Michigan asks almost nothing of a family that teaches its own children at home: no notice, no testing, no hours, and no records law. The one real choice is whether to register with the state, which only matters if you want public school services.
Verified against primary sources November 2026. Laws change; sources are linked at the bottom of this page.
Under the home education exemption, a parent or legal guardian teaches the child at home in an organized educational program covering reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. Nothing is filed with anyone, there is no testing, no day or hour count, and no teaching credential. Registering with the Michigan Department of Education as a nonpublic school is optional, but it is required before your child can get special education services through a public school.
The route most Michigan families use. The child is taught at home by a parent or legal guardian in an organized educational program in nine named subjects. The Department of Education says it plays no role with these families, and the family does not report to it. Local and intermediate school districts enforce the attendance law.
A home school can instead qualify as a state approved nonpublic school, which reports to the Department of Education each year. Families choose this mainly to receive public school services, such as special education through a Nonpublic School Service Plan. The law allows a home school to claim either route, or both at once.
A parent must send a child to school from age 6 to the child's 18th birthday, unless an exemption applies. Home education is one of those exemptions. A child who turns 6 before December 1 starts that school year. A child who turns 6 on or after December 1 starts the following school year.
Under the home education exemption, the child is educated at the child's home by a parent or legal guardian in an organized educational program in reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. The Department of Education reads this strictly: a grandparent or neighbor who is not the legal guardian cannot homeschool the child, and a child enrolled in a public school for some core subjects is not homeschooled.
There are no minimum teacher qualifications for the home education exemption, except that the teacher must be the child's parent or legal guardian. The Department of Education also states that a homeschooling parent does not need a Michigan teaching certificate.
Registration with the Department of Education is voluntary. It is required only if your child will receive services from, or take part in, public school programs, such as special education, nonessential courses, or dual enrollment. You register each school year. To be approved, the teaching parent needs at least a bachelor's degree, not a teaching certificate, or must claim a sincerely held religious belief against teacher certification. The religious route comes from a 1993 Michigan Supreme Court decision, People v DeJonge.
A nonpublic school teaches subjects comparable to the local public schools. The Department of Education lists mathematics, reading, English, science, and social studies in all grades, plus the United States and Michigan constitutions and civil government in high school. The state superintendent may examine a nonpublic school's enrollment records, course of study, and teacher qualifications.
A homeschooled child in kindergarten through grade 12 may also enroll in a public school district for nonessential elective courses, such as art, music, physical education, foreign language, computer science, career and technical education, and advanced placement courses. Core subjects like math, English, science, and social studies are not included. For the state to pay dual enrollment college costs, the student must be enrolled in at least one class at a public or state approved nonpublic school.
| Before you start | If your child is enrolled in a school, the Department of Education suggests telling that school you are homeschooling. Not required, but it prevents truancy calls. |
| All year | Teach the nine required subjects. You set your own calendar, days, and hours. |
| Each school year (optional) | Register with the Department of Education only if you want public school services, such as special education. Registration must be renewed each year to keep services. |
| Never | For the home education exemption, nothing is filed with any district, agency, or official. |
No law requires it. The Department of Education does suggest you tell your child's current school, by a phone call or a written note, so the child is not marked absent and sent to a truancy officer.
No. The Department of Education says annual reporting is voluntary for home schools. It becomes necessary only if you want public school services, such as special education through a Nonpublic School Service Plan.
No. The 180 days and 1,098 hours in state law apply to public schools. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that the nonpublic school law does not require 180 days, and the home education exemption sets no day or hour count at all.
No. Under the home education exemption, the only rule is that the teacher is the child's parent or legal guardian. If you register as a nonpublic school and want state approval, the Department of Education asks for at least a bachelor's degree, or a statement of a sincere religious objection to teacher certification.
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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.