Your state guide · 2026
Texas homeschool laws
Last verified · View official sources
The short answer
Texas treats a bona fide home school as a private school, so home-taught children are exempt from compulsory attendance to the same degree as private school students.
At a glance
- No notice to the state
- Home schools count as private schools
- Required from age 6 until the 19th birthday
- No state testing
- UIL activities open unless the district opts out
Requirements at a glance
Read the details for your chosen homeschooling option below.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Compulsory school ages | 6–19 |
| Notice required | No |
| Filing deadline | Only if a district asks, or when withdrawing a child from public school. |
| Required subjects | Reading; Spelling; Grammar; Mathematics; Good citizenship |
| Instruction time | Not specified. Neither the attendance statutes nor TEA guidance set days or hours for home schools. |
| Parent qualifications | Not specified. TEA does not regulate home schools, and no parent qualification is set. |
| Tests & assessments | The state does not require testing. A student who later enrolls in public school may be assessed by the district for grade placement or credit, and districts must let home school students take the PSAT/NMSQT and AP tests they give enrolled students. |
| Records to keep | Not specified. No state recordkeeping rule applies to home schools; a district may review a returning student's curriculum and work when placing the student. |
| Immunizations | Not specified for home schools in the statutes or TEA guidance reviewed. |
How to start homeschooling in Texas
The Texas Education Agency does not register, approve or monitor home schools, and no notice is filed with the state. The statute requires private schools to teach good citizenship, and TEA guidance says a district may ask for assurance that the curriculum covers reading, spelling, grammar, math and good citizenship.
Choose your homeschooling option
Home school as a private school. Under the Texas Supreme Court's Leeper v. Arlington ISD ruling, a home school is a private school, and private schools that teach good citizenship are exempt from compulsory attendance under Education Code section 25.086.
Check the notice rules
No state filing. A district that learns a child may be home schooled may ask the parents in writing for a letter of assurance. To withdraw a child, a signed, dated letter stating the child is being home schooled and the start date is enough, and parents do not have to appear in person or show their curriculum. The assurance letter is not required every year.
Check when and where to file
When: Only if a district asks, or when withdrawing a child from public school.
Where: The local school district, if it asks.
Subjects to teach
- Reading
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Mathematics
- Good citizenship
Sports & extracurricular activities
Since a 2025 law (Education Code section 33.0832), a public school that takes part in UIL activities must let eligible home school students in its attendance zone participate on the same terms as enrolled students, unless the district's board adopts a policy opting out.
Official forms & law
Statutes
Questions, answered.
What do I file to homeschool in Texas?
No state filing. A district that learns a child may be home schooled may ask the parents in writing for a letter of assurance. To withdraw a child, a signed, dated letter stating the child is being home schooled and the start date is enough, and parents do not have to appear in person or show their curriculum. The assurance letter is not required every year.
When do I file in Texas?
Only if a district asks, or when withdrawing a child from public school.
What assessments are required in Texas?
The state does not require testing. A student who later enrolls in public school may be assessed by the district for grade placement or credit, and districts must let home school students take the PSAT/NMSQT and AP tests they give enrolled students.
Check the original
Sources
- Education Code Chapter 25 (sections 25.085, 25.086) ↗Texas Legislature
- Education Code section 33.0832 ↗Texas Legislature
- Home Schooling ↗Texas Education Agency
- Home Schools (Commissioner's letter) ↗Texas Education Agency
Last verified .