How to start homeschooling in Arkansas
The legal steps, in order, checked against Arkansas law.
Short answer: To homeschool in Arkansas, a parent or legal guardian files a notice of intent with the resident school district superintendent each year, by August 15 for the full year or five school days before withdrawing a child mid-year. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education says homeschoolers outside the Education Freedom Account program are not required to take standardized tests, and parents do not submit student work unless the child enrolls in public school. Homeschooled students may take academic courses at their resident district and try out for interscholastic activities under state rules.
Checked against 6 CAR 33-103 on Nov 8, 2026. This is what the law says, not legal advice.
Home school
Parents or legal guardians who will teach their child at home and accept responsibility for the child's education.
Steps
- File a notice of intent with the superintendent of your resident school district, online through the state portal or on paper by mail, email, fax, or in person. The filing period for the next school year opens in June.
- Include each child's name, sex, date of birth, grade level, and last school attended, the home school's mailing address and phone number, the name of the parent or guardian teaching, whether the child plans to take part in public school interscholastic activities, whether the child plans to seek a high school equivalency diploma, and your signature.
- If your child is enrolled in public school, file at least five school days before withdrawing (the superintendent or school board may waive the wait), then follow the district's withdrawal process.
- Provide your own books, curricula, and materials. The state and district are not required to supply them.
- File a new notice of intent at the start of each school year.
| Notice to the state | Yes To: The superintendent of the resident school district When: By August 15 each year for the full year, or five school days before withdrawing mid-year; within 30 calendar days of moving into a new district Official form |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Not confirmed in our check. Ask the state education department. |
| Time | Not confirmed in our check. Ask the state education department. |
| Parent qualifications | Not confirmed in our check. Ask the state education department. |
| Testing or evaluation | None required by law, unless the student participates in the Education Freedom Account program. |
| Records to keep | None required by law. A student who later enrolls in public school submits a transcript of courses and semester grades and a portfolio of academic progress, such as curricula, tests, and completed lessons. |
The law: 6 CAR 33-103 6 CAR 33-104 6 CAR 33-105 DESE Home School Liaison FAQ (May 2026)
Leaving public school mid-year
File the notice of intent at least five school days before withdrawing from public school; the superintendent or school board may waive the waiting period. A student under disciplinary action for violating a written school policy, including excessive unexcused absences, is not eligible to homeschool until the discipline is completed or the semester ends, unless the superintendent or board allows it or the student was expelled. Borrowed school property must be returned or paid for. After the waiting period, contact the district and follow its withdrawal process.
High school, transcripts and diplomas
The Department of Education does not issue diplomas or transcripts to homeschoolers, and the state sets no graduation requirements for them. A homeschooled student who re-enrolls in public school must attend for at least nine months immediately before graduation to receive that school's diploma. Re-enrolled students may not be denied credits, grade placement, or a diploma solely because they were homeschooled. The notice of intent asks whether the student plans to seek a high school equivalency diploma.
Public school sports and activities
Yes. A homeschooled student may take part in interscholastic activities at the resident district school by giving notice before the signup or tryout deadline and meeting academic eligibility, which is a score at or above the 30th percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition, or another nationally recognized norm-referenced test within the previous 12 months, or a State Board approved test score. The student meets the same tryout, conduct, practice, drug testing, physical, and fee rules as enrolled students. Participation at a nonresident school requires agreement between the schools. A student who leaves an Arkansas Activities Association member school to homeschool waits at least 365 days before taking part in the resident district's interscholastic activities.
After the paperwork
Common questions
Do I have to tell the state I am homeschooling in Arkansas?
Yes, under the home school route, you notify the superintendent of the resident school district by August 15 each year for the full year, or five school days before withdrawing mid-year; within 30 calendar days of moving into a new district.
Is testing required for homeschoolers in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas law does not require testing under the home school route. Unless the student participates in the Education Freedom Account program.
Sources
- 6 CAR 33-103
- DESE Home School Liaison FAQ (May 2026)
- Home Schools, Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
We read each source on Nov 8, 2026 and recheck every guide each quarter. Laws change. If something here no longer matches the state, write to us and we will fix it.