MICHIGAN
Homeschooling in Michigan: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
No notice, no testing, no records submitted to anyone. Michigan asks that you be the child's parent or legal guardian and teach an organized program in nine named subjects. That is the whole of it.
Homeschooling in Michigan, Summarized
The Seven Things Michigan Asks of You
Legal in Michigan
Yes
two regimes
Compulsory ages
6 to 18
Your two options
Home school or registered nonpublic school
Do I notify anyone?
Not required on the home-school route
the other registers
Paperwork load
Very low
nothing submitted
Parent qualification
None on the home-school route
you must be the parent or guardian
Standardized testing
Not required
public tests available
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Michigan
What You Need to Know
Two regimes sit in one section of the school code. The home-school route asks nothing administratively: no notice, no testing, no curriculum submission, no records to any authority. It does require that the educator be the child's parent or legal guardian, and that nine named subjects all be taught.
What Michigan Asks of You
One route files nothing. The other registers.
Must do
Be the child's parent or legal guardian — the statute requires it
Teach reading, spelling, maths, science, history, civics, literature, writing and English grammar
Dates that matter
None. There is nothing to file, so there is no date
Good practice — not required
Keep your own records: nothing is collected, so yours is the only account of the year
Public schools may offer optional college-entrance testing — worth asking about if a benchmark matters
All nine subjects must be taught; partial coverage disqualifies the exemption. The Department collects no student-level information from home-school families at all.
Must do
Apply to the Department for nonpublic-school approval, with your qualification
Teach subjects comparable to those taught in the public schools
Hold a bachelor's degree, or claim the religious exemption recognized in DeJonge
File the annual membership report
Dates that matter
October 31 for the annual membership report
1 September to 1 December for the personnel filing
Good practice — not required
Only take this route if you have a reason to: the home-school route asks far less
The trade-off
Registration brings annual reporting the other route does not have
This route asks for a teaching qualification the other does not: a bachelor's degree, or a religious exemption under DeJonge. Most Michigan families use the other route.
Michigan collects nothing, so your record is the only one. StudyPug keeps it while your child works.
Funding for Michigan Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
Michigan provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
There is no education savings account, voucher, tax credit or reimbursement for home-schooling families here, so materials are paid for by the family. Optional college-entrance testing may be available through your local public school.
To your family
$0 — no state funding
To apply for
Nothing — there is no program
Through your school
Optional college-entrance testing
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 all nine named subjects
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in Michigan
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Michigan?
Yes, and it is among the least regulated arrangements in the country. Two regimes sit in MCL 380.1561: the home-school route, which files nothing at all, and the registered nonpublic-school route, which does.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No certification or credential is required on the home-school route. There is one requirement of a different kind: the educator must be the child's parent or legal guardian, which the statute states directly.
Does Michigan fund homeschooling?
No. There is no education savings account, voucher, tax credit or reimbursement for home-schooling families in Michigan. Materials and resources are paid for out of pocket.
Which nine subjects must I teach?
Reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing and English grammar. This matters more than it first appears: all nine must be taught, and partial coverage disqualifies the exemption. It is the one substantive requirement Michigan sets.
Do I have to notify anyone?
Not on the home-school route. No notice to your district, to the Department, or to any agency is required to begin or continue. The Department collects no student-level information from home-school families.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
None are mandated — no curriculum, attendance, gradebooks or student data need be submitted or kept. That cuts both ways: because nothing is collected anywhere, your own records are the only account that exists of what your child did.
Can my child sit standardised tests?
Optional college-entrance testing such as the PSAT, SAT or ACT is often available through your local public school. Ask early if a benchmark or a college application is in view — availability is arranged district by district.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
MCL 380.1561
→Both regimes, in one section of the school code.
legislature.mi.gov — MCL 380.1561
Homeschooling in Michigan
→The department's guidance on records, subjects and reporting.
michigan.gov — Homeschooling (PDF)
Nonpublic and Home School Manual
→The current manual, including the voluntary registration route.
michigan.gov — 2025-26 Manual (PDF)
Other States:
Homeschooling in Minnesota·Homeschooling in Mississippi·Homeschooling in Missouri— 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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