Idaho Homeschool Laws
Idaho has one of the most hands-off homeschool laws in the country. Under Idaho Code section 33-202, parents must make sure children are instructed. The law covers children from age 7 until their sixteenth birthday. Parents may teach their children privately at home. They may also have another person teach at their direction. Idaho has no registration or sign-up process. You do not file a notice with the state or your school district. The state does not set a curriculum for homeschoolers. Homeschool costs are the parent’s responsibility. You choose your own books and methods. If a district asks about your program, the law does not require you to answer.
Day to day, you teach subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools. HSLDA suggests language arts, math, science, and social studies. Idaho has no testing, portfolio, or attendance record rule. Parents need no teaching license. Homeschoolers may dual enroll in public school classes and activities under section 33-203. For sports with grade rules, students show eligibility with a test or portfolio. They must live in the school’s attendance area. Many families also use the Parental Choice Tax Credit for curriculum and textbooks. For full details on each topic, open the sections below.
A parent or guardian of a child who is 7 years old when school begins in the district, but not yet 16, must have the child instructed in subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools. The parent may have the child privately instructed by, or at the direction of, the parent, or enroll the child in a public, charter, private, or parochial school (Idaho Code § 33-202).
Idaho has no graduation exception. A child who finishes a homeschool program before turning 16 remains subject to compulsory attendance until age 16 (HSLDA: Compulsory School Age in Idaho).
None. Idaho does not require homeschool students to take tests or submit portfolios (HSLDA: How to Comply with Idaho’s Homeschool Law; Idaho Department of Education: Homeschool).
A test or portfolio is used only if a homeschooler wants to join a public school activity that has academic eligibility rules (see School Sports Participation below), or to document growth for the Parental Choice Tax Credit when a nonpublic school is not accredited (Idaho Code § 33-203(4); My School Choice FAQs).
Children must be instructed in subjects “commonly and usually taught in the public schools of the state of Idaho” (Idaho Code § 33-202). Idaho does not set a curriculum for homeschoolers. Parents choose the curriculum and pay its costs (Idaho Department of Education: Homeschool). HSLDA recommends language arts, math, science, and social studies in grades 1-10, with more flexibility in grades 11 and 12 (HSLDA).
None. Idaho has no registration or sign-up procedure for homeschooling (Idaho Department of Education: Homeschool). If your public school district asks for information about your homeschool program, you are not legally required to provide it (HSLDA: How to Comply with Idaho’s Homeschool Law).
Idaho does not require homeschool attendance records. The law requires instruction during a period each year equal to the time public schools are in session (Idaho Code § 33-202). HSLDA suggests keeping records such as attendance, work samples, and transcripts, since they may be requested for a driver’s license, the military, college, or Social Security (HSLDA: Compulsory School Age in Idaho).
None. Idaho does not require homeschool families to join an umbrella school or other organization (HSLDA: How to Comply with Idaho’s Homeschool Law).
None. Parents may teach their own children, or have another family member, relative, or unrelated person teach them (HSLDA: How to Comply with Idaho’s Homeschool Law; Idaho Code § 33-202).
Yes. Under Idaho’s dual enrollment law, parents of nonpublic students, including homeschoolers, may enroll them in any public school for dual enrollment. Dual enrolled students may join any program open to other students, under the same rules of behavior and performance (Idaho Code § 33-203(1), (2), (9)).
- Academic eligibility: For activities with academic rules, the student shows composite grade-level proficiency on a state board-recognized test or portfolio, or scores in the average range or higher on a nationally normed test. Eligibility lasts for the current and next school year (§ 33-203(4)).
- Residence: The student must live within the attendance boundaries of the school (§ 33-203(6)).
- No class needed: Homeschoolers do not have to take a public school class to play on the school’s teams (HSLDA: Public School Access in Idaho).
A public school student who loses academic eligibility cannot regain it as a homeschooler for the rest of that school year and the next (§ 33-203(5)).
None for homeschoolers (HSLDA: Idaho Homeschool Laws).
Dual enrollment in college: Dual enrollment includes enrollment in a postsecondary institution. Credits from an accredited college count toward state high school graduation requirements (Idaho Code § 33-203(8)).
Parental Choice Tax Credit: Idaho offers a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per student, or $7,500 for qualifying students with disabilities, for expenses such as curriculum and textbooks. Homeschooling does not count as public school enrollment for the credit (HB 934 (2026)). See our Idaho School Choice Options page.
- Idaho Code § 33-202: School attendance compulsory and § 33-203: Dual enrollment
- Idaho Department of Education: Homeschool
- Idaho Legislature: HB 934 (2026); My School Choice FAQs
- HSLDA: Idaho Homeschool Laws, How to Comply with Idaho’s Homeschool Law, Compulsory School Age in Idaho, and Public School Access in Idaho
Last reviewed: November 4, 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
- November 4, 2026
- Law change: Added HB 934 (2026), which clarifies that homeschooling and public school sports or extracurricular activities do not count as public school enrollment for the Parental Choice Tax Credit (HB 934).