LOUISIANA
Homeschooling in Louisiana: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
Two routes, and the difference is whether you seek state approval. One renews every October against an equal-to-public-schools test; the other only notifies. Neither may draw the state's account.
Homeschooling in Louisiana, Summarized
The Seven Things Louisiana Asks of You
Legal in Louisiana
Yes
two routes
Compulsory ages
5 to 18
Your two options
State-approved home study or nonpublic school
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — within 15 or 30 days
depends on the route
Paperwork load
Low to Medium
medium on the approved route
Parent qualification
None required
on either route
Standardized testing
Not required
but test scores can serve as evidence
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Louisiana
What You Need to Know
Two routes, and the choice matters. A state-approved home study program applies to the Board within fifteen days of starting and renews every October, showing a curriculum at least equal to the public schools'. A nonpublic school not seeking approval only notifies the Department. No credential is needed either way.
What Louisiana Asks of You
Approval renewed each October, or notification and nothing more.
Must do
Apply to the Board through the Department's online portal
Renew annually, showing a curriculum at least equal to the public schools'
Keep an attendance log — 180 instructional days are expected
For grades 9-12, track coursework well enough to produce a transcript
Dates that matter
Within 15 days of starting, for the initial application
October 1 each school year for renewal, or within twelve months of first approval
Good practice — not required
Decide early what your renewal evidence will be — standardised test scores are one accepted form
Keep the attendance log current: the renewal is easier when the year is already documented
The approved route is the one that produces a recognized program for high-school purposes. Test results, if you use them as evidence, must be in hand by the October renewal.
Must do
Notify the Department of enrollment and attendance after the session starts
Notify the public school your child last attended, within ten days of enrolling
Dates that matter
Within 30 days of the session beginning, typically late September for an autumn start
Within 10 days of enrolling — to the school last attended, not the Department
Good practice — not required
Keep your own records: nothing is submitted, but 180 instructional days are still expected
The trade-off
No state approval, which matters for high-school recognition
No records are submitted, no curriculum is reviewed and no home visits take place. This is the lighter of the two routes by a wide margin.
Louisiana's approved route renews every October against your evidence. StudyPug builds it while your child works.
Funding for Louisiana Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
Louisiana runs an education savings account — but not alongside home study.
Both registrations — BESE-approved home study and the nonpublic school route — are prohibited from taking part at the same time. Reaching the money means leaving your registration and making the scholarship the primary route: a swap, not a top-up.
While you stay registered
$0 — the two cannot be combined
To apply for
Nothing without leaving your route
Who it is for
Families who exit home study
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 showing a curriculum equal to the public schools
One-click package for your October renewal evidence
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in Louisiana
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Louisiana?
Yes, by two distinct routes. A state-approved home study program under RS 17:236.1 applies to the Board and renews annually. Alternatively you may operate as a nonpublic school not seeking state approval, which only notifies the Department.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No, on either route. Louisiana requires no parent credential or teaching certification to homeschool, which is part of why it is among the lower-regulation states despite the approval process.
Does Louisiana fund homeschooling?
Not while you stay registered. LA GATOR pays a base $5,243, but BESE-approved home study and nonpublic-school families are barred from taking part at the same time. Reaching the money means formally leaving your registration and making the scholarship your child's primary route.
Which route should I choose?
The approved route asks more: an application within fifteen days, an October renewal, and evidence of a curriculum equal to the public schools'. What it gives back is a recognized program, which matters most for high school. The nonpublic route only notifies, and suits families who want to be left alone.
What counts as evidence at renewal?
The standard is a sustained curriculum of a quality at least equal to the public schools'. Standardised test results are one accepted form, though no testing is required by law. Whatever you choose must be in hand by the October deadline.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
On the approved route, keep an attendance log — 180 instructional days are expected — and enough coursework detail for grades 9 to 12 to produce a transcript. On the nonpublic route nothing is submitted, but the 180-day expectation still stands.
What if we move from a public school mid-year?
On the nonpublic route the school must notify the Department within ten days of the child enrolling, which is a tighter window than the thirty days that applies at the start of a session. It is the deadline families most often miss.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
BESE-Approved Home Study Guidelines
→The approved route — applying, renewing and the evidence standard.
doe.louisiana.gov — Guidelines
Nonpublic Schools Not Seeking State Approval
→The lighter route and its notification deadlines.
doe.louisiana.gov — Nonpublic Schools
RS 17:236.1
→The home study statute itself.
legis.la.gov — RS 17:236.1
Other States:
Homeschooling in Maine·Homeschooling in Maryland·Homeschooling in Massachusetts— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
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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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