How to Homeschool in Missouri (2026 Guide)

The short version

Missouri is one of the most family-friendly states in the country for home education. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says plainly on its website: “The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not regulate or monitor homeschooling in the state of Missouri.” There is no registration with any state agency, no approval process, and no state-mandated testing.

What you do need to do is straightforward: send a written notice to your local school district when withdrawing your child from public school enrollment, maintain basic records showing instruction is happening, and offer at least 1,000 hours of instruction per year (with at least 600 of those hours in core academic subjects). Children who are 16 or older are exempt from the records and hours requirements.

Missouri does not mandate specific subjects or require families to follow state standards. DESE does not issue diplomas for homeschool graduates and does not collect homeschool records. Enforcement of Missouri’s home education law rests solely with the local county prosecuting attorney — not DESE, not the school district.

Legal basis

Missouri’s home education framework is grounded in two statutes that work together: RSMo 167.031 establishes compulsory school attendance and recognizes home schools as a lawful option, and RSMo 167.012 (effective August 28, 2025) provides the detailed definition of a home school along with the records and instruction requirements.

RSMo 167.031 — Compulsory attendance

Under RSMo 167.031.1(1), every parent, guardian, or other person having charge of a child must enroll the child in a program of academic instruction between the ages of seven years and the compulsory attendance age for the district. Home schools are explicitly listed alongside public schools, private schools, parochial schools, and FPE schools as lawful options for satisfying this obligation.

The compulsory attendance age is seventeen years of age (or having successfully completed sixteen credits toward high school graduation) in most districts, and seventeen years of age in metropolitan school districts that have adopted a resolution setting that age. Some metropolitan districts may lower the age to sixteen by board resolution.

RSMo 167.031.2 expressly prohibits any department or agency of the state of Missouri from dictating through rule, regulation, or other device any statewide curriculum for home schools.

RSMo 167.012 — Home school defined

RSMo 167.012 (enacted in 2024 and amended in 2025) provides the operative definition of a home school for Missouri law. A home school is a school, whether incorporated or unincorporated, that:

Has as its primary purpose the provision of private or religious-based instruction;
Enrolls children between the ages of seven years and the compulsory attendance age for the school district, of which no more than four are unrelated by affinity or consanguinity in the third degree;
Does not charge or receive consideration in the form of tuition, fees, or other remuneration in a genuine and fair exchange for the provision of instruction; and
Does not enroll children who participate in the MOScholars Empowerment Scholarship Account program (RSMo 135.712–135.719 and 166.700–166.720); and
Is not an FPE (Family Paced Education) school.

If your home school charges tuition to unrelated families, enrolls more than four unrelated students, or accepts MOScholars ESA funds, it operates under a different legal framework (FPE school) rather than under RSMo 167.012.

RSMo 167.042 — Withdrawing from public school rolls

RSMo 167.042 requires that if a parent makes a written notification of their intent to pursue other educational options under RSMo 167.031 and requests that the child be dropped from the public school district rolls where the child legally resides, the school must comply and remove the child promptly. This is the mechanism for withdrawing from public school enrollment.

Primary DESE resource: DESE — Homeschooling Transcripts or Diplomas

DESE’s statement on its website: “The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not regulate or monitor homeschooling in the state of Missouri. We do not require registration, nor are any records about homeschooling sent to us.”

Notice requirements

Missouri does not require any notice to DESE or any state agency. There is no annual filing, no state registration form, and no state fee.

You are required to notify only your local school district, and only when you are withdrawing a child who is currently enrolled in that district. Under RSMo 167.042, this notice must be in writing. The statute does not specify a particular form or format — a letter or email stating that you are withdrawing your child to pursue home education under RSMo 167.031 is sufficient. Request confirmation of receipt and keep a copy for your records.

If your child has never been enrolled in a public school — for example, a child who has been homeschooled since birth or who attended only private school — there is no district withdrawal notice to file at all.

There is no annual renewal. You do not re-notify the district each school year. The one-time withdrawal notice remains in effect.

Practical content for your withdrawal letter:

Child’s full name and date of birth
The date the withdrawal takes effect
A statement that you are pursuing home education under RSMo 167.031
Your name as the parent or guardian

Keep the signed letter and any confirmation from the district in your homeschool records.

Required subjects

Missouri does not mandate any specific subjects for home schools. RSMo 167.031.2 states explicitly that “all departments or agencies of the state of Missouri shall be prohibited from dictating through rule, regulation or other device any statewide curriculum for private, parochial, parish, home schools, or FPE schools.”

The only curricular structure in the statute is the instruction hours framework in RSMo 167.012.2:

Total hours: At least 1,000 hours of instruction per school year
Core hours: At least 600 of those 1,000 hours must be in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, or academic courses related to those subject areas and consonant with the child’s age and ability
Location requirement: At least 400 of the 600 core hours must take place at the regular home school location

This framework gives families wide latitude in how they approach instruction. You choose the curriculum, the texts, the pace, and the methods. Missouri does not have an approved curriculum list, does not require the use of state standards, and does not require instruction to be in English (though the statute implies an academic program aligned with the child’s age and ability).

Age 16 and older: Under RSMo 167.012.3, the records and instruction requirements do not apply to any pupil who is sixteen years of age or older.

Standardized testing

Missouri does not require home school students to take any standardized tests. There is no state testing mandate, no reporting obligation for test scores, and no minimum score requirement.

Families who choose to test voluntarily — whether for personal progress monitoring, college admission preparation, or portfolio documentation — have many options including nationally normed tests such as the Iowa Assessment, Stanford Achievement Test, or CAT, as well as AP and dual-credit exams. None of these choices is required by Missouri law.

Record keeping

RSMo 167.012.2 sets out the records a parent must maintain as evidence that a child is receiving regular instruction. The statute calls for one of the following two combinations:

Option A — Written records:

A plan book, diary, or other written record indicating subjects taught and activities engaged in; and
A portfolio of samples of the child’s academic work; and
A record of evaluations of the child’s academic progress; or
Other written or credible evidence equivalent to the above three items

Option B — Instruction hours (as a complement to or alternative documentation): The records above support the required 1,000-hour instruction standard. At minimum, families should be able to demonstrate the hours were offered if ever challenged.

RSMo 167.012.4 provides the key legal protection: “The production of a daily log by a parent, guardian, or other person having control or custody of a child showing that a home school has a course of instruction that satisfies the requirements of this section and section 167.031… shall be a defense to any prosecution under section 167.031 and to any charge or action for educational neglect brought under chapter 210.”

In plain terms, keeping a daily log is your best protection against any legal challenge. A simple document listing the date, subjects covered, and activities engaged in — kept consistently — satisfies this requirement.

Enforcement: RSMo 167.012.4 also specifies that “home school education enforcement and records pursuant to this section, and sections 210.167 and 211.031, shall be subject to review only by the local prosecuting attorney.” This means the school district, DESE, and other state agencies have no authority to inspect your home school records. Only a county prosecuting attorney, in the course of a specific legal proceeding, can require production of records.

Age 16 and older: The records requirements do not apply to pupils aged sixteen or older.

What to keep as a practical matter:

Record type	Why it matters
Daily log or planner	Statutory defense; shows instruction is occurring
Work samples / portfolio	Demonstrates academic progress
Evaluation notes or progress records	Supports the portfolio
Attendance or hours log	Supports the 1,000-hour standard
High school transcripts (self-created)	Critical for college admission
Diplomas or completion records	Parents issue their own; DESE does not issue diplomas

Diplomas and transcripts: DESE does not issue diplomas or keep transcripts for homeschool graduates. As DESE’s website states, parents are responsible for all homeschool records. Home school families create their own transcripts and diplomas. If records are lost, DESE suggests checking with the County Recorder of Deeds in the county where education took place.

Scholarships and financial support

MOScholars Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA)

Missouri operates the MOScholars program, established by the General Assembly in 2021 (RSMo 135.712–135.719; RSMo 166.700–166.720) and administered by the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office. MOScholars provides scholarships funded by private donations leveraged by state tax credits. Donors receive a tax credit equal to 100% of their eligible donation, and approved nonprofit Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs) use those funds to award scholarships to eligible students.

Important structural note: Under RSMo 167.012.1(4), a home school as defined by Missouri law may not enroll children who participate in the MOScholars program. This means that if your family accepts a MOScholars scholarship, your educational setting is no longer a “home school” for purposes of RSMo 167.012 — it becomes a Family Paced Education (FPE) school under RSMo 167.013. FPE schools have their own statutory framework and are included as qualifying schools under MOScholars (see the MOScholars Schools page at treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/Schools). The practical implication is that accepting MOScholars funds brings your program under FPE school requirements, including producing records required under RSMo 167.013 when requested.

Eligibility for MOScholars (per RSMo 166.700(9) and treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/ParentsStudents):

A student must meet one of these two tracks:

Track A — IEP/disability track:

Has an approved Individualized Education Plan (IEP) developed under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), or an Individual Service Plan (ISP) developed in cooperation with a local educational agency under IDEA; and
Meets the RSMo 166.700(9) definition of a qualified student

Track B — Income/prior enrollment track:

Lives in a household whose total annual income does not exceed 300% of the federal free and reduced lunch income standard (guidelines published annually); and
Meets one of the following enrollment conditions:
- Attended a public school as a full-time student for at least one semester during the previous twelve months; or
- Is a child who is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade; or
- Is a sibling of a qualified student who received a MOScholars scholarship in the previous school year and will receive one in the current school year

As of the 2026-27 school year, scholarship amounts are based on the State Adequacy Target (SAT) calculated annually by DESE:

Student with current IEP: up to 175% of the SAT
Student qualifying as limited English proficiency: up to 160% of the SAT
Student eligible for free or reduced lunch: up to 125% of the SAT
All other qualified students: up to the SAT amount

Eligible uses of MOScholars funds include: tuition and fees at a qualified school; required textbooks; educational therapies or services from licensed or accredited providers; tutoring services; curriculum; tuition or fees for a private virtual school in Missouri; testing fees; account transaction fees; services provided by a public school; computer hardware or technology approved by the EAO; summer and after-school education program fees; and transportation to a qualified school.

MOScholars does not cover: consumable supplies (paper, pens, pencils, markers); tuition at a private school outside Missouri; payments to relatives within three degrees of consanguinity or affinity; field trips, event tickets, musical instruments, sports equipment, or furnishings.

For more information and the parent application portal, visit treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/ParentsStudents. To find participating EAOs and their partner schools, visit treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/EAOs.

Homeschool families considering MOScholars: Because accepting the scholarship means operating as an FPE school rather than a home school under RSMo 167.012, families should read the FPE school requirements in RSMo 167.013 and discuss the program’s oversight conditions — including annual standardized testing for renewal and records production upon request — with an EAO before applying. Very few homeschool families currently participate in the program; a 2024 count cited by advocacy groups put the number at approximately 13 homeschool students statewide.

No universal ESA or state-funded voucher

Missouri does not have a universal Education Savings Account or voucher program that sends state per-pupil funds to all homeschool families regardless of income or prior enrollment. MOScholars is the only program of its kind, and it is funded through private donations and tax credits rather than direct state appropriations.

Federal Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA)

Congress established the ECCA (Public Law 119-21) in 2025. Under this program, donors can receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to certified scholarship-granting organizations, which then award scholarships to K-12 students — including homeschoolers — for qualifying education expenses such as curriculum, books, tutoring, technology, and internet access. Implementing rules from the U.S. Treasury and IRS were still being finalized as of mid-2026. Monitor the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office for updates on how this federal program will interact with MOScholars and Missouri-based SGOs.

Withdrawing from public school

To begin homeschooling a child currently enrolled in a Missouri public school, follow these steps:

1. Send written notice to the school district. Under RSMo 167.042, a written notification of your intent to pursue other educational options under RSMo 167.031, along with a request to remove the child from the district rolls, is all that is required. The school must comply and remove the child promptly.

2. No state permission is needed. You do not need approval from DESE, your school principal, or any state official. The district cannot require you to submit a curriculum plan, a list of materials, or teaching credentials as a condition of withdrawal.

3. Timing. There is no required waiting period. You may withdraw at any point during the school year. Keep in mind that if you withdraw mid-year, the school year for your home school runs July 1 through June 30 under RSMo 167.031.4 — the same calendar the state uses for all schools.

4. Returning to public school. A student returning from home education may enroll in the resident public school. The district will determine grade placement using its own policies. Organized records — transcripts, work samples, evaluation notes, and an hours log — help facilitate smoother re-enrollment and credit recognition. The district is not required to grant full credit for home school coursework, but well-documented records give the school something concrete to evaluate.

Support and community

Missouri has a large and active homeschool community with established statewide organizations.

Families for Home Education (FHE) — fhe-mo.org — Missouri’s primary statewide homeschool advocacy organization. FHE monitors state legislation, provides legal information resources, and hosts an annual convention. The organization has historically been involved in opposing legislation that would increase regulation of home education.
Missouri Association of Teaching Christian Homes (MATCH) — match-mo.org — statewide organization providing curriculum resources, a convention, and support for families.
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) — hslda.org — national membership organization providing legal consultations, legislative monitoring, and attorney support. Missouri members can access attorney consultations on compliance questions.
Local co-ops and support groups — Missouri has co-ops in most metropolitan areas including St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, and Jefferson City. Co-ops frequently organize academic classes, lab sciences, fine arts, sports, field trips, and social activities.

DESE does not maintain a homeschool contact phone or email because it does not regulate homeschooling. Legal questions specific to your situation are best directed to FHE or an attorney familiar with Missouri education law.