Virginia asks for very little. Virginia is a light-touch state. There is something to file, and it is short. Below is exactly what, by when, and where it comes from in the code.

What you file, and by when

Home instruction statute (Option 1): file a Notice of Intent with the division superintendent no later than August 15 each year, including a description/list of subjects to be studied and evidence of meeting one of the four qualifying criteria. Starting mid-year: notify as soon as practicable and comply within 30 days. Certified-tutor option (22.1-254(A)): submit evidence of Virginia teacher licensure for superintendent approval; no NOI or year-end assessment. Religious exemption (22.1-254(B)(1)): apply to the local school board; once granted, no notice, testing, or reporting at all (some boards ask for periodic reaffirmation, which HEAV argues is not required by statute).

Days or hours

None. Virginia sets no minimum instructional days or hours for home instruction.

Subjects you must cover

No state-mandated subject list. The parent must simply list the subjects to be studied in the annual Notice of Intent.

Records you keep

No state-mandated records. Parents should retain the NOI, curriculum descriptions, and the annual evidence-of-progress documentation. No portfolio submission or inspection.

Testing or evaluation

Home instruction statute only: by August 1 following the school year, submit ONE of - (a) a nationally normed standardized achievement test composite score at or above the fourth stanine; (b) an evaluation or assessment showing adequate progress, signed by a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline with knowledge of the child's academic progress; (c) a report card/transcript from a community college, college, distance learning program, or correspondence school. Failure to submit places the program on probation for one year with a remediation plan. Certified-tutor and religious-exemption routes require no assessment.

Diplomas and transcripts

Virginia issues no diploma or credits to homeschoolers; the parent issues the diploma and writes the transcript. Standards of Learning tests and the state's verified-credit graduation requirements do not apply. School boards must make AP, PSAT/NMSQT, and PreACT exams available to homeschooled students and notify families of financial assistance (22.1-254.1(E)). Religious-exemption students are exempt from compulsory attendance entirely, which occasionally raises documentation questions with colleges and the military - keep a thorough transcript and course descriptions.

Where this comes from

Statute: Va. Code 22.1-254.1 (home instruction); Va. Code 22.1-254(A) (tutor/teacher option); Va. Code 22.1-254(B)(1) (religious exemption)

Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title22.1/chapter14/section22.1-254.1/

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.