Illinois Homeschool Laws

Children who are 6 years old by September 1 must attend school until age 17 or until they graduate from high school (HSLDA: Compulsory School Age in Illinois; 105 ILCS 5/26-1).

Children attending a private or parochial school are exempt when they are taught the branches of education taught in public schools, in English (105 ILCS 5/26-1(1)). Illinois courts treat a homeschool as a private school (People v. Levisen, 1950). You do not register your home-based private school with the Illinois State Board of Education, and ISBE does not recognize or register homeschools (HSLDA: How to Comply with Illinois’ Homeschool Law).

None. Illinois has no reporting requirements for homeschool students, and they are not required to take standardized tests (ISBE: Home-Schooling Q&As).

You must provide an adequate course of instruction in the branches of education taught in public schools (105 ILCS 5/26-1). These are (HSLDA):

• Language arts
• Mathematics
• Biological and physical sciences
• Social sciences
• Fine arts
• Physical development and health

Instruction must be in English. ISBE does not accredit, approve, or provide any homeschool program or curriculum. Parents research, select, and pay for their own materials (ISBE: Home-Schooling Q&As).

None required. ISBE no longer collects homeschool forms. Your Regional Office of Education may have a voluntary form, and Chicago Public Schools has a voluntary form for Chicago residents (ISBE: Home-Schooling Q&As).

Leaving public school: Notify your child’s current school that you are withdrawing to homeschool, so the child is not marked absent or truant. Send a letter or email, or sign a withdrawal form, and keep a copy (ISBE).

HSLDA recommends calling your homeschool a private school when dealing with government officials, except on the FAFSA, where you should identify it as a homeschool (HSLDA).

Illinois does not require homeschool attendance records. HSLDA recommends keeping attendance and other records, which may be requested for a driver’s license, the military, college, or Social Security (HSLDA: Compulsory School Age in Illinois).

None. Illinois does not require homeschool families to join an umbrella school or other organization (HSLDA: How to Comply with Illinois’ Homeschool Law).

None. Illinois does not require homeschool parents to hold a degree or teaching certificate (HSLDA: Illinois Homeschool Laws).

Limited. Public schools are not required to open extracurricular activities to homeschoolers. The exception is a part-time student taking a course with a required extracurricular part, such as band practice (HSLDA: Public School Access in Illinois, quoting ISBE).

For high school sports, the Illinois High School Association requires every student, including homeschoolers, to be enrolled at the member school and take and pass at least 25 credit hours of work a week, at least one course at the member school. The school must grant credit, the student must meet all IHSA bylaws, and the family pays tuition and fees for those credits (HSLDA: Public School Access in Illinois).

None for homeschoolers (HSLDA: Illinois Homeschool Laws).

Part-time enrollment: Nonpublic students, including homeschoolers, may enroll part time in public school if there is space, they live in the district, and the request for the next school year is made before May 1. Children with disabilities who are enrolled in nonpublic schools have a right to part-time enrollment (105 ILCS 5/10-20.24 and 14-6.01; HSLDA: Public School Access in Illinois).

Driver’s education: Districts teaching grades 9-12 must offer the classroom and driving parts of driver’s education to eligible homeschooled students. Notify the district by April 1 for the next school year, and show passing grades in at least eight courses during the previous two semesters. A fee of up to $50 may apply (105 ILCS 5/27-24.2; HSLDA).

Returning to public school: School administrators decide grade placement. There is no guarantee that homeschool work will be accepted for credit, so ask how your school evaluates homeschool students (ISBE: Home-Schooling Q&As).

Education Expense Credit: Home schools qualify for the state K-12 Education Expense Credit. See our Illinois School Choice Options page (Illinois Department of Revenue: Pub-112).

Legislation: HB 2827 (2025), which would have added homeschool regulations, died and stayed dead through the fall 2025 veto session (HSLDA: HB 2827).

• 105 ILCS 5/26-1: Compulsory school age; exemptions
• Illinois State Board of Education: Homeschool and Home-Schooling Q&As
• Illinois Department of Revenue: Pub-112, Education Expense Credit
• HSLDA: Illinois Homeschool Laws, How to Comply with Illinois’ Homeschool Law, Compulsory School Age in Illinois, Public School Access in Illinois, and HB 2827

Last reviewed: November 4, 2026