District of Columbia is one of the more demanding states. District of Columbia asks for more than most. It is entirely manageable once it is written down in one place, which is what this page is for. Nothing here is harder than it looks; there is just more of it.

What you file, and by when

Submit a Notification of Intent to Homeschool to OSSE (online) at least 15 business days before the first date of home instruction; OSSE processing takes roughly 10 calendar days. Continuing families must submit a Notification of Homeschool Continuation by August 15 each year. Discontinuing requires a Notification to Discontinue Homeschooling at least 15 business days before discontinuation. When withdrawing from a DCPS/charter school, the current school must be informed and OSSE verification received before the withdrawal is official.

Days or hours

No specific day or hour count. The regulation requires instruction that is 'thorough and regular' and 'of sufficient duration' to implement the instructional program.

Subjects you must cover

Language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education.

Records you keep

Maintain a portfolio of homeschooling materials for each child - instructional materials, reading materials, and samples of the child's work in each required subject - retained for at least one year. OSSE may request to review the portfolio at any time; such requests are made in writing at least 30 days before the review date. OSSE may also investigate on complaint and, if the program is found deficient, terminate it after notice and an opportunity to correct.

Testing or evaluation

No standardized testing requirement and no scores reported to OSSE. Oversight is via the portfolio review process described above.

Diplomas and transcripts

The District issues no diploma, credits, or transcripts to homeschoolers; the parent issues the diploma and prepares the transcript, and DC's public high school graduation requirements do not apply. The instructing parent/guardian must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, or petition OSSE for a waiver by demonstrating the ability to provide thorough instruction. Compulsory attendance runs ages 5 through 18, so the notification, portfolio, and continuation obligations continue through the high school years. Special education services are only available through public school enrollment, though evaluations may be requested at any time.

Where this comes from

Statute: D.C. Code 38-202 (compulsory attendance, ages 5-18); D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 5-A, ch. 52 (5-A DCMR 5201-5206, Homeschooling)

Source: https://osse.dc.gov/page/homeschooling-district-local-requirements

Last reviewed: July 2026 · our confidence in this entry: medium

Homeschool law changes, and a page like this goes stale without announcing it. Check the statute above against your own reading before a filing deadline. If we are out of date, we would rather hear it from you than have you find out at the district office.

Keeping the records is the other half of this. Our Records System has the editable transcript with the GPA already wired, 131 course descriptions, and this same statute-cited summary for all fifty states and DC. Thirty-nine dollars, one household, however many children you have.