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Arkansas · Light-touch
Arkansas asks you to file a notice before you begin. Here is what goes in it, when it is due, and what happens after.
VerifiedMarch 2026
Written from Arkansas's own rules. If a step is missing below, it is because your state does not ask for it.
Withdraw from the school your child attends now
If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, tell the school in writing that you are moving to home education. Keep a dated copy for yourself — it is the record that closes out their enrollment.
Send your notice of intent
Arkansas asks families to file a notice before they begin. The deadline is: Give written notice (the Notice of Intent) to your local school district superintendent each year at the start of the school year, no later than August 15. If you start after that, the notice is due five school days before you withdraw your child from public school; the superintendent or school board may waive that wait. The state form can be filed from June 1. You will do this again at the start of every school year. It goes to Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Home School Office; the Notice of Intent is filed with your local school district superintendent.
Choose what to teach
Arkansas does not name required subjects, so your curriculum is your own decision. Most families still cover reading, writing, and math daily, and let interest lead the rest.
Keep a light record as you go
Attendance, a few work samples each term, and a running list of what you covered. Arkansas does not require you to keep records, but a simple folder of work samples makes transcripts and college applications far easier later on.
No testing or assessment
Arkansas does not require a standardized test or an evaluator's review. Plenty of families still keep a folder of work through the year — not because the state asks, but because it makes a transcript or a college application far easier to put together later.
Education Freedom Account (EFA)
Run by Arkansas Department of Education, Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment
The award amount is set by the program and changes from year to year. Check the official page below for this year's figure rather than an estimate.
How you get it: Families may ask the Arkansas EFA office to add an eligible provider.
Eligibility and application dates are set by the program. Check the program's official page before you apply.
Is homeschooling legal in Arkansas?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Arkansas. Arkansas is considered one of the easiest states for homeschoolers — minimal regulation, no notice required, and maximum family freedom.
Do I need to file a Notice of Intent to homeschool in Arkansas?
Yes. Arkansas requires families to file a Notice of Intent by Give written notice (the Notice of Intent) to your local school district superintendent each year at the start of the school year, no later than August 15. If you start after that, the notice is due five school days before you withdraw your child from public school; the superintendent or school board may waive that wait. The state form can be filed from June 1.. This notice must be renewed annually.
How many instruction days are required in Arkansas?
Arkansas does not mandate a minimum amount of instruction time.
What subjects are required by law in Arkansas?
Arkansas does not mandate specific subjects, giving families complete freedom to design their own curriculum.
Does Arkansas require annual assessment for homeschoolers?
No. Arkansas does not require formal annual assessment. Families may voluntarily track progress for college application purposes.
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas does not require parents to hold a teaching certificate or any specific educational credential to homeschool their children.
Can homeschoolers participate in public school sports in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a law on this. Arkansas law (Code § 6-15-509, Act 630 of 2023, changed by Act 475 of 2025) lets a home school student try out for interscholastic activities at the public school in their resident district. You tell the principal in writing before the sign-up or tryout deadline and show academic eligibility (at least the 30th percentile on a nationally recognized norm-referenced test taken in the past 12 months, or a State Board-approved test). The student follows the same tryout, conduct, practice, drug testing, waiver and fee rules as enrolled students, and a spot is not guaranteed. For athletic activities, a student approved by June 1 before grade 7, 8, 9 or 10 can start right away, and a student who withdrew from a varsity athletic activity at the resident public school within the past 365 days cannot join a varsity athletic activity there. You can mark your interest on the Notice of Intent. For grades 7-12, ask the Arkansas Activities Association (501-955-2500); for K-6, ask your school district.
Arkansas asks home school families to file a Notice of Intent each year with the local school district superintendent. State pages and the fact sheet say there is no required testing for families not in the Education Freedom Account program, no state review of student work, and no educational requirements for parents. Act 832 of 2015 repealed home school testing. Act 630 of 2023 gave home school students a route to try out for interscholastic activities, updated by Act 475 of 2025. Families who take Education Freedom Account funds must take a standardized test.
The free tools below work whether or not you ever pay us a penny; each tile says what it needs. Use what helps with Arkansas's requirements and ignore the rest.
Last checked in March 2026. Laws change between checks, so confirm anything you are about to file with Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Home School Office; the Notice of Intent is filed with your local school district superintendent. This is information for families, not legal advice.