Your state guide · 2026
Washington homeschool laws
Last verified · View official sources
The short answer
Washington calls homeschooling home-based instruction.
At a glance
- Declaration of intent due September 15
- Compulsory from age 8 to 18
- Parent must meet a qualification option
- 1,000 hours a year (grades 1-12)
- Annual test or written assessment, kept at home
Requirements at a glance
Read the details for your chosen homeschooling option below.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Compulsory school ages | 8–18 |
| Notice required | Yes |
| Filing deadline | Every year by September 15, or within two weeks of the start of any public school quarter, trimester or semester. |
| Required subjects | Occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and appreciation of art and music |
| Instruction time | Hours equal to the private school requirement: an average of 1,000 hours a year for grades 1-12 and at least 450 hours for kindergarten. |
| Parent qualifications | A parent teaching only their own child must meet one option: be supervised by a certificated person (joint planning, about one contact hour a week, and progress evaluation); have 45 college-level quarter credit hours or the semester equivalent; complete a home-based instruction course at a college or vocational-technical school; or be judged sufficiently qualified by the district superintendent. |
| Tests & assessments | Each year the child either takes a standardized achievement test approved by the State Board of Education, given by a qualified person, or receives a written academic progress assessment from a certificated person working in education. Results are kept by the parent, not filed with the district. If results show the child is not making reasonable progress, the parent must make a good-faith effort to fix it. |
| Records to keep | Keep the annual test or assessment in the child's permanent records. If the child transfers to a school, forward test scores or assessments, immunization records and other instructional records. |
| Immunizations | Not specified in state law, apart from forwarding any immunization records when the child transfers to a school. |
How to start homeschooling in Washington
Parents file a signed declaration of intent with their school district superintendent by September 15 each year and must meet one of the state's teacher qualification options, such as 45 college quarter credits, a home-based instruction course, supervision by a certificated teacher, or superintendent approval. Instruction covers a set list of subjects for hours equal to private school requirements, and each child takes an approved standardized test or receives a written assessment from a certificated person every year.
Choose your homeschooling option
Home-based instruction. A qualified parent provides planned and supervised instruction in the required subjects after filing the annual declaration of intent.
Part-time public school enrollment. A home-based student may also take courses at, or receive ancillary services from, the local district if the district board allows it.
Prepare your notice
A signed declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction, giving the child's name and age and whether a certificated person will supervise the instruction.
Open the official notice resource ↗Check when and where to file
When: Every year by September 15, or within two weeks of the start of any public school quarter, trimester or semester.
Where: Superintendent of the public school district where the family lives, or of a nonresident district that accepts the child as a transfer student.
Subjects to teach
- Occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and appreciation of art and music
Sports & extracurricular activities
State law lets district boards enroll home-based students part time and provide ancillary services. The home-based instruction statutes do not spell out sports participation.
Official forms & law
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction ↗
Forms & guidance
- Declaration of Intent to Provide Home-Based Instruction (PDF) ↗
- Request for Part-Time Attendance or Ancillary Services (PDF) ↗
- Washington State Laws Regulating Home-Based Instruction (PDF) ↗
Statutes
Questions, answered.
What do I file to homeschool in Washington?
A signed declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction, giving the child's name and age and whether a certificated person will supervise the instruction.
When do I file in Washington?
Every year by September 15, or within two weeks of the start of any public school quarter, trimester or semester.
What assessments are required in Washington?
Each year the child either takes a standardized achievement test approved by the State Board of Education, given by a qualified person, or receives a written academic progress assessment from a certificated person working in education. Results are kept by the parent, not filed with the district. If results show the child is not making reasonable progress, the parent must make a good-faith effort to fix it.
Check the original
Sources
- RCW 28A.225.010, Attendance mandatory ↗Washington State Legislature
- RCW 28A.200.010, Home-based instruction: duties of parents ↗Washington State Legislature
- RCW 28A.195.010, Private schools ↗Washington State Legislature
- RCW 28A.150.350, Part-time students ↗Washington State Legislature
- Home-Based Instruction ↗Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Last verified .