DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Homeschooling in District of Columbia: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
Notify OSSE fifteen business days before you start, renew every August, and keep a portfolio the office can ask to review. This is the most hands-on homeschool regime in the country.
Homeschooling in District of Columbia, Summarized
The Six Things Washington DC Asks of You
Legal in District of Columbia
Yes
Compulsory ages
5 to 18
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — before you start, then yearly
renew by August 15
Paperwork load
High
portfolio, reviewable on request
Parent qualification
High-school diploma or equivalent
waiver by petition
Standardized testing
Not required
public-school tests open to you
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in the District of Columbia
What You Need to Know
The District asks more than any state. Notify OSSE at least fifteen business days before starting, renew by August 15 each year, teach eight named subjects, and keep a portfolio OSSE may ask to review twice a year. The parent running the program needs a high-school diploma or equivalent, or a waiver.
What District of Columbia Asks of You
One route, and it asks more than most states do.
Must do
File a Notification of Intent with OSSE on the official online form before you begin
File a Notification of Continuation each year to keep the registration active
Teach language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education
Keep a portfolio per student showing current work across those subjects
Make the portfolio available if OSSE asks to review it
Dates that matter
At least 15 business days before your first day of instruction — weekends and District holidays excluded
August 15 each continuing year, for the Notification of Continuation
OSSE gives at least 30 days' notice before a portfolio review, and may request one twice a school year
Good practice — not required
Build the portfolio through the year: a 30-day notice is not long to assemble one from nothing
Keep writing samples and completed work across every named subject, not just the strong ones
The parent administering the program must hold a high-school diploma or its equivalent. Without one, a waiver may be petitioned for before instruction begins.
OSSE can ask to see a portfolio on thirty days' notice. StudyPug assembles one as your child works, so it already exists.
Funding for Washington DC Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
The District provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
No education savings account or voucher exists for home schoolers here. The Opportunity Scholarship pays private-school tuition for income-qualified residents, but home-schooled students are not eligible — that money follows enrollment.
To your family
$0 — no funding for home schoolers
Opportunity Scholarship
Private-school tuition only — not open to you
Free to use
Public-school standardised testing, if you want it
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 eight named subjects
One-click portfolio package when OSSE requests a review
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in District of Columbia
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Washington DC?
Yes. Home schooling is a recognized alternative to compulsory attendance. You file a Notification of Intent with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and operate under DCMR Title 5, Chapter 52.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
Not a teaching certificate, but the District is one of the few places that asks for anything at all: the parent administering the program must hold a high-school diploma or its equivalent. If you do not have one, you may petition OSSE for a waiver before instruction begins.
Does the District fund homeschooling?
No. There is no education savings account or voucher for home-schooling families. The Opportunity Scholarship — roughly $8,000 for K-8 and $12,000 for grades 9-12 — pays tuition at participating private schools for income-qualified residents, and home-schooled students are not eligible.
What is a portfolio review, and how likely is one?
OSSE may request to see your portfolio up to twice a school year. The request comes in writing with at least 30 days' notice, and the review happens at a mutually agreeable time and place. If OSSE identifies problems, a corrective action plan follows with its own response window.
Which subjects do I have to teach?
Eight are named: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education. That is a broader list than most states set out, and the portfolio is expected to show current work across it.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
A portfolio of educational materials per student, showing current work across the required subjects — writing samples, completed materials and the like. It is maintained continuously rather than filed, and must be available to OSSE on written request.
Can my child sit the public-school tests?
Yes, free of charge, though nothing requires it. Standardised testing administered at the public schools is open to home-schooled students who want a benchmark, and taking it is entirely your choice.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
Apply to Homeschool
→The Notification of Intent, the continuation filing and the portal.
osse.dc.gov — Apply to Homeschool
DCMR Title 5 — Homeschooling
→The rulemaking itself: records, reporting and OSSE reviews.
osse.dc.gov — DCMR 5 (PDF)
Homeschooling: Local Requirements
→OSSE's plain summary of what the District asks of you.
osse.dc.gov — Local Requirements
Other States:
Homeschooling in Florida·Homeschooling in Georgia·Homeschooling in Hawaii— 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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