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Louisiana · Some paperwork
Louisiana 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 Louisiana'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
Louisiana asks families to file a notice before they begin. The deadline is: BESE-approved home study: apply to the Louisiana Department of Education within 15 days after the program begins, then renew by October 1 of the school year or within 12 months of approval, whichever is later. Nonpublic school not seeking state approval: submit the school's enrollment through the Department's online form each year, and if the child came from a public school, send that school written notice of enrollment within 10 days. You will do this again at the start of every school year. It goes to Louisiana Department of Education / Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) for Option 1.
Choose what to teach
Louisiana 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. Louisiana 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
Louisiana 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. A note from the state: No state test is required. At each yearly renewal you choose one: a packet of curriculum materials, standardized test scores, or a statement from a teacher certified at the child's grade level Nonpublic school not seeking state approval: no state test is required; testing is available on request through the local school system
LA GATOR Scholarship
Run by Louisiana Department of Education · payments through Odyssey
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.
Eligibility and application dates are set by the program. Check the program's official page before you apply.
Is homeschooling legal in Louisiana?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Louisiana. Louisiana has moderate homeschool regulation — some requirements apply but they are generally manageable. Koydo can put the dates your state lists on your calendar.
Do I need to file a Notice of Intent to homeschool in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana requires families to file a Notice of Intent by BESE-approved home study: apply to the Louisiana Department of Education within 15 days after the program begins, then renew by October 1 of the school year or within 12 months of approval, whichever is later. Nonpublic school not seeking state approval: submit the school's enrollment through the Department's online form each year, and if the child came from a public school, send that school written notice of enrollment within 10 days.. This notice must be renewed annually.
How many instruction days are required in Louisiana?
Louisiana requires 180 days a year.
What subjects are required by law in Louisiana?
Louisiana does not mandate specific subjects, giving families complete freedom to design their own curriculum.
Does Louisiana require annual assessment for homeschoolers?
No. Louisiana does not require formal annual assessment. Families may voluntarily track progress for college application purposes.
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Louisiana?
No. Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a law on this. Students in a BESE-approved home study program who live in a public school's attendance zone cannot be disqualified from extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics solely for being in home study (R.S. 17:176.2, Act 715 of 2024, HB 644, effective August 1, 2024). They try out like other students and must meet the same rules, such as minimum grade point average and discipline standards. Students in a nonpublic school not seeking state approval are not covered by that law.
Louisiana has two ways to home educate. In a BESE-approved home study program you apply to the Louisiana Department of Education and renew each year; no state testing is required, and it carries diploma recognition, TOPS eligibility and public school sports access. A nonpublic school not seeking state approval has no approval step, but you submit its enrollment each year and notify the child's last public school within 10 days; it does not carry TOPS eligibility or the same diploma weight.
The free tools below work whether or not you ever pay us a penny; each tile says what it needs. Use what helps with Louisiana's requirements and ignore the rest.
Last checked in March 2026. Laws change between checks, so confirm anything you are about to file with Louisiana Department of Education / Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) for Option 1. This is information for families, not legal advice.