Homeschooling in Arizona
What the law requires, what you file and when, and what to keep — with the statute behind each rule.
What Arizona requires
- Notify
- County school superintendent for the county where the child lives — Within 30 days after homeschooling begins; notify the county within 30 days if homeschooling ends, and file a new affidavit within 30 days if it resumes (one-time)
- Testing or evaluation
- Not required.
- Subjects set by the state
- Yes — 5 required subjects, listed below
- Teaching time
- None for homeschool
- Compulsory school age
- 6 to 16 — in detail
- Records
- None required by statute; keeping proof the affidavit was filed is recommended.
Taking your child out of school in Arizona
First move: Withdraw the child from the school and file the homeschool affidavit (with proof of identity, usually a certified birth certificate) with the county school superintendent within 30 days of starting homeschooling.
Do not file an affidavit if the child will use an ESA or attend an online public/charter school.
The legal routes
3 routes exist in Arizona. They carry different duties, and families often do not know the alternatives to the obvious one.
- Homeschool (A.R.S. § 15-802)
- Parent files a one-time affidavit of intent with the county school superintendent and teaches reading, grammar, math, social studies and science. No testing or teacher qualifications.
- Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)
- A separate, state-funded route: the parent signs an ESA contract instead of filing a homeschool affidavit and may use the funds for home education. ESA students are not legally 'homeschoolers' and follow ESA rules.
- Private school
- Enroll in a private school (a nonpublic institution other than the child's home). An affidavit is also filed with the county within 30 days of enrollment.
The notice, and who receives it
- Goes to
- County school superintendent for the county where the child lives
- Deadline
- Within 30 days after homeschooling begins; notify the county within 30 days if homeschooling ends, and file a new affidavit within 30 days if it resumes
- Renews
- one-time
- Form
- Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool (county form; many counties ask for it to be notarized), plus a certified birth certificate or other proof of identity and age
No official state form was found online for this route; the body above supplies it, or a letter serves.
Subjects Arizona requires
- Reading
- Grammar
- Mathematics
- Social studies
- Science
Compulsory school age
6 to 16 (A.R.S. § 15-802: 'between the ages of six and sixteen'); a parent may delay homeschool instruction until age 8 (if the child is not 8 by September 1) by filing an affidavit saying so
Teaching time
Arizona sets no required number of teaching hours or days, so what counts as a full year is yours to define. The courses here are planned as a 36-week year of about 180 sessions, which is the ordinary shape of one.
Who may teach
Arizona sets no qualification for the parent teaching at home: no teaching certificate, no college degree, and no requirement that you hold a high school diploma.
Testing and evaluation
Homeschooled children are not tested by the state. A child entering or returning to a public school may be tested for grade placement.
Records to keep
None required by statute; keeping proof the affidavit was filed is recommended.
High school, diplomas and transcripts
Parent (or curriculum provider/homeschool group) issues the diploma and transcript; the state does not issue homeschool diplomas. State law (A.R.S. § 1-701) requires the state to treat diplomas and transcripts from all schooling options the same.
Public school classes, sports and activities
Sports/activities: homeschooled students may try out for interscholastic activities at the public school in their attendance area on the same terms as enrolled students, with written verification of passing grades and satisfactory progress (A.R.S. § 15-802.01); a student who left a school during the year is ineligible for the rest of that year. Part-time classes are up to the local district.
Funding: education savings accounts, vouchers and tax credits
Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA): universal for K-12 Arizona students since 2022; about 90% of the state per-pupil funding, deposited quarterly; parents must spend on education in reading, grammar, math, social studies and science and submit receipts. Using an ESA means the child is not filed as a homeschooler.
What changed recently
No changes to the homeschool statute found for 2023-2026. The ESA program has been universal since 2022; ESA students may not also file a homeschool affidavit.
A 2023 bill (SB 1564) to extend sports access to ESA and small-private-school students was introduced; its final status was not confirmed.
What we could not confirm
Notarization and birth-certificate rules come from county offices (A.R.S. § 15-828), and counties differ slightly (e.g. whether photocopies are accepted); check your county. No statewide official affidavit form URL captured.
Current ESA dollar amount for 2026-27 not confirmed (only the 2025-26 draft handbook was reviewed).
- Final status of SB 1564 (2023) not confirmed (fact sheet is a committee version)
Listed because a legal summary that hides its gaps is harder to trust than one that names them. How these pages are checked.
Statutes and sources
Statute and regulation
- A.R.S. § 15-802
- A.R.S. § 15-802.01
- A.R.S. § 15-745
- A.R.S. § 15-828
- A.R.S. § 1-701
- A.R.S. § 15-2401 et seq. (ESA)
Statute text
- A.R.S. § 15-802 - School instruction; exceptions; definitions
- A.R.S. § 15-802.01 - Homeschooled children; interscholastic activities
- Arizona Senate fact sheet - SB 1564 (2023), nonpublic students and interscholastic activities