How to Homeschool in Georgia (2026 Guide)

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At a Glance

Regulation Level High
Notice Required Yes
Testing Required Yes
Record Keeping Required Yes

The short version

Georgia sits toward the more structured end of the homeschool spectrum. You file a Declaration of Intent with the state each year, teach at least 180 days across five required subjects, write an annual progress assessment for each child, and have each student take a nationally standardized test every three years starting after third grade. The good news: none of those test scores or progress reports go to the government — you keep them yourself. Georgia also has the Georgia Promise Scholarship, which can provide up to $6,500 per year to eligible families who leave public school, though it comes with specific eligibility conditions.

Georgia’s home study law is found in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c). The state calls homeschooling a “home study program,” which is legally recognized as a valid alternative to compulsory public school attendance alongside private schools.

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) plays a deliberately narrow role. Under the statute, its authority is limited to collecting and maintaining the annual Declaration of Intent and forwarding a copy to the local school system. The GaDOE does not approve, monitor, or evaluate home study programs in any other way.

Primary source: Georgia Department of Education — Home School

Declaration of intent

Georgia requires every home study family to submit a Declaration of Intent (DOI) to the GaDOE:

  • When starting: Within 30 days of establishing your home study program
  • Every year after: By September 1 annually

The DOI must include:

  • Names and ages of all students enrolled in the program
  • Address where the home study program is located
  • The 12-month period you are treating as your school year

You can submit the DOI online through the GaDOE portal, or download a printable form to fax or email.

Submit online: GaDOE Declaration of Intent portal

After submitting electronically, the system generates a 36-character signature line. This completed DOI is your official home study record — it is what Georgia uses to verify enrollment for a driver’s license or learner’s permit, work permits, and other documents your child may need.

GaDOE Homeschool contact: homeschool@doe.k12.ga.us | (404) 656-3083

Required subjects

Under § 20-2-690(c)(4), a home study program must provide “a basic academic educational program” that includes, at minimum:

  • Reading
  • Language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Social studies
  • Science

The statute uses the phrase “includes, but is not limited to,” so teaching additional subjects is fine. Georgia does not require a specific curriculum, textbook, or instructional method.

Instructional time: The program must provide the equivalent of 180 school days per 12-month period, with each school day consisting of at least 4.5 hours of instruction. The law provides an exception for children who are physically unable to meet the daily hour requirement. Days your child spent in public or private school before starting your home study program may count toward the 180.

Parent or guardian qualifications: Under § 20-2-690(c)(3), the teaching parent or guardian must hold at least a high school diploma or a state-approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma. If you hire a tutor, that person must also hold a high school diploma or HSE. Parents may teach only their own children in the program.

Testing or evaluation

Georgia has two separate assessment requirements under § 20-2-690(c):

Annual progress assessment (every year): Under § 20-2-690(c)(8), you must prepare an individualized written progress assessment for each child covering every required subject area. This is your own evaluation of your child’s progress — not a state test. You keep these on file for at least three years. You do not submit them to the GaDOE or to your local school district.

Standardized testing (every three years): Under § 20-2-690(c)(7), students must take an appropriate nationally standardized test at least once every three years, beginning at the end of third grade. The test must be administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm-referenced tests.

A few things worth knowing:

  • Georgia’s own Georgia Milestones Assessment is not nationally norm-referenced, so it does not satisfy this requirement
  • You choose and obtain the test at your own expense — the GaDOE does not provide or fund one
  • Test scores must be retained, but are not submitted to the state or local school district
  • Many families work through local homeschool co-ops or testing organizations to meet this requirement affordably

Record keeping

Under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c), home study families must retain the following privately:

  • Annual progress assessment reports for each child — keep for at least three years (§ 20-2-690(c)(8))
  • Standardized test records and scores — retained, not submitted (§ 20-2-690(c)(7))

You should also keep records that document your 180 days of instruction — while the statute does not prescribe a specific attendance log format, a basic record of school days is the practical foundation for demonstrating compliance if you are ever questioned.

Operating a home study program without complying with § 20-2-690(c) is a misdemeanor under § 20-2-690(d), subject to a fine of up to $100. Enforcement is uncommon, but the obligations — especially the annual DOI and record retention — are genuine legal requirements.

Scholarship programs

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Program, created by Senate Bill 233 and signed into law in 2024, is administered by the Georgia Education Savings Authority (GESA) under the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The program’s official website is mygeorgiapromise.org.

Funding: For the 2025–26 school year, the scholarship is set at a maximum of $6,500 per student per year, paid in quarterly installments through an online portal. The 2026–27 amount will be determined by the state funding formula and published once finalized. By law, total annual program spending cannot exceed 1% of the prior year’s Quality Basic Education appropriation.

Eligible expenses include:

  • Tuition, fees, and required textbooks at a participating private school
  • Qualifying curriculum and supplemental materials
  • Tutoring services from a Georgia Professional Standards Commission-certified educator
  • Occupational, behavioral, physical, or speech-language therapy from a licensed provider
  • Transportation to or from a service provider (up to $500 per year)
  • Other expenses authorized by GESA

Who qualifies: Eligibility is limited to students who:

  1. Were enrolled in a qualifying Georgia public school for the prior two consecutive full enrollment periods — or are entering kindergarten for the first time
  2. Reside in the attendance zone of a public school on the program’s eligible school list (schools in the lowest 25% based on CCRPI performance scores)
  3. Have a parent who has been a Georgia resident for at least one year (active-duty military have an exception)
  4. Are not already receiving the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship or another state scholarship benefit

Priority and funding caps: If applications exceed available accounts, priority goes to returning participants, then to students with household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. For spring semester enrollment, only students below the 400% FPL threshold are considered.

Application windows for 2026–27: March 1–31 and May 1–31, 2026. Check mygeorgiapromise.org for current application deadlines and the eligible school list.

Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS): A separate scholarship program exists under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2110 et seq. for students with qualifying disabilities who attend public school. Home study students are explicitly excluded from GSNS eligibility under the program’s rules. Families interested in this program would need to move their child to a participating private school, not a home study program.

Withdrawing from public school

Georgia law does not specify a particular withdrawal procedure for leaving public school to homeschool. In practice, you notify your child’s school directly — in writing is advisable — and keep a copy of any correspondence.

Once your home study program begins, you have 30 days to file your Declaration of Intent with the GaDOE. The clock starts when your program starts, not when you notify the school or when you plan to start.

The GaDOE is required by law to share a copy of your DOI with the local school system. This is an informational step and does not give the local district any supervisory authority over your program.

If you are applying for the Georgia Promise Scholarship, note that the scholarship’s eligibility rules require specific public school enrollment periods before withdrawing — review those conditions at mygeorgiapromise.org before unenrolling.

Support and community

Georgia has a range of state and regional homeschool organizations worth exploring:

  • Georgia Home Education Association (GHEA) — one of the state’s longest-running homeschool advocacy groups; maintains legal summaries and links to support networks statewide
  • Georgia Homeschool Network — a hub for co-ops, events, and regional community connections
  • Local co-ops are active across most metro areas including Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Macon, and Columbus; many can be found through local library boards or Facebook community groups

For the triennial standardized testing requirement, local homeschool associations often organize group testing sessions, which can reduce both the cost and the logistical effort of satisfying § 20-2-690(c)(7).