Kentucky homeschool laws

Kentucky homeschools are non-public schools. Parents file an annual notice of intent with the local superintendent within two weeks of the start of the school year or of withdrawing the child from public school, and maintain attendance and scholarship records. Kentucky does not set a required subject list for homeschools, and the Department of Education may not prescribe curriculum. Many families teach reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, mathematics, science and civics, but these are common practice, not a state requirement for homeschools. Only certified nonpublic schools must offer the branches of study required in public schools.

Expect a one-time or yearly notice. Some states in this group also ask for testing or records; see below.

Note: The notice of intent must list the name, age and home address of each child in the school, and a district may not reject it. The notice is required for a child who is six by August 1 (compulsory attendance runs from age six to sixteen, KRS 159.010). Kentucky has no state diploma, so homeschools issue their own, and the Department of Education suggests the GED or an equivalent exam for students who need a credential others can verify. Kentucky's No-Pass/No-Drive law applies to homeschool students. When a student moves into public school, the district decides placement and awards credit for earlier work by an exam or by a C or better by the 12th week (704 KAR 3:307). Certification of a nonpublic school is handled by the Kentucky Non-Public Schools Commission (701 KAR 3:315).

No fixed yearly filing date is listed for Kentucky. The summary above explains when, or whether, a notice is due.

Our summary does not list specific subjects that Kentucky law names. Check the official sources below.

• Each school year: 1,062 hours1,062 hours of instruction across at least 170 attendance days per year (KRS 158.070 and 158.080). Kentucky requires this term for certified homeschools; for non-certified homeschools the Department of Education recommends it but does not require it.

Our summary does not list a testing or evaluation requirement for Kentucky.

• Attendance records showing that a bona fide school is in operation (KRS 159.040). Kentucky no longer requires the paper register: any form, digital or paper, is accepted. The records must be open to inspection by the local district's Director of Pupil Personnel and by Department of Education officials.
• A scholarship report for each student listing the courses completed and the grade awarded.
• Recommended, not required: portfolios of work samples by year, independent assessment results and reports from digital learning platforms.

Not yet. HomeStudyPath does not have a pre-filled filing draft for Kentucky, but it can still remind you of any deadlines listed above.

• Kentucky state education agency (opens in a new tab)
• KDE Homeschool Information Packet (May 2026) (opens in a new tab)

Independent summary: HSLDA's Kentucky page (opens in a new tab)