Virginia homeschool requirements and record-keeping, 2026-27
In Virginia you notify your division superintendent each year by August 15. The notice includes a list of subjects for the coming year and evidence that you meet one of four qualifications, such as holding a high school diploma. By August 1 after each school year, you send evidence of progress. That can be a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on a nationally normed achievement test, or an evaluation the superintendent accepts. Virginia sets no day or hour count for home instruction.
What you file and when
- Notice of intent with a list of subjects and evidence of one qualification (high school diploma; teacher qualifications; a program of study or curriculum; or evidence of ability to provide an adequate education)
To: Division superintendent. When: Annually by August 15; if you move in or start after the year begins, as soon as practicable and then meet the requirements within 30 days - Evidence of progress: composite score in or above the 4th stanine on a nationally normed achievement test (or equivalent ACT/SAT/PSAT), or an evaluation letter from a licensed teacher or someone with a master's degree, or a college / correspondence school report card
To: Division superintendent. When: By August 1 following the school year
Dates to keep in mind
- Evidence of progress due to the division superintendent: August 1
- Annual notice of intent due: August 15
What you keep
- Copy of the annual notice and subject list
- Evidence of progress (test score report or evaluation letter)
How long to keep it. The sources we read set no retention period. Keeping a record for at least a few years is a sensible habit.
Who evaluates. Optional route: a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, who knows the child's progress.
Hours, days and subjects
- No fixed number of hours or days found in the sources we read.
- Compulsory attendance ages: 5 to 18
Home instruction may be elected for a child who is 5 by September 30 and not yet 18. The evidence-of-progress requirement does not apply to children under 6 as of September 30.
The parent lists the subjects to be studied; the statute does not prescribe them.
Work out your hours for Virginia with the free calculator.
Things people miss
- The progress evidence (Aug 1) comes before the next year's notice (Aug 15), so plan testing in spring or early summer.
- If progress evidence is not provided, the program may be placed on probation for one year with a remediation plan.
- The superintendent and school board may not share what you submit outside the division without your written consent.
Official sources
- Va. Code § 22.1-254.1 Requirements for home instruction of children (Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-254.1)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18
How Schoolkeeper helps
A twenty-second daily log, and then an export in the shape Virginia asks for:
- An attendance record showing the days you taught.
- Minutes by subject, totalled for the year.
- A portfolio of work samples, photos and what they read, in date order.
Questions parents ask
What do I have to file to homeschool in Virginia?
Notice of intent with a list of subjects and evidence of one qualification (high school diploma; teacher qualifications; a program of study or curriculum; or evidence of ability to provide an adequate education), to Division superintendent. When: Annually by August 15; if you move in or start after the year begins, as soon as practicable and then meet the requirements within 30 days. Evidence of progress: composite score in or above the 4th stanine on a nationally normed achievement test (or equivalent ACT/SAT/PSAT), or an evaluation letter from a licensed teacher or someone with a master's degree, or a college / correspondence school report card, to Division superintendent. When: By August 1 following the school year.
What records do I keep for homeschooling in Virginia?
Copy of the annual notice and subject list; Evidence of progress (test score report or evaluation letter).
How many hours or days does Virginia ask for?
Virginia does not set a minimum number of hours or days in what we found.
Does Virginia require testing or an evaluation?
Optional route: a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, who knows the child's progress.
This is a plain-English summary with its sources, not legal advice. Tell us if this is wrong.