Tennessee asks for a few specific things. Tennessee sets out a handful of real requirements. None of them are difficult, but the deadlines are genuine and worth putting in a calendar. Here is the whole list.

What you file, and by when

Depends on the option. (1) Independent home school (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050): file a Notice of Intent to Home School with the director of schools (LEA) of the district of residence, annually, by August 1 before the start of each school year (many districts accept it at any point for mid-year starts). Proof of the parent's high school diploma or GED is submitted at initial registration only. (2) Church-related umbrella school (satellite of a church-related school under T.C.A. § 49-50-801): register with the church-related school, which handles state-facing requirements; no notice to the LEA (only proof of enrollment if withdrawing from a public school). (3) Accredited online/virtual or independent accredited school: enroll and submit proof to the current school. Options 2 and 3 escape the LEA notice, testing, and attendance-calendar requirements.

Days or hours

Independent home school: at least 4 hours per day for 180 instructional days per year (same number of days as public schools). Church-related umbrella and accredited-school options follow the school's own calendar policy rather than a state mandate for the family.

Subjects you must cover

No state-mandated subject list for independent home schools. Testing in grades 5, 7, and 9 covers reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies, which functionally sets expectations for those grade levels. Church-related umbrella schools may impose their own course requirements.

Records you keep

Independent home school: maintain attendance records on the state-provided attendance calendar and submit the completed calendar to the LEA at the end of the year (commonly due by June 30). Maintain grades/progress records. Church-related umbrella schools set their own recordkeeping and typically hold the official transcript.

Testing or evaluation

Independent home school only: state board-approved secure standardized testing in grades 5, 7, and 9 (T.C.A. § 49-6-3050(b)(6)). Testing is administered by the LEA at the same time as public school students, or by a professional testing service approved by the LEA within 30 days of the state testing window at the parent's expense. In grade 9 this may take the form of applicable End-of-Course exams. Church-related umbrella school and accredited-school students are NOT subject to the grade 5/7/9 state testing requirement, this is the single biggest practical driver of option choice in Tennessee.

Diplomas and transcripts

Independent home school: the parent-teacher must hold at least a high school diploma or GED to teach any grade K-12 (an earlier requirement of a college degree for grades 9-12 was removed). The parent issues the diploma and transcript; Tennessee does not accredit them. Students under a church-related umbrella school generally receive that school's diploma and transcript, which is often smoother for the Tennessee HOPE/lottery scholarship, NCAA eligibility, and employers. For HOPE, independent homeschool graduates qualify on ACT/SAT score plus documentation of home-school enrollment for the required period, check TSAC's current rules. Independent homeschoolers must register by August 1 and apply by August 15 to try out for TSSAA athletics at their zoned school. Recent change: Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarship Act (2025) is aimed at private school tuition and does not fund independent homeschooling; 2026 bills (S.B. 2247/H.B. 2532) would raise the cap from 25,000 to 40,000 scholarships, verify current status before relying on it.

Where this comes from

Statute: Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3050 (independent home school); § 49-50-801 (church-related schools/satellites); § 49-6-3001 (compulsory attendance, ages 6-17); § 49-6-3005.

Source: https://www.tn.gov/education/families/school-options/home-schooling-in-tn.html

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.