Alden House. Parent Center

Homeschooling in Ohio

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

notice only 12 sources Verified 12 October 2026

What Ohio requires

Notify
Superintendent of the child's school district of residence — Within 5 calendar days of starting home education, moving into a new district, or withdrawing from a public or nonpublic school; then by August 30 each year (annual)
Testing or evaluation
Not required.
Subjects set by the state
Yes — 6 required subjects, listed below
Teaching time
None for home education (the former 900-hour requirement was repealed in 2023).
Compulsory school age
6 to 18 — in detail
Records
None required by law.

Taking your child out of school in Ohio

First move: Send the district superintendent the notice (parent's name and address, child's name, assurance of instruction in the required subjects) within 5 calendar days of withdrawing.

The exemption takes effect when the superintendent receives it; the superintendent must acknowledge it in writing within 14 calendar days. Also notify the child's current school in writing; sending by a trackable method and keeping copies is recommended.

Failing to notify can lead to truancy action.

The legal routes

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

Home education exemption (ORC 3321.042)
A parent directs the education of a child age 6-18 and sends the district superintendent a simple notice; the child is then exempt from compulsory attendance as long as the required subjects are taught.
Non-chartered, non-tax-supported school ('08 school', OAC 3301-35-08)
A school that declines state charter for truly held religious beliefs; it certifies annually that it meets minimum standards and files the report with the Department of Education and Workforce by Sept 30. Teachers need a bachelor's degree, and 910/1,001 hour minimums and a longer subject list apply.

The notice, and who receives it

Goes to
Superintendent of the child's school district of residence
Deadline
Within 5 calendar days of starting home education, moving into a new district, or withdrawing from a public or nonpublic school; then by August 30 each year
Renews
annual
Form
Ohio Home Education Notification Form (optional; any letter with the parent's name and address, child's name, and assurance the required subjects will be taught is enough) — official form

Subjects Ohio requires

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • History
  • Government
  • Social studies

See which courses here cover these subjects →

Compulsory school age

6 to 18. A child under 6 who is enrolled in public kindergarten is also of compulsory age until formally withdrawn.

Teaching time

None for home education (the former 900-hour requirement was repealed in 2023).

Who may teach

None for home education (the former high school diploma requirement was repealed in 2023).

Testing and evaluation

None. Annual assessments/portfolio reviews were eliminated by HB 33 in 2023, and the superintendent may not require anything beyond the notice.

If there is evidence a child is not being taught the required subjects, the district may pursue the truancy process (ORC 3321.19).

Records to keep

None required by law. Keeping the superintendent's yearly acknowledgment letters is important (needed for College Credit Plus and to back up a parent-issued diploma); keeping curriculum records and work samples is prudent.

High school, diplomas and transcripts

Parents grant the diploma (ORC 3313.6110) when the student finishes the final year of home education and the high school curriculum; it counts as proof of high school completion for legal and job purposes, and parents may also award certain state seals. Districts do not issue diplomas to homeschoolers.

Ohio DEW recommends pairing the diploma with the superintendent's acknowledgment for the final year. College Credit Plus (free dual enrollment, grades 7-12) is open to homeschoolers: apply for funding Feb 1-Apr 1 for the full year or Sept 1-Nov 1 for spring.

Public school classes, sports and activities

Yes for activities: homeschoolers may join extracurricular activities (including sports) at the public school they would otherwise attend, meeting the same non-academic and fee requirements as other students (ORC 3313.5312); if the district lacks an activity, another district's superintendent may allow it. No statutory right to part-time classes was found.

Homeschooled children are not eligible for district IEP services but may qualify for the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship or Autism Scholarship.

Funding: education savings accounts, vouchers and tax credits

No funding for home education. EdChoice scholarships cover only full-time enrollment in a chartered private school.

Jon Peterson Special Needs and Autism Scholarships may be used by home-educated children through approved providers. A state income tax credit (up to $1,000/$1,500, ORC 5747.75) applies to tuition at non-chartered nonpublic schools, not to home education.

What changed recently

HB 33 (effective Oct 3, 2023) replaced Ohio's old home-education rules (OAC 3301-34): no more annual assessment or portfolio review, parent diploma requirement, 900-hour minimum or curriculum outline. Notice is now a simple statement due within 5 days of starting/moving/withdrawing and by Aug 30 yearly, and superintendents must acknowledge within 14 days. codes.ohio.gov shows ORC 3313.6110 (parent-granted diplomas) in a version effective Oct 9, 2026 citing HB 455 (136th GA, a broad DEW/public-school operations bill); the current text still lets parents grant the diploma and assign state seals, with no new filing requirement in division (A).

ORC 3321.01 was amended effective Mar 20, 2026 (HB 114; compulsory age 6-18 unchanged).

What we could not confirm

HB 455's enactment is inconsistent across official sites: codes.ohio.gov lists it as the latest legislation for 3313.6110 effective Oct 9, 2026 (with an authenticated PDF), but the legislature.ohio.gov bill page as fetched showed it passed by the House and pending in Senate committee. What HB 455 changed in 3313.6110 versus the prior version was not compared.

Whether OAC 3301-34 was formally rescinded was inferred.

  • Whether HB 455 actually passed the Senate and was signed (legislature.ohio.gov status page showed Senate steps incomplete)
  • Exact HB 455 changes to the diploma statute

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

  • Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.042
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.01
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.04
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 3313.5312
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 3313.6110
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 5747.75
  • Ohio Admin. Code 3301-35-08

Statute text

State agency

Secondary sources