North Carolina Homeschool Laws

North Carolina law defines a homeschool as “a non-public school consisting of the children of not more than two families or households, where the parents or legal guardians or members of either household determine the scope and sequence of academic instruction, provide academic instruction, and determine additional sources of academic instruction.”

You can operate your homeschool as one of two different types of “non-public” schools:  a qualified non-public school or a private religious school/school of religious charter. The requirements are the same regardless of the type of homeschool you choose.

1. Submit a one-time notice of intent to operate a homeschool to the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) when you are establishing a new homeschool. The notice must contain the name and address of your homeschool and the name of your homeschool’s owner and chief administrator.
2. Ensure that the teachers in your homeschool have the required qualifications–at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.
3. Your homeschool must operate on a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months each year, except for “reasonable holidays and vacations.”
4. Keep attendance and immunization records.
5. Administer an annual standardized test at least once every school year. You are required to use a nationally standardized test or other nationally standardized equivalent measurement to measure achievement in the areas of English grammar, reading, spelling, and math. For one year after the testing, your child’s test scores must be kept “available” at your homeschool for annual inspection by a duly authorized representative of the state of North Carolina.
6. Close your homeschool once you stop homeschooling in North Carolina, or if you move out of the state, and notify the DNPE that your homeschool has closed. You can close your homeschool after logging in to the DNPE’s website.

Here you’ll find websites for any questions you may have about education in the state of North Carolina.

• North Carolina Department of Public Instruction: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/
• North Carolina State Board of Education: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/about-dpi/state-board-education
• U.S. Department of Education – North Carolina: https://www.ed.gov/category/location/north-carolina
• North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Academic Standards: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/academic-standards
• North Carolina Department of Administration – Non-Public Education: https://ncadmin.nc.gov/about-doa/division-non-public-education
• List of North Carolina school districts: https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_school_districts_in_North_Carolina

Whether you already homeschool in North Carolina or are looking to do so, these resources are quite useful if you’re searching for support, co-ops, or answers to questions about homeschooling in your state.

• North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE): https://www.nche.com/
• Alamance Community & Homeschool Band: https://www.achsb.com/
• Asheville Homeschoolers & Unschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AshevilleHomeschoolUnschool/
• Asheville Trailblazers – Western Carolina Athletics Association: https://ashevilletrailblazers.org/
• Association of Roman Catholic Homeschoolers (ARCH) Raleigh: https://www.homeschool-life.com/nc/archraleigh/
• Blue Ridge Homeschool Alliance: https://www.facebook.com/groups/blueridgehomeschoolalliance/
• Cabarrus County Homeschool Association: https://cchsa.com/
• Capital Christian Homeschool Bands: https://www.cchbands.com/
• Catawba County Homeschool Community: https://catawbacountyhc.wixsite.com/catawbacountyhc
• Chapel Hill-Durham Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/chapelHillHomeschoolers/
• Charlotte Home Educators Association: https://www.cheaonline.com/
• Christian Home Educators of Wilmington (CHEW): https://www.chewilm.com/
• Fort Bragg Homeschool Support: https://www.facebook.com/fortbragghomeschool
• Fuquay-Varina Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FuquayVarinaHS
• Gaston Adventures in Learning (GAIL): https://gastonadventures.webs.com/
• Greater Cabarrus Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164200723616990/
• GSO Families Homeschooling (Greensboro): https://www.facebook.com/groups/GSOFamiliesHomeschool/
• Harnett County Homeschoolers of North Carolina: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1456021017981246/
• Henderson County Homeschool Association: https://www.homeschool-life.com/nc/hcha/
• Henderson NC Area Homeschooling Families: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604489552915676/
• HOME-Greenville NC Homeschool Group: https://www.facebook.com/HOMEhomeschoolgroup/
• Home Educators Association of Roxboro (HEAR): https://www.roxborohomeeducators.org/
• Homeschool Association of Rutherford/Polk County (HARC): https://www.facebook.com/HARCPage/
• Homeschooling in Person: https://homeschoolinginperson.weebly.com/
• Learning in Faith Together (LIFT) Fayetteville: https://www.facebook.com/groups/116687491679266/
• Lincoln County Home Educators: https://www.homeschool-life.com/nc/lche/
• North Point Baptist Homeschool Ministry: https://northpointbaptist.org/#/ministries/homeschool
• Wake County Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wakecountyhomeschoolers/

One of the many benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility to explore! Here are some ideas for amazing–and educational–field trips around the great state of North Carolina!

• All A Flutter Butterfly Farm: High Point, NC

• Alphabet Museum: Waxhaw, NC

• Animal Ed.ventures: Coats, NC

• Aurora Fossil Museum: Aurora, NC

• Battleship North Carolina: Wilmington, NC

• Cape Fear Museum of Science and History: Wilmington, NC

• Cape Fear Serpentarium: Wilmington, NC

• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Hatteras, NC

• Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Flat Rock, NC

• Carnivore Preservation Trust: Pittsboro, NC

• Carolina Ocean Studies: Carolina Beach, NC

• Carolina Raptor Center: Huntersville, NC

• Carolinas Aviation Museum: Charlotte, NC

• Catawba Science Center: Hickory, NC

• Charlotte Museum of History and Hezekiah Alexander Homesite: Charlotte, NC

• Charlotte Nature Museum: Charlotte, NC

• The Children’s Museum and Science Center: Rocky Mount, NC

• Children’s Museum of Alamance County: Graham, NC

• The Children’s Playhouse: Boone, NC