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Colorado Homeschool Laws

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Last Updated On
byM Lycurgus

Colorado gives families three ways to homeschool. Most families use the home education statute. Under it, you send a notice of intent to a school district 14 days before you start, and then every year. You can also enroll in an independent school that supervises home learning. Or your child can be taught by a Colorado-certified teacher. School is required for children who are 6 by August 1 and under 17.

Day to day, the statute calls for 172 days a year, averaging 4 hours a day. You teach reading, writing, speaking, math, history, civics, literature, science, and the U.S. Constitution. You also keep attendance, test or evaluation results, and immunization records. In grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, your child takes a standardized test or has an evaluation by a qualified person. In addition, homeschoolers may join public school activities on an equal basis. For full details on each topic, open the sections below.

Every child who is 6 years old on or before August 1 of the current school year, and under 17, must attend school. Under the home education statute, parents may wait to begin instruction until the child is 7, but they must still submit a notice of intent beginning with the school year the child turns 6 by August 1 (HSLDA: Compulsory School Age in Colorado).

Home education statute: In grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, your child must take a nationally standardized achievement test or be evaluated by a qualified person. A qualified evaluator is a Colorado-certified teacher, a teacher at a private school, a licensed psychologist, or a person with a graduate degree in education. Send the results to the school district you notified or to a Colorado independent school. If you send them to an independent school, tell the district which school received them (HSLDA: How to Comply with Colorado’s Homeschool Law).

If a child scores at or below the 13th percentile, the child must retake an alternate test. If the child still scores at or below the 13th percentile, the child must be enrolled in a school until the next testing period. An evaluation showing the child is not making sufficient progress can have the same result (HSLDA).

Independent school: Follow the independent school’s requirements. Certified teacher: If the instructor holds a valid Colorado teaching certificate, there are no notification, assessment, or other requirements (HSLDA).

Home education statute: Reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the Constitution of the United States (HSLDA).

Home education statute: Send a written notice of intent to any Colorado school district at least 14 days before starting your homeschool, and every year after that. Include each child’s name and age, your address, and the number of hours of attendance. The district may ask for a curriculum outline only if the child was habitually truant in the six months before (HSLDA).

Independent school: Parents teach at home under the independent school’s supervision. Certified teacher: No notice is required (HSLDA).

Home education statute: Yes. Teach 172 days a year, averaging 4 hours a day. Keep attendance records, test and evaluation results, and immunization records. The superintendent of the district you notified may ask to see these records only if there is probable cause that you are not following the law, and must give you 14 days’ notice (HSLDA).

None under the home education statute. Families who choose the independent school option enroll in an established Colorado independent school that supervises home instruction (HSLDA).

Home education statute: None. Instruction must be given by a parent, a guardian, or an adult relative chosen by a parent or guardian.

Certified teacher option: The instructor, either a parent or someone the parent chooses, must hold a valid Colorado teaching certificate (HSLDA).

Yes. Under C.R.S. § 22-33-104.5(6) and § 22-32-116.5, homeschoolers may take part on an equal basis in public school extracurricular and interscholastic activities. The school of participation is generally the school in the district you notified. Homeschool students must meet the same standards of behavior and practice rules as other students. They may join district activities that their own homeschool program does not offer (HSLDA: Public School Access for Homeschoolers in Colorado).

A student who withdraws from public school more than 15 days after the school year starts stays tied to that school for activities for the rest of that year (HSLDA).

Homeschoolers under the statute must keep immunization records under C.R.S. § 25-4-902, or claim an exemption. See the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for exemptions (HSLDA).

Part-time public programs: Many districts, charter schools, and BOCES offer part-time programs for homeschool students. A 2026 law, SB26-023, changed the rules for these programs (Colorado General Assembly: SB26-023). See our Colorado School Choice Options page and the Colorado Department of Education for details.

Questions: The Colorado Department of Education answers homeschool questions at Home_School@cde.state.co.us (CDE: Homeschool).

Last reviewed: October 31, 2026

*The information on this page is for general use only. It should not be taken as legal advice. It is believed to be accurate however state and federal laws change every year. Homeschool.net recommends joining an organization such as the Home School Legal Defense Association before your homeschooling adventure begins. HSLDA can provide complete, accurate, legal advice and services for homeschooling families.

Update History

  • October 31, 2026
    • New law: Added a note on SB26-023 (2026), which changed the rules for public part-time programs for homeschool students (Colorado General Assembly; CDE).
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