Homeschool Requirements in Indiana

Indiana asks for very little. Indiana is a light-touch state. There is something to file, and it is short. Below is exactly what, by when, and where it comes from in the code.

What you file, and by when

None. Indiana requires no notice, no registration, no approval, and no annual report. Reporting homeschool enrollment to the Indiana Department of Education (IC 20-33-2-21) is expressly voluntary; the IDOE online enrollment form is optional. Practical note: if the child is currently enrolled in a public school, notify/withdraw in writing so the district does not treat the absence as truancy.

Days or hours

180 days of instruction per school year (July 1-June 30). This flows from the requirement that instruction be 'equivalent' to public school and from IC 20-33-2-6, which conditions the private/homeschool exemption on the school being 'taught in the English language' for the same number of days public schools are in session. No hour minimum, no fixed daily schedule, no required calendar.

Subjects you must cover

Not enumerated by statute. IC 20-33-2-28 requires instruction 'equivalent to that given in the public schools,' and the term 'equivalent' is deliberately undefined, neither IDOE nor a district has authority to prescribe curriculum. In practice this is read as the same general subject areas taught to children of the same age/grade (English/language arts, mathematics, science, social studies), taught in English.

Records you keep

Attendance records only. IC 20-33-2-20 requires the school (including a homeschool) to keep an accurate daily record of attendance sufficient to verify enrollment and attendance, and to produce it on request of the Indiana Secretary of Education or the superintendent of the district in which the student resides. Nothing else is submitted or inspected. Curriculum, grades and work samples are not legally required but are strongly advisable for transcripts and college admission.

Testing or evaluation

None. No standardized testing, portfolio review, evaluation, or progress reporting of any kind.

Diplomas and transcripts

Indiana homeschools are legally 'nonaccredited nonpublic schools.' The parent/homeschool issues its own diploma and transcript; there is no state diploma, no state credit definition, and no state validation. Indiana public colleges commonly accept homeschool diplomas but may ask for a detailed transcript, course descriptions, or test scores, confirm requirements early. For Indiana's 21st Century Scholars and some state financial-aid programs, homeschool graduates must meet specific documentation/coursework criteria; verify with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Indiana's Education Scholarship Account (ESA) is limited to students with an active IEP/SP/CSEP (ages 5-22) and can be used by home-educated students who qualify; general homeschoolers are not eligible. Compulsory attendance age remains 7 through 18 (IC 20-33-2-6); no change to age 6 has taken effect.

Where this comes from

Statute: Ind. Code §§ 20-33-2-4, 20-33-2-6, 20-33-2-12, 20-33-2-20, 20-33-2-21, 20-33-2-28

Source: https://www.in.gov/doe/students/homeschool-information

Last reviewed: July 2026 · our confidence in this entry: high

Homeschool law changes, and a page like this goes stale without announcing it. Check the statute above against your own reading before a filing deadline. If we are out of date, we would rather hear it from you than have you find out at the district office.

Keeping the records is the other half of this. Our Records System has the editable transcript with the GPA already wired, 131 course descriptions, and this same statute-cited summary for all fifty states and DC. Thirty-nine dollars, one household, however many children you have.