Idaho asks one thing of a homeschooling parent: teach your child the subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools. There is no notice, no registration, no testing, and no state check-in.
Verified against primary sources November 2026. Laws change; sources are linked at the bottom of this page.
What Idaho requires, in short
For a child who is 7 when school starts in your district and not yet 16, Idaho Code 33-202 lets the parent choose private instruction by, or at the direction of, the parent. The duty is to have your child instructed in the subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools. Nothing is filed with anyone: the Idaho Department of Education says there is no registration, no reporting, no state testing, and no state list of homeschoolers. If your child is enrolled in a public school now, make sure the child is officially unenrolled first.
Required subjectsThose commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools
Days or hoursNone set for homeschooling
Records required by lawNone
TestingNone required
Compulsory ages7 (at the start of school in your district) up to 16
Your legal options in Idaho
Private instruction at home
Idaho Code 33-202 lets a parent meet the attendance law by having the child privately instructed by, or at the direction of, the parent. This is the homeschool route, and it is what the rest of this page describes.
Teach the subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools
Unenroll your child from any public school first
Nothing filed with any school, district, or state agency
Private or parochial school
Enrolling in a private or parochial school also meets the law, for a period each year equal to the public school session, following that school's attendance rules.
Attendance under the school's own policies
The school, not the parent, sets the program
Public charter school, including online or virtual
An online or virtual public charter school can be done at home, but it is public school enrollment, not homeschooling. The child follows the charter school's attendance policies.
Enrollment with the charter school
The school's attendance rules and state requirements apply
What the law actually requires
Teach the subjects taught in Idaho public schools
The parent of a child of compulsory age must cause the child to be instructed in subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of Idaho. The statute names no subjects, hours, or days. The department says Idaho has no set homeschool curriculum, points to the Idaho Content Standards as a guide, and says parents choose which standards to teach.
Idaho Code 33-202; Idaho Department of Education Homeschool page and FAQ
Know who is covered
The duty applies to a child living in Idaho who has reached age 7 at the time school begins in your district and has not reached age 16. Kindergarten is not mandatory. Idaho's broader school age, 5 to 21, only sets who may use public schools.
Idaho Code 33-202; 33-208; 33-201
Choose private instruction by, or at the direction of, the parent
The statute allows instruction by the parent or at the parent's direction, so the parent need not do all the teaching personally. No teaching license is required; the department says so directly.
Idaho Code 33-202; Idaho Department of Education Homeschool FAQ
Unenroll from public school
Idaho has no homeschool notice, but a public school expects attendance from an enrolled student. The department's first step for new homeschoolers is to make sure the child is officially unenrolled from any public school.
Idaho Department of Education Homeschool FAQ; Idaho Code 33-202
What happens if a district questions your homeschool
A child whose parents fail to have the child instructed under 33-202 is defined as an habitual truant. For a child not enrolled in public school, the school board must first make its determination under procedures that give due process to the student and parents; only then may it refer the matter to the county prosecuting attorney.
Idaho Code 33-206(1)(b); 33-207(3)
Your compliance calendar
Before you start
If your child is enrolled in a public school, unenroll the child in writing and keep a copy.
During the year
Nothing is due. Idaho sets no days, hours, filings, or tests for homeschooling.
January 15, for 60 days
Optional: the Idaho parental choice tax credit application window, if you plan to claim qualified costs such as textbooks or curricula.
Before a public school activity season
Optional: if your child will dual enroll for sports or other nonacademic activities, arrange the academic eligibility test or other proof with the school ahead of time.
Records to keep
Withdrawal letter. A dated copy of what you gave the public school. It shows when your child left and why.
Subject and attendance log. Not required by law. The department recommends that homeschooling families keep their own records of attendance and work completion, since the state keeps none.
Course list and work samples. Useful if your child re-enrolls: the department says the receiving school decides grade placement and may use testing, a review of homeschool coursework or records, or provisional placement.
Receipts, if you claim the tax credit. The parental choice tax credit is claimed for qualified expenses, so keep receipts for textbooks, curricula, tutoring, and tests you claim.
Transcript and diploma (high school). You create them. The state keeps no homeschool records, and colleges set their own entry requirements for homeschoolers.
No notice, registration, or sign up with any district or state office.
No state testing. The department says there are no state testing requirements for homeschooling families.
No teaching license or degree.
No set curriculum, and no approval of the curriculum you choose.
No day or hour count for homeschooling.
No reporting or check-ins. The department says there is no list and no monitoring at the state level.
No kindergarten requirement: kindergarten is not mandatory in Idaho.
Questions Idaho families ask
Do I have to tell anyone I am homeschooling in Idaho?
No. The Idaho Department of Education says there is no registration or sign up procedure and no reporting requirement for homeschool families. If your child is enrolled in a public school, the department says the first step is to make sure the child is officially unenrolled, so a written withdrawal to that school is wise.
What subjects does Idaho require?
The law does not list them. Idaho Code 33-202 says the child must be instructed in the subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of Idaho. The department points parents to the Idaho Content Standards to see what public schools teach at each grade, and says you decide which standards to teach.
At what age does Idaho's homeschool duty start and end?
It applies to a child who has reached age 7 at the start of school in your district and has not reached 16. Kindergarten is not mandatory in Idaho.
Can my homeschooled child join public school classes or sports?
Yes. Under Idaho Code 33-203, a homeschooled child counts as a nonpublic student and may dual enroll in a public school. For sports and other nonacademic activities, the child must live within that school's attendance boundaries and show academic eligibility, for example with an average or higher composite score on a nationally normed test.
Can Idaho homeschoolers use the parental choice tax credit?
Possibly, for some costs. Idaho Code 63-3029N counts textbooks, curricula, tutoring in academic subjects, and certain tests as qualified expenses, up to $5,000 per student a year. It does not allow a credit for the parent's own teaching, and the Tax Commission lists homeschool instruction a parent provides as a nonqualifying expense. You must apply, and the yearly window opens January 15 for 60 days.
Common myths about Idaho homeschool law, corrected
Idaho law says a homeschooled child must be "otherwise comparably instructed."
That phrase is not in the current statute. Idaho Code 33-202, last amended in 2009, says the child must be instructed in the subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools, and lets the parent do that through private instruction by, or at the direction of, the parent.
You must register your homeschool with your school district.
There is no registration or sign up procedure. The only paperwork the department mentions is making sure your child is unenrolled from any public school.
Homeschoolers must take the state test.
No testing is required. A district or charter school may let a homeschooled child sit for state tests if arranged in advance, but it does not have to.
Compulsory school in Idaho starts at 5 or 6.
The attendance law starts at 7, measured at the start of school in your district, and ends at 16. Kindergarten is not mandatory. Ages 5 to 21 is the range for using public schools, not a duty to attend.
The parental choice tax credit pays parents for teaching their own children.
It does not. The law bars a credit for tuition or fees for instruction the parent provides. Costs such as textbooks, curricula, academic tutoring, and certain tests can qualify, if you apply and are awarded the credit.
A homeschool diploma does not count in Idaho.
For occupational and professional licenses, it does since 2026: a licensing authority must treat a person 18 or older with a high school diploma from a nonpublic school as having graduated from an accredited high school, or as holding a diploma or GED. Colleges and employers still set their own rules.
Recent and pending changes
The homeschool rule itself has not changed: Idaho Code 33-202 was last amended in 2009, and the dual enrollment section, 33-203, in 2017.
2025: House Bill 93 created the Idaho parental choice tax credit (Idaho Code 63-3029N), a refundable credit of up to $5,000 per student ($7,500 for some students with disabilities) for qualified education costs, capped at $50 million a year statewide. It excludes the parent's own instruction.
2026: House Bill 934 revised the tax credit, retroactive to January 1, 2026. Among other changes, it says a homeschooled student who takes part in public school sports or other activities without academic credit is not counted as enrolled in public school, and it lets curriculum come from more than one vendor.
2026: Senate Bill 1285 added Idaho Code 67-9419, so licensing boards must treat a nonpublic school high school diploma held by someone 18 or older as equal to an accredited high school diploma or GED. The sponsor's statement says the purpose is to recognize homeschool diplomas.
2026: House Bill 860 amended the Idaho Parental Rights Act (32-1010, 32-1013, 32-1015) on parental rights in medical decisions. The section on the parental right to direct a child's education, 32-1012, which ties that right to the options in 33-202, was not changed.
2026: House Joint Resolution 9, a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the Legislature's power to require school attendance and add a right to educate children outside public schools without government regulation, failed in the House 44 to 25 on March 5, 2026.
Free tools for Idaho families
Transcript builder: the Idaho Department of Education keeps no homeschool records and says a homeschooled student will not graduate with an official diploma from an accredited high school, so the transcript and diploma you create are the record; since 2026, Idaho licensing boards must treat a nonpublic school diploma as equal to a high school diploma or GED.
GPA calculator: weighted and unweighted, computed the way colleges do it.
A free parent account comes with a Home class. Add your children as students and see every project they make and every lesson they finish. See what they can make, by age.
Reference information reviewed August 2026 against primary sources (statutes, NCAA and Common App published requirements). This is general information, not legal advice; requirements change, so verify anything load-bearing for your family against your state's current law.