How to Homeschool in Colorado (2026 Guide)

The short version

Colorado treats homeschooling as a nonpublic, home-based educational program — entirely separate from the public school system. Parents choose their own curriculum and schedule with no teacher licensing requirement. There are three core compliance steps: file a written notice with your school district before you start (and every year after that), cover the required subject areas for at least 172 instructional days, and have your child evaluated in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 using a nationally standardized test or a review by a qualified educator. Colorado has no state ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program for homeschoolers as of June 2026, though a federal scholarship program is expected to open in 2027.

Legal basis

Colorado’s homeschool law is codified at C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5, titled “Home-based education — legislative declaration — definitions — guidelines.” The statute opens with a clear statement of intent:

“The general assembly hereby declares that it is the primary right and obligation of the parent to choose the proper education and training for children under his care and supervision. It is recognized that home-based education is a legitimate alternative to classroom attendance for the instruction of children and that any regulation of nonpublic home-based educational programs should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate a variety of circumstances.”

Under the statute, a nonpublic home-based educational program is instruction that takes place in the home, provided by the child’s parent or by an adult relative the parent designates, and that is not under school district supervision or control. It is not a private or nonprofit school.

Parents and designated adult relatives are explicitly exempt from the requirements of the Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991. No teaching license or credential is required to homeschool.

A child enrolled in a home-based program is not subject to the compulsory school attendance law — with one narrow exception: a child classified as habitually truant during the last six months of prior public school enrollment must submit a written curriculum description along with the initial notice before the home program can begin.

Primary DOE resource: Colorado Department of Education — Homeschool in Colorado

The CDE notes that it treats homeschooling as a nonpublic option and directs families with specific questions to the school district where they file their notice.

Notice of intent

C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5(3)(e) requires parents to provide written notification to a school district within the state at least 14 days before establishing the program. The same notice must be filed every year thereafter for as long as the program continues.

The statute specifies what the notice must contain — and it is intentionally minimal. The written certification needs only:

The name of each child enrolled
The child’s age
The child’s place of residence
The number of hours of attendance

No curriculum description, portfolio, or approval from the district is required (unless the child was previously classified as habitually truant, as noted above).

When notice is not yet required: The statute provides three age-based exceptions under § 22-33-104.5(3)(e):

Situation	Rule
Child is under age 6	No notice obligation until age 6
Child is under age 7	Program need not be established until age 7
Child is age 16 or older	No further notice or program obligation

You file the notice with a school district within the state — typically the district where your family resides. Most districts have a Schools of Choice or homeschool contact office that handles these filings. The CDE’s main contact for Schools of Choice is reachable at 720-760-0865.

Required subjects

C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5(3)(d) requires every home-based program to include the following subjects:

Communication skills — reading, writing, and speaking
Mathematics
History
Civics
Literature
Science
Constitution of the United States (as provided in C.R.S. § 22-1-108)

The statute uses “shall include, but need not be limited to” — meaning these are a floor, not a ceiling. Parents are free to add additional subjects and pursue deeper study in any area.

Instructional time: The program must include no fewer than 172 days of instruction, averaging four instructional contact hours per day (§ 22-33-104.5(3)(c)). How those days and hours are structured across the calendar is up to the parent.

There is no approved curriculum list and no state-mandated scope or sequence. Parents choose their own materials.

Assessments

C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5(3)(f) requires that each child be evaluated at grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. At each of those grade levels, the parent must choose one of two options:

Option 1 — Standardized test: Administer a nationally standardized achievement test selected by the parent.

Option 2 — Qualified evaluator review: Have a “qualified person” evaluate the child’s academic progress. The statute defines a qualified person as:

A teacher licensed under Colorado law
A teacher employed by an independent or parochial school
A licensed psychologist
A person with a graduate degree in education

Results — whether test scores or an evaluator’s report — must be submitted to the school district that received the annual notice, or to an independent or parochial school within Colorado. If results go to a private school rather than the district, the name of that school must be reported to the district.

What happens if scores are low: Under § 22-33-104.5(5), if a standardized test shows a composite score at or below the 13th percentile, the district may require the family to enroll the child in a traditional school until the next testing period. Before that step is taken, the parent must be given an opportunity to retest using an alternate version of the same test or a different approved test of the parent’s choosing.

If a qualified evaluator finds that a child is not making sufficient academic progress relative to the child’s ability, the same re-enrollment process applies.

Scores from home-based programs are never used to measure public school performance or determine school accreditation (§ 22-33-104.5(3)(f)).

Record keeping

C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5(3)(g) requires parents to maintain records permanently. Records must include, at minimum:

Attendance data
Test and evaluation results from the grade-level assessments
Immunization records as required by C.R.S. §§ 25-4-901, 25-4-902, and 25-4-903

Records are private by default. They may only be requested by the school district if the district superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is not in compliance — and even then, the district must give 14 days’ written notice before the records are due.

Beyond the statutory minimum, many families keep additional materials — lesson plans, completed work samples, reading lists, project documentation — both as a practical management tool and to support future transitions to traditional schools or college applications.

Scholarships and financial support

Colorado does not currently have a state-funded ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program specifically for homeschool families. Independent homeschoolers receive no direct state financial support. (Colorado Department of Education)

Federal Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) — expected 2027

Governor Jared Polis announced in late 2025 that Colorado would participate in the federal Educational Choice for Children Act scholarship program, established by Congress in 2025. Under this program:

Taxpayers receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations made to certified scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs)
Those SGOs distribute scholarships to K–12 students, including homeschoolers, for education-related expenses: curriculum, books, supplies, tutoring, technology, internet access, transportation, and after-school or summer programs
Eligibility extends to families with income up to 300% of the area median income
Private school students may also apply scholarship funds toward tuition

The program is expected to begin accepting scholarship applications in 2027. Implementing rules from the U.S. Treasury and IRS were still being finalized as of mid-2026. Participation may ultimately depend on the priorities of Colorado’s next governor (Polis is term-limited and leaves office in January 2027). Check the Colorado Department of Education for updates as the program framework is finalized.

Part-time public school access (Options programs)

Under C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5(6), homeschool students have the same rights as enrolled public school students to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic activities at their local public school. Additionally, Colorado school districts offer Options/Enrichment programs that allow homeschool students to attend public school part-time — typically one day per week — for specific classes such as art, music, science, or physical education, at no cost.

Tax-advantaged savings accounts

Two federal vehicles remain available regardless of state program status:

Colorado CollegeInvest 529 plan — Colorado residents may deduct 529 contributions from state taxable income. Federal law allows up to $10,000 per year per beneficiary in 529 withdrawals for K–12 education expenses. Note that Colorado state tax law may not fully align with federal rules for K–12 withdrawals; consult a tax professional before using 529 funds for K–12 purposes.
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) — Federal accounts allowing up to $2,000 per year per child with tax-free growth and withdrawals for qualified educational expenses including curriculum, tutoring, and educational technology.

Withdrawing from public school

If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, contact the school to formally withdraw before beginning your home program. Withdrawal is your right — you do not need the school’s permission.

File your written notice with the school district at least 14 days before starting instruction, as required by § 22-33-104.5(3)(e). Keep a copy of your notice and any acknowledgment from the district.

Returning to public school: Under § 22-33-104.5(4), a child who transitions from a home-based program back into the public school system may be tested by the district solely for the purpose of grade placement. The district must accept transcripts from the home program for credit purposes — though it may reject them if its own assessment does not verify the transcripts’ accuracy. Placement decisions require the consent of the parent or legal guardian.

Support and community

Several organizations support Colorado homeschool families:

Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) — chec.org — one of the state’s longest-running homeschool advocacy organizations; hosts the annual Colorado Homeschool Convention and maintains a legal defense fund
Colorado Homeschool Network — community-focused network connecting independent homeschool families across the state
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) — hslda.org — national membership organization providing legal support for homeschool families; Colorado members have access to attorney consultations and legislative monitoring

The CDE’s school district website directory is useful for identifying the district where you will file your annual notice and for finding any district-specific procedures or forms.