WISCONSIN
Homeschooling in Wisconsin: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
One online form by October 15, 875 hours of instruction across the year, and six subjects taught in sequence. Nothing else is asked, and nothing is inspected.
Homeschooling in Wisconsin, Summarized
The Six Things Wisconsin Asks of You
Legal in Wisconsin
Yes
as a home-based private educational program
Compulsory ages
6 to 18
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — once each school year
by October 15
Paperwork load
Low
the form, and your own hours
Parent qualification
None required
Standardized testing
Not required
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Wisconsin
What You Need to Know
Wisconsin homeschools operate as home-based private educational programs under a light-touch framework. File the enrollment report online through the Department's system by October 15, provide at least 875 hours across the year, and teach a sequentially progressive curriculum in six subjects. Nothing is inspected.
What Wisconsin Asks of You
One form a year, 875 hours, and six subjects.
Must do
File the enrollment report online through the Department's system
Provide at least 875 hours of instruction across the school year
Teach a sequentially progressive curriculum in the six required subjects
Retain your submitted forms
Dates that matter
October 15 each school year; a mid-year start has its own timing
The 875 hours accumulate by the end of the school year
Good practice — not required
Log hours as you go — 875 is a real total and no one prompts you to check it
The Department's system retains your forms for seven years, but keep your own copies too
The statute sets no daily minimum and no required number of days — only the annual total. There is no diploma or transcript requirement for grades 9 to 12 either.
Wisconsin counts hours and nothing else. StudyPug logs them as your child works, so 875 is a fact rather than an estimate.
Funding for Wisconsin Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
Wisconsin provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
There is no education savings account, voucher, tax credit or reimbursement available to a home-based private educational program. Filing the enrollment report is free and carries nothing financial with it.
To your family
$0 — no state funding
To apply for
Nothing — the report is not an application
Cost to file
Nothing — the form is free and online
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 six required subjects
One-click package evidencing your 875 hours
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in Wisconsin
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Wisconsin?
Yes, as a home-based private educational program. The framework is deliberately light: one annual online filing, an hours total, and a subject requirement.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No. Wisconsin requires no parent qualification, credential or certification to operate a home-based private educational program, and nothing about your suitability is reviewed at any stage.
Does Wisconsin fund homeschooling?
No. There is no education savings account, voucher, tax credit or reimbursement available to a home-based private educational program. Filing the annual report is free and brings no money with it.
What is the 875-hour requirement?
A minimum of 875 hours of instruction across the school year. The statute sets no daily minimum and no required number of days, which gives real flexibility — but it also means nothing prompts you to check the total until the year is over.
Which subjects must I teach?
Six, taught as a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health. The sequential requirement matters as much as the list — the program must build.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
Retain your submitted enrollment forms. The Department's system holds them for seven years, but keeping your own copies is sensible. Beyond that nothing is mandated, and nothing is inspected.
What about a high-school diploma?
There is no statutory requirement to issue a diploma or maintain a transcript. Parents administering a home-based program do so on their own terms, which means planning ahead if college applications are in view.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
Wisconsin Home-Based Education
→The Department's page and the online enrollment system.
dpi.wi.gov — Home-Based
Wis. Stat. § 118.165
→The definition of a home-based private educational program.
docs.legis.wisconsin.gov — § 118.165
Homeschool Enrollment Reporting
→The PI-1206 report itself, and the October 15 deadline.
dpi.wi.gov — Enrollment Reporting
Other States:
Homeschooling in Wyoming·Homeschooling in Alabama·Homeschooling in Alaska— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
Lessons, practice, and the records above — one family plan.
30-day money-back guarantee
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.
Reviewed by the StudyPug curriculum team
3M+
students
92%
improve grades
30-day
money-back guarantee
Trusted
by US homeschool families