How to Homeschool in Illinois (2026 Guide)
Last reviewed:
At a Glance
The short version
Illinois is one of the least regulated homeschool states in the country. You do not register with the state, do not notify anyone before you begin, and are not required to test your child or keep records for the government. Home schools are treated as private schools under Illinois law, which means the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) largely stays out of your way. The only substantive requirement is that you teach the core subject areas in English, at a level equivalent to what public school students of the same age and grade are learning.
Legal basis
Illinois homeschooling is grounded in the state’s compulsory attendance law, 105 ILCS 5/26-1 (the Illinois School Code), which requires children between the ages of 6 (on or before September 1) and 17 to receive an education. That law creates an exemption for children attending a private school — and the landmark 1950 Illinois Supreme Court case People v. Levisen established that a home can qualify as a private school, provided instruction is at least equivalent to what public schools offer and the required subjects are taught.
A later federal case, Scoma v. Chicago Board of Education (1974), reinforced that home school parents must provide instruction that is equivalent to public school standards and must be able to demonstrate that they are following an adequate plan of instruction if called upon to do so.
Neither case imposed registration, testing, or record-keeping requirements. Oversight authority rests primarily with elected Regional Superintendents of Education, who can investigate if a complaint is filed alleging a child is not receiving an adequate education. In practice, investigation only begins after a specific complaint — there is no routine audit or monitoring process.
ISBE describes homeschooling in Illinois as “almost entirely unregulated” and confirms that its jurisdiction does not extend to home schools in the same way it does to public schools.
Primary ISBE resource: Illinois Homeschooling — ISBE
Notice of intent
None required. Illinois does not ask you to file notice with the ISBE, your local school district, or any other state agency before you begin homeschooling. There are no forms to submit, no approval processes to complete, and no annual renewals.
ISBE does offer a voluntary Home Schooling Registration Form that you can complete and submit to your regional superintendent or to ISBE itself. Completing it is entirely optional — it carries no legal weight and creates no additional obligations. ISBE encourages families to fill it out as a way of demonstrating awareness of their legal obligations, but it is not a requirement.
Required subjects
Illinois law requires that home school instruction cover “the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools.” ISBE identifies those branches as:
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Biological and Physical Science
- Social Science (Social Studies)
- Fine Arts
- Physical Development and Health
All instruction must be provided in the English language. You may teach additional subjects, foreign languages, or electives beyond these, but the core instruction must be in English.
Within these subject areas, parents have wide latitude. ISBE notes that there are no specific courses mandated within each subject — you decide, for example, whether your high schooler takes chemistry, Algebra 2, or civics. You also choose your own curriculum, materials, pace, and teaching methods. There is no list of approved curriculum providers and no mandated number of school days or instructional hours per year.
Parent or guardian qualifications are not specified by law. Only public school teachers are required to hold teaching certificates under Section 21-1 of the Illinois School Code. Home school parents need no degree, certificate, or formal credentials.
Testing requirements
None. Illinois does not require homeschooled students to take any standardized tests, submit to any academic evaluations, or file progress reports with any agency. Because home schools are treated as private schools, public school testing mandates do not apply. You may choose to administer assessments for your own use — many families do — but there is no state-required testing at any grade level.
Record keeping
Illinois does not require homeschool parents to maintain records for the government. No attendance logs, curriculum records, portfolios, or work samples need to be filed with any state or local agency.
Keeping your own records is still practical. If your child later enrolls in a public school, the district will conduct its own placement assessment. Solid records — curriculum lists, samples of completed work, reading logs — can help smooth that transition and support applications to colleges, dual-enrollment programs, or youth activities that request documentation of coursework.
Illinois K-12 Education Expense Credit
While Illinois does not offer a dedicated homeschool funding program, home school families can claim the Illinois K-12 Education Expense Credit on their state income tax return. This is a modest credit, but it is explicitly available to homeschoolers.
| Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Credit rate | 25% of qualified expenses above the first $250 |
| Maximum annual credit | $750 per family (regardless of number of children) |
| Eligible expenses | Tuition, book fees, and lab fees for K–12 students |
| Claim on | Schedule ICR, Illinois Credits (K-12 Education Expense Credit Worksheet) |
| Governing publication | Illinois Pub-112 |
To claim the credit for a home school student, mark the school type as “H” (Home school) on the Schedule ICR worksheet and attach receipts for qualified education expenses. Cancelled checks are not accepted — you need itemized receipts showing the type and amount of each expense and the calendar year in which it was paid.
Withdrawing from public school
To begin homeschooling, contact your child’s school in writing and notify them you are withdrawing to homeschool. You do not need permission, and the school cannot require you to register with ISBE or provide curriculum details as a condition of withdrawal.
ISBE recommends sending a dated withdrawal letter and keeping a copy for your records. Many families include a copy of the voluntary ISBE Home Schooling Registration Form with the letter to document that they are aware of their obligations, though neither document is legally required.
Once your child is withdrawn, there is no annual renewal or check-in process with any government body.
Returning to public school: If your child later enrolls in a public school, the district will determine grade placement based on its own assessment of the student’s work and pursuant to its placement policies. The district may not make placement decisions that are arbitrary or unreasonable, and it cannot require a home school program to have been registered or recognized by ISBE (home schools are explicitly excluded from that voluntary process under 105 ILCS 5/2-3.25o(e)).
Part-time public school enrollment: Homeschooled students may enroll in individual public school classes that are part of the regular education program, provided space allows. The request must be made by May 1 of the previous school year, and the child must reside within the public school’s attendance zone. See 105 ILCS 5/10-20.24.
Support and community
Illinois has an active homeschool community, particularly in the Chicago suburbs and the broader metro area.
- ICHE (Illinois Christian Home Educators) — iche.org — one of the oldest and largest statewide organizations, offering an annual conference, local support group connections, legislative monitoring, and legal guidance on withdrawing from public school
- Illinois Homeschool Resource Center (IL HRC) — illinoishrc.com — curriculum lending, community events, and in-person support in Central Illinois
- Crossroads CYC Homeschool Co-op Directory — crossroadscyc.com/co-ops — a city-by-city directory of Chicagoland co-ops and co-schools spanning academic, enrichment, outdoor, and secular options
If you are just starting out, ICHE’s free beginner resources on Illinois law and withdrawal procedures are a practical first stop regardless of your educational philosophy. Local Facebook groups and regional homeschool networks are also active in most parts of the state.