State law guide
How to Homeschool in Virginia
Checked by hand against Va. Code 22.1-254.1, Home Instruction Statute, last verified June 13, 2026.
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Is homeschooling legal in Virginia?
Yes, homeschooling is fully legal in Virginia. Virginia's homeschool law runs on two calendar dates: tell your school division by August 15 that you are homeschooling, and show evidence of progress by the following August 1. Between those two filings, the state stays out of your way, and you choose the curriculum, schedule, and style. Virginia also offers a religious exemption that removes even those requirements for qualifying families.
Virginia homeschool requirements at a glance
| Notice required | Yes, an annual notice of intent to your division superintendent by August 15. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | No mandated subjects; your notice simply lists what you plan to teach. |
| Testing / assessment | Yes, evidence of progress (test score or evaluation) due by August 1 each year. |
| Recordkeeping | Minimal; keep copies of notices, scores, and evaluations you submit. |
| Parent qualifications | Meet any one of four options, such as holding a high school diploma. |
Virginia homeschool law in detail
Each requirement below links to the statute that governs it, so you can read the law yourself instead of taking our word for it. The governing law is Va. Code 22.1-254.1.
Notice / letter of intent
Under Va. Code 22.1-254.1(B), you notify your local school division superintendent annually by August 15 of your intent to provide home instruction. The notice includes a description of your curriculum, limited to a list of subjects you intend to study that year, plus evidence that you satisfy one of the parent qualification options. If you move into a division or begin homeschooling after the school year starts, you notify the superintendent as soon as practicable and comply within 30 days. Most divisions accept a simple letter or their own form.
Read the law: Va. Code 22.1-254.1(B) (notify superintendent by Aug 15)
Required subjects
Virginia does not mandate specific subjects for home instruction. Your notice of intent lists the subjects you plan to teach, but the state does not approve or restrict that list. Families typically cover the basics that the annual test or evaluation will reflect, especially reading and math.
Read the law: No subject mandate; Va. Code 22.1-254.1 Virginia does not mandate specific subjects; your notice lists the subjects you plan to teach.
Required days or hours
The home instruction statute, Va. Code 22.1-254.1, sets no required number of days or hours. You set your own calendar and daily schedule.
Read the law: No instruction-time mandate; Va. Code 22.1-254.1 The statute sets no required days or hours.
Recordkeeping
Virginia's home instruction statute imposes no ongoing recordkeeping requirement beyond the documents you file. As a practical matter, keep copies of each year's notice of intent, proof of your parent qualification, and every test score or evaluation you submit. Those papers are your history if you re-enroll a child in school or apply to colleges later.
Read the law: No recordkeeping mandate beyond filed documents; Va. Code 22.1-254.1 Keep your notices, qualification proof, and test or evaluation results.
Testing and assessment
By August 1 following each school year of home instruction, you must provide the division superintendent evidence of progress under Va. Code 22.1-254.1(C). You can submit a nationally normed standardized test score with a composite in or above the fourth stanine (roughly the 23rd percentile), equivalent ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores, an evaluation letter from a licensed teacher or a person with a master's degree confirming adequate educational growth, or a report card or transcript from a college or approved correspondence program. If no evidence is filed, the program may be placed on probation for one year with a remediation plan; continued noncompliance ends home instruction under this statute.
Read the law: Va. Code 22.1-254.1(C) (evidence of progress by Aug 1)
Withdrawing from public school
Notify your child's school in writing that you are withdrawing the student for home instruction and file your notice of intent with the division superintendent at the same time, since midyear starters must notify as soon as practicable. Keep a copy of both letters. Some divisions ask you to complete their own withdrawal form; that is fine, but your legal coverage comes from the notice of intent, not the school's paperwork.
Read the law: Va. Code 22.1-254.1(B) (notify and file notice of intent) Withdrawal uses the same notice-of-intent process.
Good to know
Virginia is unusual in offering a true religious exemption (Va. Code 22.1-254(B)(1)) that fully excuses qualifying families from attendance and home instruction requirements. A certified tutor provision also exists as a separate path. Statewide public school sports access for homeschoolers has not passed as of this writing
How to start homeschooling in Virginia
- Pick your qualification option under Va. Code 22.1-254.1(A): a high school diploma (most common), teacher qualifications, a correspondence or distance-learning curriculum, or evidence you can provide an adequate education.
- Write your notice of intent listing the subjects you plan to teach, attach your qualification evidence, and send it to your division superintendent by August 15 (or as soon as practicable if starting midyear).
- If your child is enrolled in public school, submit a written withdrawal to the school when you file the notice.
- Teach your year your way; Virginia sets no required days, hours, or curriculum.
- Before August 1 of the following summer, send the superintendent your evidence of progress: a qualifying test score or an evaluation letter. Then re-file your notice for the new year by August 15.
File your notice
Virginia requires a Notice of Intent filed with the local division superintendent annually by August 15, but the state does not mandate a specific form, so a parent may use the official DOE guidance, a division form, or a signed letter.
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 Virginia
We're verifying Virginia'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 Virginia 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 Virginia
Co-Op
- Aiming High Homeschool Co-op · Williamsburg
A faith-based co-op meeting at Williamsburg Community Chapel with K-12 classes in STEM, history, art, geography, drama, life skills, and Bible. Beyond Monday community days, families enjoy field trips, dances, student council, teen events, and mom support groups.
Visit website - Compass Homeschool Enrichment · Herndon (Fairfax County)
A secular a la carte enrichment program where homeschoolers from pre-K through high school can pick from over 200 weekly classes per quarter in science, robotics, coding, languages, art, music, and fitness. Around 450 Northern Virginia families take part, with clubs, competitions, and community events on top of academics.
Visit website - Fredericksburg Area Homeschool Association (FAHA) · Fredericksburg
A secular, inclusive, member-driven association serving homeschooling families across Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and King George. They share educational and financial resources and bring families together for community events like chess and board game days.
Visit website - Greater Roanoke Home Educators (GRHE) · Roanoke
A Christian organization supporting homeschooling families across the greater Roanoke area with guidance on Virginia homeschool law, a lending library, a scholarship program, and dedicated help for families just getting started.
Visit website - Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) · Statewide
Virginia's statewide homeschool organization for over 40 years, hosting the annual Virginia Homeschool Convention in Richmond and connecting families to local support groups, co-ops, sports teams, and homeschool leaders in every corner of the state.
Visit website - Homeschool First · Lynchburg
A volunteer-run co-op meeting at Chestnut Hill UMC in Lynchburg that facilitates academic classes, field trips, social events, and support meetings for homeschool parents across Central Virginia.
Visit website - Homeschool Out of the Box (HSOBX) · Norfolk (Hampton Roads)
A secular co-op serving Tidewater families since 2007, with classes for ages 3 through 18+ spanning lab sciences, math, language arts, foreign languages, history, and electives. They are known for a welcoming, inclusive environment for kids with diverse learning needs and backgrounds.
Visit website - PEACH (Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes) · Staunton (Augusta County)
A Christian support group serving Augusta County, Staunton, and Waynesboro families since 1989, with organized field trips, monthly teen events, athletics, regular parent support meetings, and a yearly graduation ceremony.
Visit website - Richmond Homeschool Collective · Richmond
An affirming, secular cooperative built around middle and high schoolers (ages 11 and up), with a special welcome for neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ learners. Members gather in a shared space two days a week for a la carte classes, clubs, workshops, field trips, and free play.
Visit website
Forest & Nature School
- Appalachian Forest School · Harrisonburg & Staunton
The first 100% outdoor forest school to be licensed in Virginia, running school-year and summer programs for ages 3 to 5 in Harrisonburg and Staunton. More than 500 little explorers have come through their woods since 2018.
Visit website - River Farm Forest School · Alexandria
A K-8 cooperative forest school where nature-based outdoor learning anchors the day and every family plays an active role in shaping the school community.
Visit website - The Living Earth School · Afton (near Charlottesville)
Offering immersive nature-based education in the Blue Ridge Mountains since 2002, with weekly homeschool classes, summer camps, teen apprentice programs, and weekend workshops based out of Afton and Charlottesville.
Visit website - Valley Forest School · Catawba (Roanoke County)
An outdoor education program on 74 acres in the Appalachian mountains near McAfee Knob, with weekly classes from parent-and-child Forest Sprouts (ages 0-3) through homeschool enrichment for ages 8-12 and a teen adventure course with campouts.
Visit website
Waldorf School
- Charlottesville Waldorf School · Charlottesville
Serving children from infancy through 8th grade in a screen-free, nature-rich environment where hands-on exploration, music, art, and outdoor play are woven through the academics, nurturing the whole child with head, heart, and hands.
Visit website - Potomac Crescent Waldorf School · Alexandria (Old Town)
Northern Virginia's accredited Waldorf school, nurturing the whole child from parent-child classes and preschool through 5th grade in Old Town Alexandria, with before and after school programs and summer camps.
Visit website - Richmond Waldorf School · Richmond
An independent Pre-K through 8th grade Waldorf school established in 1996, with a parent-toddler program, mixed-age kindergarten, and arts-integrated, hands-on academics through middle school, plus after-school care and summer programs.
Visit website
Homeschooling in nearby states
Virginia homeschooling FAQ
Do I really have to file in Virginia every single year?
Yes, twice a year in a sense: the notice of intent by August 15 and evidence of progress by August 1. Most families handle both in one late-summer sitting, sending the test score or evaluation alongside the new notice.
What if my child scores below the fourth stanine on the test?
You have options. You can submit an evaluation letter from a licensed teacher or a person with a master's degree instead, which considers your child's individual growth. If no acceptable evidence is filed, the division may place the program on probation for a year with a remediation plan rather than shutting it down immediately.
What is Virginia's religious exemption?
Under Va. Code 22.1-254(B)(1), a school board must excuse from attendance a student whose family has bona fide, conscientious religious objections to school attendance. Approved families are fully exempt from the home instruction notice and testing requirements. It is a separate legal path with its own application to the school board
Do I need a college degree or teaching certificate to homeschool in Virginia?
No. A high school diploma satisfies the most-used qualification option, and three other paths exist, including simply providing evidence you can give your child an adequate education. Teacher certification is one option, never a requirement.
Does Virginia limit which subjects or curriculum I can use?
No. Your notice lists the subjects you intend to teach, but the state does not approve curriculum or dictate content. You can change materials and plans mid-year without telling anyone.
Can my homeschooler take classes or play sports at the public school?
Part-time enrollment and activity access are decided locally in Virginia; the state has repeatedly debated a Tebow-style sports law without passing one Ask your school division what it allows before planning on it.
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.