The Short Answer
O.C.G.A. §20-2-690 governs home study programs in Georgia. File a Declaration of Intent with your local school superintendent by September 1 each year, or within 30 days of starting mid-year. The teaching parent must hold a high school diploma or GED. Teach reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Provide at least 4.5 hours of instruction per day for a minimum of 180 school days per year. Complete an annual assessment using a nationally standardized test or an evaluation by someone with a bachelor's degree who is not the parent. Make results available to the superintendent upon request. No state funding for home study families.
Verified June 2026 against Official Code of Georgia Annotated §20-2-690. Confirm current requirements at law.georgia.gov before relying on this for legal decisions.
Georgia Home Study at a Glance
| Annual Declaration of Intent | Filed with local school superintendent by September 1 (or within 30 days of starting) |
|---|---|
| Parent credential | High school diploma or GED required for the teaching parent |
| Required subjects | Reading; language arts; mathematics; social studies; science |
| Daily hours | 4.5 hours minimum per school day |
| Annual school days | 180 days minimum |
| Annual assessment | Required; nationally standardized test OR evaluation by a person with a bachelor's degree who is not the parent |
| Assessment results | Must be made available to the superintendent upon request |
| High school diploma | Parent-issued |
| State funding | No ESA or voucher program for home study families |
Georgia's Home Study Law at a Glance
Georgia's home study statute, O.C.G.A. §20-2-690, has been on the books since 1984, making Georgia one of the earlier states to formally recognize home education as a legal alternative to public and private school. The law gives families a clear compliance path: one annual filing, a defined set of subjects, minimum hours per day, and one annual assessment. It does not tell you what textbooks to use, which curriculum to buy, how to structure your school day, or how to measure academic performance week by week. The framework exists to confirm that instruction is happening. The content decisions are yours.
Georgia's compulsory school age runs from 6 through 16. Once your child turns 16, they are no longer subject to compulsory attendance law, though most families continue their home study program through a parent-issued high school diploma.
Filing the Declaration of Intent
Each year, file a written Declaration of Intent (DOI) with the superintendent of the local school system where you reside. The deadline is September 1 for the upcoming school year. Families starting mid-year must file within 30 days of establishing the program. The DOI is not an application for approval; it is a notice. The superintendent does not approve or deny it. Your obligation is to file it; the district's obligation is to receive it.
The DOI must include: your name and address as the parent or guardian, the full name and date of birth of each child you plan to instruct, and a list of the subjects you intend to teach. You do not need to attach textbook titles, detailed lesson plans, or a curriculum outline. A brief subject list covering the five required areas is enough. Send the DOI by certified mail so you have a delivery record, and keep a copy for your files.
If you move during the year to a different school district within Georgia, file a new DOI with the superintendent of the new district within 30 days of the move. This applies even if you are mid-year. Before you finalize your subject list for the DOI, a free reading assessment helps you understand exactly where your child stands in reading so you can describe your language arts approach with confidence.
Not sure where your child is right now?
Most parents guess. Most guess wrong.
Takes about 10 minutes. Know exactly where to start.
The Teaching Parent Credential
The parent or guardian conducting the instruction must hold a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. If the teaching parent does not hold a diploma, Georgia law provides an alternative: the child may be taught by another person in the household or by a private tutor who holds at least a high school diploma. The law does not require a college degree, a teaching certificate, or formal training in education. A high school diploma is the only credential the statute specifies. The large majority of Georgia families operating a home study program meet this requirement without any additional steps.
Five Required Subjects
Georgia requires instruction in five subjects: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. That is the complete list. Georgia does not specify textbooks, instructional approaches, grade-level benchmarks, or testing performance for any of these subjects.
Reading and language arts can be taught through any structured literacy or writing program you choose. Mathematics covers arithmetic through levels matched to your child's current progress, without a grade-level ceiling set by the state. Social studies includes history, geography, economics, and civics, covered through any materials you select. Science covers life sciences, earth science, physical science, or any combination that fits your child's level and interests.
Five subjects gives Georgia families real scheduling flexibility. A standard morning session covering reading and language arts, followed by math, with science and social studies rotating through the afternoon, reaches all five areas in a typical school day without needing a rigid bell schedule. You can also integrate subjects across projects and unit studies; Georgia law does not prescribe a method.
When you are choosing materials for reading and language arts, the level at which you start matters more than the brand name on the cover. A starting level that is too high leads to frustration; one that is too low produces boredom and slow progress. A reading assessment gives you a concrete skill level to work from rather than a grade-level guess.
Daily and Annual Hours
Georgia requires at least 4.5 hours of instruction per day for a minimum of 180 school days per year. The 4.5-hour floor is a daily minimum, not a weekly average. A full school year of 180 days at 4.5 hours per day yields 810 instructional hours. Georgia does not specify how those hours are distributed across subjects or how you must record them.
Most families maintain a simple attendance log that records each school day and notes the subjects covered. This log serves two purposes: it helps you confirm you are meeting the 180-day requirement, and it gives you documentation if the superintendent ever requests it. Log entries can be as brief as a date and a subject list; there is no mandated format.
The 180-day requirement is the piece Georgia families most often underestimate. If your family takes long holiday breaks, schedules loosely, or starts late in the fall, you can find yourself running short by spring. Track days from day one of your school year. A simple calendar with each school day checked off is enough to keep you on pace.
Want to see what a structured plan looks like before you commit?
Two chapters, a curriculum breakdown, and a worksheet. Free.
See inside before you buy. Delivered by email.
The Annual Assessment
Once per year, assess your child's academic progress using one of two approved methods. Option one is a nationally standardized testing program, with the test administered by a person approved by the local superintendent. Option two is an assessment conducted by a person who holds at least a bachelor's degree and is not the parent or guardian.
The results of the assessment must be retained and made available to the superintendent within 30 days of a written request. You do not automatically submit the results each year; you keep them on file and produce them if the district asks. Most Georgia home study families never receive a request, but having the documentation ready is part of the compliance process.
Georgia does not set a minimum score or a progress threshold the way Ohio does. The assessment is required; what it must show is not defined by a numerical standard. Most assessors who work with Georgia home study families focus on whether the child is learning and advancing relative to their own prior performance rather than against a grade-level norm.
Finding a qualified assessor in Georgia is usually straightforward. Georgia homeschool support organizations, co-ops, and learning centers connect families with evaluators who have experience reviewing home study portfolios. For the standardized test option, group testing sessions organized through homeschool associations are available in most parts of the state. Schedule the assessment in the spring while your child's learning is fresh and you still have time to adjust any portfolio materials if the evaluator asks for them.
Withdrawing from a Georgia Public School
Send written notice to your child's school that you are withdrawing them to enroll in a home study program. The school updates its attendance records. Then file your DOI with the superintendent within 30 days. Keep copies of both documents. The superintendent does not need to approve your program before you begin; you file the DOI and start teaching.
If your child has an IEP, mandatory special education services through the public school end at withdrawal. Georgia does allow districts to make certain voluntary services available to home study students with disabilities, but mandatory IEP services end when the child leaves the public system. Talk with your district's special education coordinator before withdrawing if this applies to your child, so you understand what support changes and what, if anything, the district may continue to offer.
High School, Transcripts, and Diplomas in Georgia
Georgia does not set graduation requirements or diploma standards for home study programs. You set your own graduation criteria, issue the diploma when the student meets them, and create the transcript that documents the coursework completed. A parent-issued diploma and transcript are standard for Georgia home study graduates and are recognized by Georgia colleges, employers, and licensing bodies.
Georgia public universities and the University System of Georgia are experienced reviewing home study transcripts. Most institutions ask for ACT or SAT scores from home study applicants in addition to the parent-issued transcript. Check each school's admissions page for their specific documentation requirements. Some selective programs ask for course descriptions alongside the transcript; prepare those in advance if your student plans to apply to competitive programs.
Home study students in Georgia may take part in dual enrollment through the Move On When Ready program, which allows high school students to take college courses at Georgia institutions at no cost. Eligibility and enrollment procedures for home study students differ by institution; contact the admissions office of the specific college early to confirm what documentation they require. Dual enrollment is worth exploring for students who are ready for college-level work, since it adds both rigor and college credit to the high school years at no expense to the family.
For building a complete four-year high school plan, including how to set credit requirements, track courses, and prepare a transcript that reads clearly to admissions offices, the guide walks through the full process step by step.
No State Funding for Georgia Home Study Families
Georgia does not have an education savings account or voucher program available to families operating a home study program under O.C.G.A. §20-2-690. All curriculum, materials, assessment, and other educational costs are the family's responsibility. Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship provides funds for students with disabilities to attend private schools and does not apply to families teaching their children at home.
Choosing the right curriculum gets easier when you know what to teach, what to skip, and where to start.
Get the GuideA simple step-by-step plan for getting started.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Georgia gives you a clean compliance checklist and stays out of your way. File the DOI in August before your school year starts, plan for 4.5 hours of instruction each school day, schedule the annual assessment before June so you are not scrambling at the end of the year, and keep a simple attendance log. The five-subject requirement is easy to meet with almost any structured curriculum. The part Georgia families underestimate is the 180-day minimum; it sounds standard, but if your family takes long breaks, schedules loosely, or starts late and finishes early, you can fall short. Track school days from day one and you will have no problem. Georgia's home study law is one of the more reasonable frameworks in the South, and it has not changed much in 40 years. That kind of stability is worth something.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do we need to include in the Georgia Declaration of Intent?
Your name and address as the parent or guardian, the full name and date of birth of each child you plan to instruct, and a list of the subjects you intend to teach. File it with the superintendent of your local school system by September 1 each year, or within 30 days of starting if you begin mid-year.
What subjects does Georgia require for home study?
O.C.G.A. §20-2-690 requires instruction in five subjects: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Georgia does not specify textbooks, publishers, or curriculum programs for any of these subjects.
How many hours per day does Georgia require for homeschooling?
At least 4.5 hours of instruction per day for a minimum of 180 school days per year. Georgia does not specify how those hours are distributed across subjects or require that you track them by subject.
Who can conduct the annual assessment in Georgia?
Either a nationally standardized test administered by a person approved by the local superintendent, or an evaluation conducted by a person with at least a bachelor's degree who is not the parent. Results must be kept and made available to the superintendent within 30 days of a written request.
Does Georgia offer any funding for home study families?
No. Georgia does not have an education savings account or voucher program for families operating a home study program under §20-2-690. Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship is for students with disabilities attending private schools and does not apply to home study families.