ARIZONA
Homeschooling in Arizona: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
One affidavit filed with your county superintendent, five subjects to teach, and no testing or reporting after that. Arizona also runs the country's broadest education savings account.
Homeschooling in Arizona, Summarized
The Seven Things Arizona Asks of You
Legal in Arizona
Yes
an exemption, not a private school
Compulsory ages
6 to 16
Funding available
Roughly $7,000-8,000 a year
universal — anyone may apply
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — once, when you start
within 30 days
Paperwork load
Low
Parent qualification
None required
Standardized testing
Not required
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Arizona
What You Need to Know
Arizona treats homeschooling as an exemption from compulsory attendance under A.R.S. § 15-802, not as running a private school. File one affidavit with your county school superintendent within 30 days of starting, teach five subject areas, and nothing further is asked — no approval, no qualification, no testing, no reporting.
What Arizona Asks of You
One affidavit, five subjects — and an account you may opt into.
Must do
File an affidavit of intent with your county school superintendent
Include proof of your child's age and the custodians' names, addresses and telephone
Teach at least reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science
Dates that matter
Within 30 days of starting home instruction
Within 30 days of stopping, if you end home instruction
Good practice — not required
Keep your own records of the five subjects — none must be submitted, but they help later
Nothing is submitted to any authority beyond the affidavit itself. The five subject areas are unverified by the state.
Must do
Apply through the Department of Education
Spend through ClassWallet — marketplace, direct pay, debit card or reimbursement
Retain every receipt: accounts are subject to audit
Dates that matter
Applications are open on a rolling basis
Audits are triggered rather than scheduled
Good practice — not required
Check whether a provider is already enrolled before you commit to it
The trade-off
Taking an account means your spending is auditable
The account is universal — around two-thirds of general-education students receive roughly $7,000 to $8,000, with kindergarten lower and disability weightings higher.
Arizona's account is auditable, and receipts matter. StudyPug keeps a record of what your child actually did with it.
Funding for Arizona Home Education
The key numbers before the details.
PROGRAM
Empowerment Scholarship Account — universal
AMOUNT
Roughly $7,000-8,000 a year for most students
HOW IT'S CLAIMED
ClassWallet — marketplace, direct pay, card or reimbursement
GRADES COVERED
K-12 · kindergarten lower · disability weightings higher
How It Works
From registration to reimbursement, step by step.
1
Apply to the Department
The account is universal, so eligibility is not the hurdle — the application is. Apply through the Arizona Department of Education; enrollment runs on a rolling basis.
2
Spend through ClassWallet
Curriculum and tutoring are eligible. A household subscription is reimbursable only where the receipt itemises each student separately — check the format before you buy.
3
Keep every receipt
Accounts are auditable, and the audit is document-driven. Hold receipts and documentation for everything you buy through the account.
Funding rules move faster than law. Amounts and eligibility can change every school year and every legislative session — always confirm with the official program sources below before you spend. Funding facts last reviewed: August 2026.
What StudyPug Handles for You
Not templates you fill in — records that fill themselves in.
Work-samples portfolio that assembles itself
Hours & attendance log that fills itself in
Progress reports you can download and share
Scope & Sequence export across the five subject areas
One-click receipts + usage package for ESA (ClassWallet) audits
Every child in one account — up to 5, itemised separately
Questions About Homeschooling in Arizona
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Arizona?
Yes. A.R.S. § 15-802 exempts a home-instructed child from compulsory attendance. It is an exemption rather than a private-school registration, so there is nothing to register as and no approval to obtain.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No. Arizona requires no teacher qualification, credential or minimum education level of a homeschooling parent. Nobody reviews your suitability to teach, and there is no form on which to declare it.
Does Arizona fund homeschooling?
Yes, through the Empowerment Scholarship Account, which is universal — any Arizona student may apply. Most general-education students receive roughly $7,000 to $8,000 a year, with kindergarten lower and disability weightings higher. Funds are spent through ClassWallet and the account is auditable.
What exactly goes in the affidavit?
The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the persons with custody of the child, plus proof of the child's age. It goes to your county school superintendent within 30 days of starting home instruction, and you notify again within 30 days if you stop.
Do I have to teach particular subjects?
Yes — five of them. Reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science must be taught to children aged 6 to 16. The state does not verify this: nothing is submitted and no one inspects. It is a duty on you rather than a filing.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
Nothing must be submitted to any authority. If you hold an Empowerment Scholarship Account, that changes: retain all receipts and documentation for what you spend, because the account is subject to audit by the Department of Education.
What if we move mid-year, in-country or abroad?
Moving within Arizona: file a fresh affidavit with your new county superintendent, since the filing is county-based. Leaving Arizona: the exemption ends with residency, your new state's rules apply, and account eligibility stops.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
A.R.S. § 15-802
→The compulsory-attendance exemption and the affidavit requirement.
azleg.gov — § 15-802
Empowerment Scholarship Account
→Applying, amounts and what the account may be spent on.
azed.gov — ESA
ESA and ClassWallet
→How the account is spent, and what counts as an eligible purchase.
azed.gov — ESA ClassWallet
Other States:
Homeschooling in Arkansas·Homeschooling in California·Homeschooling in Colorado— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
Lessons, practice, and the records above — one family plan.
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StudyPug is a records tool, not legal advice. Homeschool rules, funding amounts, and deadlines change at least yearly — always confirm with the official sources above before you act. Requirements can also differ at the school-board or district level, so check with your local board or district too. We review every jurisdiction page and show you the date we last checked it; each requirement in your dashboard carries its own source and last-verified date.
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