How to Homeschool in Alabama (2026 Guide)

Last reviewed:

At a Glance

Regulation Level Low
Notice Required Yes
Testing Required No
Record Keeping Required Yes

The short version

Alabama is one of the most permissive homeschool states in the country. Most families operate under the church school provision, which requires just two things: file a one-time Church School Student Enrollment Form with your local superintendent, and keep a private attendance log at home. There are no state testing requirements, no curriculum approval, and no teacher certification requirements for parents. Alabama also has the CHOOSE Act, a state Education Savings Account program that can put up to $2,000 per year (capped at $4,000 per family) toward qualifying education expenses for homeschool families who meet income eligibility.

Alabama’s homeschool framework is built into the state’s compulsory attendance law, found at Ala. Code § 16-28. Section 16-28-3 requires every child between the ages of 6 and 17 to attend a public school, private school, church school, or to receive instruction from a competent private tutor. “Homeschooling” as a standalone concept does not appear in the statute — families satisfy the compulsory attendance requirement by operating within one of these recognized structures.

Most families use the church school provision because it carries the fewest requirements. Since the passage of Senate Bill 38 in 2014, Alabama Code § 16-28-1(b) explicitly recognizes “home programs” operated as a ministry of a local church or association of churches as valid church schools. A family does not need a church building — home-based programs operated through an established cover school or, in some cases, independently, are specifically recognized.

A separate provision, Ala. Code § 16-1-11.1, affirms that a parent has a constitutional right to choose the type of K–12 education best for their child and that nonpublic K–12 schools are “primarily exempt from state regulation” and are “only required by state law to report the enrollment of students.” This statute is the clearest legislative statement of what Alabama does and does not authorize the state to regulate.

For completeness, two additional pathways exist. The private school provision (§ 16-28-1(a)) allows a parent to establish a home program as a private school, but it carries more administrative obligations, including annual registration with the Alabama Department of Education by October 10 and ongoing enrollment reporting. The private tutor pathway (§ 16-28-5) requires a state teaching certificate, 140 days of instruction at specific hours, and detailed reports to the superintendent — a pathway almost no homeschool family uses.

Primary source: Alabama State Department of Education — Homeschool

Notice of intent

Under the church school pathway, your one required affirmative step with the government is filing the Church School Student Enrollment Form with your local city or county superintendent of education. This requirement is set out in Ala. Code § 16-28-7.

Key details:

  • Timing: There is no calendar deadline specified in the statute. File the form before your child’s attendance at the church school begins — and before withdrawing from public school, if applicable.
  • One-time filing: This is not an annual renewal. Once filed and accepted, it remains valid as long as the child is enrolled in the same church school and the family resides in the same district.
  • What goes on the form: The student’s name and information, the church school affiliation (either your own entity or the cover school through which you are enrolling), and signatures from both the parent and the church school administrator.
  • Where to file: Your county or city superintendent’s office. Contact information is available through the Alabama State Department of Education directory.

Once the form is on file, the local school district has no ongoing jurisdiction over your child’s education. The superintendent’s office cannot legally require curriculum outlines, teacher credentials, or meeting locations from church school families. Section 16-28-7 itself states that it “may not be interpreted or construed as authorizing the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, or the State Superintendent of Education to license or regulate any private, nonpublic, or church school offering instruction in grades K–12.”

If you are using the private school pathway instead of the church school pathway, the notice obligation is different: private schools must report names and ages of all enrolled students to the superintendent within five days of the opening of the public school year, with ongoing weekly enrollment and absence reports thereafter (§ 16-28-7).

Required subjects

Under the church school pathway, Alabama law does not specify required subjects. Section 16-28-1(b) states only that church schools must “offer instruction” in grades K–12. There is no statutory subject list, no required curriculum, and no instructional time minimum for church schools.

If you use the private tutor pathway, § 16-28-5 requires instruction “in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools of this state” for at least three hours per day, 140 days per year, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. — but again, virtually no homeschool families use this pathway.

In practice, you have complete freedom to design your curriculum around your child’s needs, interests, and pace. Alabama does not maintain an approved curriculum list or review instructional materials used in church schools.

Record keeping

Under Ala. Code § 16-28-8, the principal teacher of a church school (in a home program, that is the parent) must maintain an attendance register showing:

  • Enrollment of the school
  • Every absence of a half-day or more

This register stays in your home. It is not submitted to the superintendent, the school district, or the Alabama Department of Education. Its purpose is to create a private record that can be produced if your child’s enrollment is ever questioned — for example, if an attendance officer receives a report that the child is not in school.

Section 16-28-8 does not require attendance reports submitted to the district, portfolio reviews, academic progress documentation, records of subjects taught, or any other academic records. Church schools are explicitly exempt from the requirement to “make and furnish all reports that may be required by the State Superintendent of Education” — that obligation applies to private schools and private tutors, not church schools.

A simple calendar, spreadsheet, or notebook marking instructional days and any absences is legally sufficient. Many families find it useful to keep supplemental records — samples of student work, reading logs, completed curricula — for their own purposes, for college applications, or for credit documentation if a student later transfers to a public school, but none of this is legally required.

Scholarship programs for Alabama homeschool families

Alabama’s CHOOSE Act (Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education Act of 2024), signed by Governor Kay Ivey on March 7, 2024, creates Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) funded through refundable state income tax credits. The program is administered by the Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR) and managed through the ClassWallet platform. For current information and applications, visit chooseact.alabama.gov.

Funding amounts for homeschool families:

  • $2,000 per participating student enrolled in a home education program (including individual programs, homeschools, and co-ops)
  • $4,000 per family maximum, regardless of how many children are enrolled in home education programs
  • Families with students enrolled in an accredited participating school receive up to $7,000 per student — a separate, higher tier

Income eligibility (2025–26 and 2026–27): The credit is available to families with an adjusted gross income (AGI) not exceeding 300% of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year — approximately $93,600 for a family of four based on current poverty guidelines. Beginning with the 2027–28 school year, income restrictions are removed and the program opens to all Alabama families.

Priority order for award:

  1. First 500 accounts reserved for students with qualifying special needs (IDEA or Section 504)
  2. Dependents of active-duty service members enrolled at a priority school
  3. Remaining accounts awarded based on AGI as a percentage of the federal poverty level

Qualified expenses include textbooks, curricula and instructional materials, private tutoring, nonpublic online learning programs, educational software and applications, standardized and nationally recognized assessments (including ACT/SAT prep and AP exam fees), education services for students with disabilities from licensed providers, and contracted services from a public school district.

How to apply: Applications are submitted through chooseact.alabama.gov. Application windows open annually — the 2026–27 window closed March 31, 2026; check the website for the 2027–28 timeline. Once awarded, funds are disbursed through ClassWallet: families submit invoices for approved expenses and ALDOR pays providers directly. Unused funds at the end of the academic year (July 1–June 30) return to the CHOOSE Act Fund.

Withdrawing from public school

Alabama law does not specify a particular withdrawal procedure when you leave public school to begin homeschooling. In practice, the sequence most families follow is:

  1. Choose your legal structure. Decide whether you will enroll through an established church school cover organization or establish your own. Most families enroll in an existing cover school, which simplifies the paperwork and provides institutional support.
  2. File the Church School Student Enrollment Form with your local superintendent’s office (§ 16-28-7) before or simultaneously with withdrawing your child from public school. Having this form on file is what legally establishes your child as enrolled in a nonpublic institution.
  3. Notify your child’s current school in writing that you are withdrawing the student. Keep a copy of any correspondence. You are not required to attend an exit interview, submit curriculum plans, or complete any district-provided withdrawal form beyond a simple written notification.

Superintendents may occasionally request additional documentation or express unfamiliarity with the church school provision. They do not have legal authority to require curriculum outlines, teacher credentials, or evidence of instructional methods from church school families. If you encounter resistance, § 16-1-11.1 and § 16-28-7 both explicitly limit regulatory authority to enrollment reporting only.

If your child has an active Individualized Education Program (IEP) through the public school, note that church schools are considered distinct from private schools under Alabama law, and IDEA does not require public schools to provide services to students in church schools. Discuss the implications with your school district’s special education coordinator before withdrawing.

Support and community

Alabama has an active statewide homeschool community with organizations that offer legal guidance, co-op connections, and advocacy support:

  • Christian Home Education Fellowship of Alabama (CHEF of Alabama) — one of the state’s longest-running homeschool organizations, with legal information, an annual conference, and regional network connections; chefofalabama.org
  • Alabama Homeschool Association — statewide advocacy and support organization
  • Home Educators of Alabama Resource and Training (HEART) — regional co-op and resource network
  • Local homeschool co-ops operate in most metropolitan areas including Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery; many are discoverable through local library systems, community Facebook groups, or cover school networks

Cover schools — organizations that serve as the church school entity for enrolled families — are also a practical support resource. They handle the administrative filing, provide guidance on record keeping, and in some cases issue transcripts and diplomas. Fee structures vary widely (typically $50–$200 per family annually). Notable examples include Outlook Academy, which is among the most minimal-requirement options, and various regional organizations affiliated with church networks. When selecting a cover school, ask specifically whether they require standardized testing or have internal academic reporting requirements, since policies vary.

For families pursuing the CHOOSE Act ESA, the program’s official resource site at chooseact.alabama.gov includes a parent guide, a searchable list of approved education service providers, and contact information for ClassWallet support.