NEW YORK
Homeschooling in New York: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
A letter of intent by July 1, an instruction plan by August 15, four quarterly reports on dates you set, and an annual assessment. There is exactly one pathway, and no way around it.
Homeschooling in New York, Summarized
The Six Things New York Asks of You
Legal in New York
Yes
one pathway only
Compulsory ages
6 to 16
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — every year, by July 1
Paperwork load
High
four reports and a plan a year
Parent qualification
None required
Standardized testing
An annual assessment, tested yearly from grade 9
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in New York
What You Need to Know
New York is among the most heavily regulated states, and there is exactly one route — no umbrella schools, no cover schools, no exemptions. File a letter of intent each July, submit an individualised home instruction plan by August 15, file four quarterly reports on the dates you set, and an annual assessment with the fourth.
What New York Asks of You
One route, and six filings a year along it.
Must do
File an annual letter of intent with your district superintendent
Submit a completed individualised home instruction plan when the district sends the packet
File four quarterly reports on the dates you set in that plan
File an annual assessment together with the fourth quarterly report
Cover the mandated subjects for your child's grade band and document them
Keep daily attendance records through the year
Dates that matter
July 1 each year for the letter, or within 14 days if you start mid-year
August 15 for the plan, or within four weeks of receiving the packet, whichever is later
The four quarterly dates you specified — commonly around mid-November, mid-January, mid-March and June
June 30 at the latest for the fourth report and the annual assessment
Good practice — not required
Set your quarterly dates deliberately: you choose them, and evenly spaced ones are far easier to meet
Keep attendance daily rather than reconstructing it — the records must be available through the year
Grades 1-3 may use a written narrative every year. Grades 4-8 must test at least every other year. Grades 9-12 must test every year — there is no narrative option. No parent credential is required.
New York wants four quarterly reports and an annual assessment. StudyPug builds the evidence as your child works.
Funding for New York Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
New York provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
No education savings account, voucher or reimbursement program exists here. Legislation has been introduced in recent sessions without becoming law, so the position for now is that families are self-funded.
To your family
$0 — no state funding
To apply for
Nothing — there is no program
Proposed
Bills introduced, none enacted
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 to seed your IHIP
One-click package for each of your four quarterly reports
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in New York
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in New York?
Yes, under 8 NYCRR 100.10, but with a caveat worth knowing up front: there is exactly one compliance pathway. New York recognizes no umbrella schools, no cover schools and no exemptions, so every family follows the same sequence.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No. No teaching credential, college degree or formal qualification is required of the instructing parent. Instructors are named in the instruction plan and updated if they change, but nothing is assessed.
Does New York fund homeschooling?
No. There is no education savings account, voucher or direct reimbursement program in New York. Bills have been introduced in recent legislative sessions without being enacted, so families are self-funded for now.
What is the IHIP, and when is it due?
The individualised home instruction plan. The district sends you a form packet after your letter of intent, and you return the completed plan by August 15 or within four weeks of receiving the packet, whichever falls later. It names your subjects, materials and instructors, and it sets your four quarterly reporting dates.
When are the quarterly reports due?
On the dates you specified in your own plan — you choose them, which is the one piece of genuine flexibility here. In practice families commonly set them around mid-November, mid-January, mid-March and June. The fourth must be in by June 30.
What does the annual assessment involve?
You file it with the fourth quarterly report, by June 30. What you may file depends on the grade: 1-3 may use a written narrative every year, 4-8 must use a norm-referenced test at least every other year, and 9-12 must test every year with no narrative option. The bar is the 33rd percentile or a year's growth.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
Daily attendance records, maintained through the school year and available on request. The mandated subjects for your child's grade band must also be documented in the plan and reported on each quarter, which in practice means keeping the underlying work as you go.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
8 NYCRR 100.10
→The home instruction regulation — every deadline sits in it.
nysed.gov — 8 NYCRR 100.10
Home Instruction Questions and Answers
→The department's answers on the IHIP, quarterlies and assessment.
nysed.gov — Home Instruction Q&A
Education Law § 3212
→The duty the regulation implements, in the statute itself.
nysenate.gov — EDN § 3212
Other States:
Homeschooling in North Carolina·Homeschooling in North Dakota·Homeschooling in Ohio— 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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