Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in New Hampshire?

No. New Hampshire sets no qualification requirement for the parent teaching at home.

Homeschooling in New Hampshire

Q: Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in New Hampshire?

No. No general notice. A written declaration of home education is required only when withdrawing a child from public school or seeking access to public school courses/activities under RSA 193:1-c (RSA 193-A:3 as reenacted). The statute does not name a recipient; HSLDA's Sept 2026 guidance suggests sending it by certified mail to the local superintendent (or a nonpublic school principal or the Commissioner).

What the law requires, what you file and when, and what to keep — with the statute behind each rule.

no notice required 12 sources Verified 12 October 2026

What New Hampshire requires

Notify: No general notice. A written declaration of home education is required only when withdrawing a child from public school or seeking access to public school courses/activities under RSA 193:1-c (RSA 193-A:3 as reenacted). The statute does not name a recipient; HSLDA's Sept 2026 guidance suggests sending it by certified mail to the local superintendent (or a nonpublic school principal or the Commissioner).
Testing or evaluation: Not required.
Subjects set by the state: No subject list.
Teaching time: None; dates and hours of instruction need not match the school district calendar
Compulsory school age: 6 to 18 — in detail
Records: None required (portfolio and record-keeping requirements were repealed July 1, 2026).

Taking your child out of school in New Hampshire

First move: Give the public school a signed declaration of home education (student's name, date of birth and current address, stating the child is home educated and meets compulsory attendance), plus a written withdrawal notice.

No approval is needed.

The legal routes

3 routes exist in New Hampshire. They carry different duties, and families often do not know the alternatives to the obvious one.

Home education program (RSA 193-A, as rewritten by HB 1268 in 2026): A parent provides, coordinates or directs their own child's education. Since July 1, 2026 there is no general notice, subject list, portfolio or evaluation requirement.
Education Freedom Account (EFA, RSA 194-F): State-funded account usable for curriculum, tutoring, online programs and more. EFA students are a separate category (not 'home educated' under 193-A) and must do a yearly test or evaluated portfolio.
Approved private (nonpublic) school: Enroll in a private school approved by the State Board of Education.

The notice, and who receives it

No general notice. A written declaration of home education is required only when withdrawing a child from public school or seeking access to public school courses/activities under RSA 193:1-c (RSA 193-A:3 as reenacted). The statute does not name a recipient; HSLDA's Sept 2026 guidance suggests sending it by certified mail to the local superintendent (or a nonpublic school principal or the Commissioner). Nothing has to be filed with any authority to begin.

Compulsory school age

6 to 18 (a child who turns 6 after September 30 need not attend until the next school year); exemptions include high school graduation/equivalency and enrollment in an Education Freedom Account

Teaching time

None; dates and hours of instruction need not match the school district calendar

Who may teach

New Hampshire 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

No evaluation required for home education since July 1, 2026 (the former annual evaluation requirement, RSA 193-A:6, was repealed by HB 1268). EFA students, by contrast, must provide a yearly norm-referenced test, the state assessment, or a portfolio evaluated by a certified or nonpublic school teacher.

Records to keep

None required (portfolio and record-keeping requirements were repealed July 1, 2026). Keeping records, transcripts and work samples voluntarily is recommended.

By law, a lack of records or evaluations may not by itself be treated as failure to educate in neglect proceedings.

High school, diplomas and transcripts

Parent issues the diploma/transcript. A parent may certify that the student completed the home education program; if submitted to the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner must issue a state certificate of completion within 30 days.

Public school classes, sports and activities

Home-educated students may take curricular courses and join cocurricular programs (clubs, athletics, performing groups) in their resident district; local policies may not be more restrictive for them than for enrolled students (RSA 193:1-c). A declaration of home education is required to use this access.

Home-educated students with disabilities keep access until diploma or age 21.

Funding: education savings accounts, vouchers and tax credits

Education Freedom Accounts (RSA 194-F): under current law any resident student eligible for public school may apply (no income limit); 2025 amendments set a 2025-26 enrollment cap of 10,000, with students at or below 350% of the federal poverty level not subject to the cap. Enrolling in an EFA ends the 193-A home education program and adds annual testing/portfolio rules.

What changed recently

HB 1268, the 'Home Education Freedom Act' (signed by Gov. Ayotte July 10, 2026, Ch.

290; home education sections 1-10 effective July 1, 2026; unrelated pharmacy-benefit sections 11-20 effective Jan 1, 2027) repealed and reenacted RSA 193-A:1-5. The old notice section (193-A:5) and subject list (193-A:4) were replaced, RSA 193-A:6 (records and evaluation), 193-A:10 and 193-A:11 were repealed, and the State Board was directed to repeal Ed 315. A declaration is now needed only when leaving public school or seeking public school access. Before that, parents had to notify within 5 business days, teach listed subjects, keep a portfolio for 2 years and do an annual evaluation. 2025: EFA law amended (Ch. 75 and Ch. 141); current text has no income limit and a 10,000-student cap for 2025-26. 2024: HB 1610 (state test mandate) was defeated.

What we could not confirm

The enrolled HB 1268 text (with enrolled-bill amendment 2026-2170e) was not seen; the summary uses the Senate-amended text the House concurred in. The online RSA 193-A compilation and HSLDA's state summary page still showed pre-2026 requirements when checked.

The new law does not say who receives a withdrawal declaration or by when. No NH Department of Education guidance or form under the new law was found. Whether the EFA enrollment cap is still in force depends on a contingency in 2025 Ch. 75.

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

RSA 193-A (as amended by 2026 N.H. Laws ch. 290, HB 1268)
RSA 193:1
RSA 193:1-c
RSA 194-F
RSA 169-C:3, XIX