Is homeschooling legal in Maine?
Yes, homeschooling is fully legal in Maine. Maine's homeschool law is built around two pieces of paper a year: a notice when you start, and a short continuation letter with assessment results each September after that. The state spells out exactly what goes in each one, so there is very little guesswork. Once your notices are filed, how you teach is entirely up to you.
Maine homeschool requirements at a glance
| Notice required | Yes, a written notice within 10 calendar days of starting, then a continuation letter each September 1. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | Yes, a statutory list including English, math, science, social studies, and Maine studies. |
| Testing / assessment | Yes, an annual assessment filed with your continuation letter. |
| Recordkeeping | Yes, keep copies of all notices and assessment results. |
| Parent qualifications | None required for home instruction. |
Maine homeschool law in detail
We link the governing law so you can read it yourself instead of taking our word for it. The governing law is 20-A M.R.S. 5001-A(3)(A)(4) (Compulsory attendance; home instruction).
Notice / letter of intent
Under 20-A M.R.S. section 5001-A(3)(A)(4), you file a one-time written notice of intent within 10 calendar days of beginning home instruction, sent simultaneously to the school officials of your resident school administrative unit and to the commissioner of education. The Maine DOE's online Home Instruction Portal satisfies both at once; if you file on paper, the DOE directs it to the resident superintendent only rather than duplicate copies. The notice must contain the parent's name, signature, and address, the student's name and age, the start date, an assurance of at least 175 days of instruction per year in the required subjects, and an assurance that an annual assessment will be completed and filed.
Required subjects
Home instruction must cover English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills, and fine arts. In at least one grade between 6 and 12 you also teach Maine studies, and in one grade between 7 and 12 the student demonstrates proficiency in computer use. Curriculum choice, materials, and methods are yours.
Required days or hours
Maine requires at least 175 days of home instruction per year. There is no daily hour requirement, and your 175 days can follow any calendar that works for your family.
Recordkeeping
Keep copies of every notice of intent, continuation letter, and annual assessment result in your own files. The statute provides that these records be made available to the commissioner upon request. Beyond that, Maine does not mandate daily logs or portfolios, though work samples make certain assessment options easier.
Testing and assessment
Each year's progress must be assessed, with the results enclosed with your September 1 continuation letter. Options include a standardized achievement test, a locally developed test approved by your school officials, a progress review by a Maine-certified teacher, a portfolio review through a homeschool support group that includes a certified teacher, or review by a local advisory board arranged in advance with the superintendent. Families pick the option that fits their child; the test route and the certified-teacher letter are the most common. Results travel with the continuation letter to the same recipients as the original notice.
Withdrawing from public school
Maine has no separate statutory withdrawal procedure: filing your notice of intent within 10 days of starting is what moves your child out of public school enrollment legally. As a practical courtesy, also send the school a short written withdrawal letter so attendance records close cleanly and no truancy questions arise. Keep copies of both.
Good to know
Maine is friendly to part-time access: state law has provisions for equal access to public school courses and activities for home instruction students, including cocurricular and interscholastic activities, subject to district procedures; confirm specifics with your local school unit. The DOE lists a home instruction specialist as a direct contact for questions.
How to start homeschooling in Maine
- Confirm your child is of compulsory school age in Maine (roughly ages 6 through 17, with exceptions).
- Pick a start date, and if your child is currently enrolled, give the school a brief written withdrawal note effective that date.
- Within 10 calendar days of starting, file your notice of intent through the Maine DOE Home Instruction Portal, or on paper with your resident superintendent, including all five required elements.
- Keep a copy of everything you file, then teach the required subjects across at least 175 days on your own schedule.
- During the year, line up your assessment choice: order a standardized test, find a Maine-certified teacher for a review, or arrange another approved option.
- By September 1 of each following year, send your continuation letter with the prior year's assessment results enclosed.
File your notice
Maine requires a written Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction filed with both the resident superintendent and the commissioner within 10 days of starting, then renewed each year by September 1.
- Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction (online form)
- Home Instruction Requirements, Forms & Laws (Maine DOE)
No login and no fee to file. If you need wording, our fill-in-the-blank letter template is just below.
Form links checked when we built this page.
Homeschool funding in Maine
We're verifying Maine's funding programs against official sources right now, dollar amounts and rules change yearly, and we'd rather be right than first. Check back soon.
Free Maine Notice of Intent template
Fill-in-the-blank and ready to send. Free, no email required.
Download the free templateFind homeschool families near you in Maine
Co-Op
- Calvary Chapel Homeschool Co-op · Orrington (Bangor area)
A long-running church-based homeschool co-op at Calvary Chapel on River Road in Orrington, serving the greater Bangor area with parent-taught supplemental classes and activities for all ages. Member families share a Christian statement of faith and a strong potluck tradition.
Visit website - Haven Homeschool Collective · Bowdoinham (Midcoast)
An inclusive, supportive collective of homeschooling families that gathers weekly in Bowdoinham for enrichment classes, field trips, and sports, plus a HAVEN HIGH program for teens. Families of all homeschooling and unschooling styles find authentic community and lifelong friendships here.
Visit website - Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) · Statewide
Maine's longtime statewide homeschool organization, offering getting-started guidance, portfolio reviews, regional support networks, field trips, and an annual convention. A welcoming first stop for any family beginning or continuing home education in Maine.
Visit website - School Around Us · Arundel (York County)
A co-learning community in Arundel, near Kennebunk, where registered homeschoolers ages 4 to 14 learn together in mixed-age groups called Spirals, with full-time and part-time options. Going strong since 1970, they put thriving relationships at the heart of learning.
Visit website - Wild Ones Collective · Augusta
A nature-based homeschool co-op that meets at Viles Arboretum in Augusta and spends roughly 90% of its time outside in every season. Pre-K through high school families share survival skills, Maine history field trips, science fairs, and a tight-knit multi-age community.
Visit website
Forest & Nature School
- Juniper Hill School · Alna (Midcoast)
A place-based school on 42 riverfront acres of woods, fields, and marsh in Alna, with nature-based early childhood classes and place-based elementary programs through grade 4. Children learn outdoors year-round, rooted in the natural and human community of midcoast Maine.
Visit website - White Pine Programs · York
A nature-connection nonprofit in York offering forest preschool, weekday homeschool programs, after school, teen expeditions, and summer camps for ages 4 and up. Caring mentors build curiosity and personal resilience through year-round outdoor adventure.
Visit website
Waldorf School
- Ashwood Waldorf School · Rockport (Midcoast)
Offering Waldorf education in midcoast Maine since 1986, Ashwood serves children from nursery through eighth grade with a head, heart, and hands approach they call schooling the imagination. Summer camps round out the year for many local families.
Visit website - Maine Coast Waldorf School · Freeport
Maine's largest Waldorf school, serving early childhood through grade 12 on a 75-acre campus of fields, woods, and trails in Freeport, about 20 minutes north of Portland. Academics are woven together with the arts, practical work, and place-based learning.
Visit website - Seacoast Waldorf School · Eliot (southern Maine seacoast)
A Waldorf school in Eliot serving early childhood through grade 8 for families across the southern Maine and New Hampshire seacoast. Children get daily outdoor time and an integrated curriculum of academics, arts, movement, and hands-on learning that builds curiosity and confidence.
Visit website
Homeschooling in nearby states
Maine homeschooling FAQ
Who exactly do I send the notice to?
The statute says the notice goes simultaneously to your resident school unit's officials and to the commissioner of education. The DOE's online Home Instruction Portal handles both in one filing, which is why most families use it; paper filers send to the resident superintendent per current DOE instructions.
Do I have to file a brand-new notice every year?
No. The full notice of intent is one-time. After that you send a shorter letter by September 1 each year stating you intend to continue, with the previous year's assessment results enclosed.
Does my child have to take a standardized test?
Not necessarily. Testing is one of five assessment options; you can instead use a locally approved test, a review by a Maine-certified teacher, a portfolio review through a homeschool support group with a certified teacher, or a local advisory board review arranged with your superintendent.
Do I need a degree or certification to teach my kids?
No. Maine's home instruction option sets no qualification requirements for parents. A separate, rarely used private-school route does involve teacher qualifications, but ordinary home instruction does not.
What is the 175 days rule?
Your notice includes an assurance that you will provide at least 175 days of instruction per year. Maine does not define hours per day or audit your calendar; most families simply keep a casual log of school days.
What happens if I move to a different town in Maine?
Your resident school administrative unit changes, so notify the new unit of your home instruction program. Filing practices vary, so contact the Maine DOE home instruction office for the current process
Sources
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Homeschool laws change, always confirm current requirements with your state's official sources before relying on them.