Not specified

    At least 175 days a year.

  • Testing / evaluation

    Required

    Each year the family submits one of: a standardized achievement test given through the school unit or another approved arrangement; a test made by local school officials (agreed before the first notice); a progress review by a Maine-certified teacher; a portfolio review by a local homeschool support group that includes a Maine-certified teacher or administrator; or a review by a local advisory board picked by the superintendent (agreed before the first notice). The DOE says no assessment is due with a first-year notice.

  • Teacher qualifications

    Not specified

    Not specified in state law for the parent. Certification applies only to some assessment reviewers.

  • Records / portfolio

    Not specified

    Not specified in state law

  • Immunizations

    Not specified

    Not specified in state law for home instruction. Students joining school extracurricular activities must meet the same immunization rules as enrolled students.

At a glance

  • Notice within 10 days of starting
  • 175 days of instruction a year
  • Renew by September 1 with an assessment
  • Five ways to meet the yearly assessment
  • Can join school activities and classes

Requirements at a glance

Read the details for your chosen homeschooling option below.

Open the full requirements table
Maine homeschool requirements
RequirementWhat to know
Compulsory school ages6–17
Notice requiredYes
Filing deadlineWithin 10 calendar days after home instruction begins (the DOE says by September 1 if starting in the fall), then each year by September 1.
Required subjectsEnglish and language arts; Mathematics; Science; Social studies; Physical education; Health education; Library skills; Fine arts; Maine studies (in at least one grade from 6 to 12); Computer proficiency (in at least one grade from 7 to 12)
Instruction timeAt least 175 days a year.
Parent qualificationsNot specified in state law for the parent. Certification applies only to some assessment reviewers.
Tests & assessmentsEach year the family submits one of: a standardized achievement test given through the school unit or another approved arrangement; a test made by local school officials (agreed before the first notice); a progress review by a Maine-certified teacher; a portfolio review by a local homeschool support group that includes a Maine-certified teacher or administrator; or a review by a local advisory board picked by the superintendent (agreed before the first notice). The DOE says no assessment is due with a first-year notice.
Records to keepNot specified in state law
ImmunizationsNot specified in state law for home instruction. Students joining school extracurricular activities must meet the same immunization rules as enrolled students.

How to start homeschooling in Maine

The notice promises 175 days of instruction a year in a set list of subjects and an annual assessment. Each year by September 1 the family files a new notice with a copy of one assessment, chosen from five options such as a standardized test or review by a Maine-certified teacher.

  1. Choose your homeschooling option

    Home instruction. Parent-provided equivalent instruction under 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A(3)(A)(4), started by filing a notice of intent with local school officials and the commissioner.

  2. Prepare your notice

    A signed notice with the parent's name and address, the child's name and age, the start date, and promises of 175 days of instruction, the required subjects and an annual assessment. Later years add a letter of intent to continue with a copy of the prior year's assessment.

    Open the official notice resource ↗

  3. Check when and where to file

    When: Within 10 calendar days after home instruction begins (the DOE says by September 1 if starting in the fall), then each year by September 1.

    Where: Local school officials of the child's administrative unit and the Commissioner of Education. The DOE says one filing through its portal, or a paper form sent to the resident superintendent, covers both.

Getting-started steps from the published Maine guide. Follow the official links for your chosen option.
View steps as a table
How to start homeschooling in Maine
StepDetails
1. Choose your homeschooling optionHome instruction. Parent-provided equivalent instruction under 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A(3)(A)(4), started by filing a notice of intent with local school officials and the commissioner.
2. Prepare your noticeA signed notice with the parent's name and address, the child's name and age, the start date, and promises of 175 days of instruction, the required subjects and an annual assessment. Later years add a letter of intent to continue with a copy of the prior year's assessment.
3. Check when and where to fileWithin 10 calendar days after home instruction begins (the DOE says by September 1 if starting in the fall), then each year by September 1. Local school officials of the child's administrative unit and the Commissioner of Education. The DOE says one filing through its portal, or a paper form sent to the resident superintendent, covers both.

Subjects to teach

  • English and language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social studies
  • Physical education
  • Health education
  • Library skills
  • Fine arts
  • Maine studies (in at least one grade from 6 to 12)
  • Computer proficiency (in at least one grade from 7 to 12)

Sports & extracurricular activities

Home instruction students may try out for school extracurricular activities after a written application, if they meet the same participation, physical exam, immunization, insurance, age, academic and eligibility rules as enrolled students. They may also take regular classes, cocurricular activities and use facilities with school approval, which may not be unreasonably withheld.

Official forms & law

Maine Department of Education ↗

Forms & guidance

Statutes

Questions, answered.

What do I file to homeschool in Maine?

A signed notice with the parent's name and address, the child's name and age, the start date, and promises of 175 days of instruction, the required subjects and an annual assessment. Later years add a letter of intent to continue with a copy of the prior year's assessment.

When do I file in Maine?

Within 10 calendar days after home instruction begins (the DOE says by September 1 if starting in the fall), then each year by September 1.

What assessments are required in Maine?

Each year the family submits one of: a standardized achievement test given through the school unit or another approved arrangement; a test made by local school officials (agreed before the first notice); a progress review by a Maine-certified teacher; a portfolio review by a local homeschool support group that includes a Maine-certified teacher or administrator; or a review by a local advisory board picked by the superintendent (agreed before the first notice). The DOE says no assessment is due with a first-year notice.

Check the original

Sources and last checked

  1. 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A, Exceptions to attendance ↗Maine Legislature
  2. 20-A M.R.S. § 5021, Standards for participation in public schools ↗Maine Legislature
  3. Home Instruction Requirements, Forms & Laws ↗Maine Department of Education

Last verified .