New Jersey requires nothing. New Jersey requires no notice, no registration, and no assessment. You may begin homeschooling without telling anyone. The detail below is what the statute actually says, so you can see for yourself rather than take our word for it.

What you file, and by when

None. New Jersey requires no notice of intent, no registration, no curriculum approval, and no annual paperwork of any kind. N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 requires only that a child aged 6-16 attend public school or 'receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school.' If the child is currently enrolled in public school, send a written withdrawal letter to the district as a practical matter. A district may only inquire further if it has credible evidence the child is NOT receiving equivalent instruction, and the NJDOE FAQ directs districts not to demand documentation absent such evidence.

Days or hours

None. No day or hour minimum, and no attendance tracking requirement.

Subjects you must cover

None enumerated for homeschoolers. The only standard is that the instruction be 'equivalent' to what is taught in public school, a general academic-equivalence standard with no subject checklist and no verification mechanism.

Records you keep

None required by law. Strongly advised anyway: keep a curriculum outline, work samples, and a transcript, both to answer any future 'equivalent instruction' inquiry and for college admissions. Note that two bills pending in 2026 (A5825 and A5796) would impose annual registration, curriculum submission, portfolios, third-party evaluators, and an in-person health/wellness check; neither has passed as of July 2026, but families should watch them.

Testing or evaluation

None. No standardized testing, no evaluator, no portfolio review, no state assessment of any kind.

Diplomas and transcripts

No state-recognized homeschool diploma. Parents issue their own diploma and transcript, which NJ colleges and employers generally accept; NJ public colleges do not require a GED from homeschool graduates. Districts have no obligation to grant credit, issue transcripts, or allow homeschooled students to take district courses or participate in interscholastic athletics (NJSIAA generally bars homeschool participation). No state-mandated high-school credits. No ESA/voucher program for homeschoolers.

Where this comes from

Statute: N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 (attendance required of children between six and 16; exceptions); N.J.S.A. 18A:38-26; State v. Massa, 95 N.J. Super. 382 (1967)

Source: https://www.nj.gov/education/safety/nontraditional/faq_homeschool.shtml

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

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.