Homeschool Owl

How to Start Homeschooling in California

Low Regulation

Quick answer

California requires notification to homeschool (deadline: October 1–15 annually (Private School Affidavit filing window); families starting mid-year file promptly upon withdrawal). Withdraw your child from their current school in writing, then file that notification.

Triple-Checked

This data was last checked against official sources on August 4, 2026. Laws change, so if something looks off or your state updated its requirements since then, confirm current details on your state's official homeschool page or use the correction form below.

What to do

  1. 1

    Decide your start date

    Pick the date your child will stop attending their current school and homeschooling will begin. This is the date you'll reference in your withdrawal letter and any required state notification.

  2. 2

    Withdraw your child from their current school, in writing

    Notify your child's current school in writing that you are withdrawing them to homeschool, effective your start date. Most schools have a withdrawal form; even if they don't, a dated letter or email is a good record to keep. This step applies regardless of what your state requires below.

  3. 3

    File your notice of intent with California

    California requires families to notify the state or district that they're homeschooling. The deadline is October 1–15 annually (Private School Affidavit filing window); families starting mid-year file promptly upon withdrawal. See "Where to submit" below for how.

  4. 4

    Set up your curriculum

    Make sure your plan covers California's required subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Health, Physical Education.

  5. 5

    Start tracking instructional days

    California sets no minimum number of instructional days or hours by law, 180 days is shown as a general planning recommendation only. Logging days as you go (rather than reconstructing them later) still makes end-of-year reporting much easier.

  6. 6

    Prepare for reporting

    California's report frequency is: annual (the Private School Affidavit itself is refiled every year). Keep records (logs, samples of work, test results if applicable) throughout the year so reporting is just an export, not a scramble.

When to do it

You can generally start homeschooling at any point in the school year, you don't need to wait for a semester or term boundary. Withdraw from your current school effective your chosen start date.

California's notification deadline is October 1–15 annually (Private School Affidavit filing window); families starting mid-year file promptly upon withdrawal. If you're starting outside the usual back-to-school window, file your notification as close to your start date as possible.

How to do it

Where to submit

State portal — CDE's online Private School Affidavit system

Sample withdrawal letter+

A generic starting point for notifying your child's current school. If California requires its own notification form, use the official one linked above in addition to this letter.

Date: [Today's Date]

To: [School Name / Principal's Name]
[School Address]

Re: Withdrawal of [Child's Full Name] to Homeschool

I am writing to notify you that I am withdrawing my child, [Child's Full Name]
(Date of Birth: [DOB], Grade: [Grade]), from [School Name], effective
[Start Date]. My family will be homeschooling going forward.

Please let me know if you need any additional information or if there are
next steps required on my end to complete the withdrawal.

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone / Email]

Frequently Asked Questions

Is homeschooling legal in California?+
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in all 50 US states, including California. States vary in how much paperwork and reporting they require, but the right to homeschool itself is not in question anywhere in the US.
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool?+
No. No US state requires parents to hold a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool their own children.
Do I need permission from my school district to homeschool in California?+
You need to notify California by October 1–15 annually (Private School Affidavit filing window); families starting mid-year file promptly upon withdrawal, but this is a notification requirement, not an approval process, the district doesn't get to deny it.
Can I withdraw my child mid-semester or mid-year?+
Yes, you can generally begin homeschooling at any point in the school year. Notify your child's current school of the withdrawal date, and if your state requires notification, file it around that same time.
What if my child has an IEP or 504 plan?+
Homeschooling doesn't automatically carry over public-school special education services. If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, talk to your district and consider consulting a special-education advocate about what services (if any) remain available and how to structure accommodations at home.
What happens if I don't notify California that I'm homeschooling?+
Since California requires notification, not filing it can put you at risk of a truancy inquiry, since the state has no record that your child is being legally homeschooled instead of simply not enrolled anywhere.
California requirements in detail →General how-to-start guide →Homeschooling with an IEP →Free attendance log printable →Free homeschool tools →All state guides →

Track your California homeschool year automatically

Once you've withdrawn, Homeschool Owl logs your child's instructional days and turns them into California's compliance documents. California sets no legal minimum, so we track toward a 180-day recommendation as a helpful reference, not a requirement we're inventing.

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