Indiana asks for no notice, no approval, and no testing. A homeschool is a nonaccredited nonpublic school in the eyes of the law, and what the law asks of it is instruction equivalent to public school, a daily attendance record, and, in the state's reading, 180 days a year.
Verified against primary sources November 2026. Laws change; sources are linked at the bottom of this page.
You do not need permission or a notice to homeschool in Indiana. Your child must receive instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools, which state law does not define, and you choose the curriculum. Keep an accurate daily attendance record, because the Secretary of Education or your local superintendent may ask to see it. The Indiana Department of Education says to provide 180 days of instruction in a school year that runs July 1 to June 30. Reporting your homeschool's enrollment to the department is optional. There is no testing.
It is unlawful for a parent to fail, neglect, or refuse to send a child to public school for the full term, unless the child is being provided with instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools. The law does not define equivalent. A school that is nonpublic, nonaccredited, and not approved by the state board is not bound by any curriculum or program content requirement in Indiana's education laws, so you choose what to teach and what materials to use.
Every public and nonpublic school must keep an accurate daily record of the attendance of each student who is subject to the compulsory attendance law. A nonpublic school keeps it only to verify enrollment and attendance, and must make it available on request of the Secretary of Education or the superintendent of the school corporation where the school is located. There is no required form.
The Department of Education says homeschool parents should provide 180 days of instruction in an academic year that runs July 1 through June 30, and that days your child spent enrolled in a public or other accredited school count toward the 180. You decide which days and how long each day; the department says instructional hour rules do not apply to homeschools. The statute speaks of the full term, and public schools must hold at least 180 instructional days.
The administrator of a nonpublic school attended by a child of compulsory school age must give the Secretary of Education, on request, the number of students by grade level. The department's homeschool page describes this as an optional enrollment report: you may report your homeschool's enrollment once through its online form, and registering is not required.
Before a high school student leaves a public school for a nonaccredited nonpublic school, the principal gives the student and the parent a state form explaining the legal requirements, and both the principal and the parent sign it. If the parent refuses, the student is counted as a dropout and reported to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which can affect a learner's permit or driver's license. For younger students, no form is required; the department recommends telling the school in writing.
Compulsory attendance runs from the earlier of the day your child enrolls in a school or the start of the fall term of the school year in which your child turns seven. If the superintendent asks, a parent may certify the intent to begin equivalent instruction or enroll the child in a nonaccredited nonpublic school no later than the seventh birthday, and the child is not bound until turning seven. It ends when your child graduates or turns 18, or at 16 or 17 if the exit interview requirements are met.
| July 1 | A new school year begins for counting the 180 days, according to the Department of Education. It ends June 30. |
| When you start | Tell your child's current school that you are withdrawing, in writing if you can. For a high school student, sign the state withdrawal form with the principal. |
| During the year | Keep the daily attendance record. Nothing is filed. |
| Any time (optional) | Report your homeschool's enrollment to the Department of Education through its online form. Once is enough; it stays active. |
| If the state or district asks | Show your attendance record to the Secretary of Education or the local superintendent, and give the Secretary of Education your number of students by grade level. |
| If your child leaves your homeschool | If no other school asks for your child's records within 15 school days, the law asks a nonpublic school to report the child's name and address and the date of withdrawal to the Secretary of Education or the local superintendent. |
No. The Indiana Department of Education says reporting your homeschool's enrollment is not required. If you choose to report, you do it once through the department's online form and receive a verification number by email. The registration stays active year after year.
The department says parents should provide 180 days of instruction in an academic year that runs July 1 through June 30. The statute itself says your child must attend for the full term unless receiving equivalent instruction, and public schools must hold at least 180 instructional days. Indiana sets no number of hours a day for homeschools.
An accurate daily attendance record. The law says a nonpublic school keeps it only to verify enrollment and attendance, and must make it available if the Secretary of Education or the local school superintendent asks. No other records are required, and you send nothing to the department.
No. State law does not require any testing for homeschool students. The department says homeschool students take statewide tests only if they are enrolled in at least one class at a public or accredited school, and even then the law says taking them is not required.
The principal gives you a state form explaining the legal requirements of a nonaccredited nonpublic school, and you and the principal both sign it. It is not a registration form. If a parent refuses to sign, the student is counted as a dropout and the principal reports the student to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which can revoke or refuse a learner's permit or driver's license.
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Make a free parent accountReference 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.