Homeschooling Regulations by State: North Carolina

by Christina Yeager

Have you considered homeschooling your children? Knowing where to start is essential. You’ll need to know how to formally withdraw your child/children if they are already in public school. Not to mention, each state has a particular process you’ll need to follow in order to protect students from truancy laws. It also helps to know what the state requirements are for beginning school age, curriculum, necessary paperwork and any reports that must be turned in and when. North Carolina has regulations for homeschooling you should be aware of before beginning.​
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Each state is the U.S. has a very specific set of regulations for homeschooling. If you are thinking about teaching your child at home, you'll need to know the ins and outs of what needs to be done beforehand and during. In this series, Homeschooling Regulations by State, we'll explore information to help with the decision, what to do to get started and what to do correctly to continue.
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The regulations, laws and suggestions in this post may not reflect the needs for your particular situation. Not all apply to each individual family. To learn more about the laws and regulations in this state on homeschooling, click the link at the end of the post! This will direct you to the states’ Board of Education or government education site.

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Compulsory School Age	The age in which all children must begin school public or non-public is age seven and they shall be required to attend until age sixteen.
Instructor Requirements	Parents or guardians wishing to homeschool are required to be qualified to do so by already possessing a high school education or equivalent. Proof must be provided. Furthermore, the Division of Non-Public Education has established an online system for homeschools. It’s essential to register to begin your homeschooling process. Visit the Division of Non-Public Education to register and establish your homeschool.
​Necessary Paperwork	A Notice of Intent must be filed in order to operate a homeschool in July-April. The homeschool may not be used through the summer months for grade recovery. The following homeschool requirements must be met: The homeschool may not consist of more than two participating families Provide academic instruction Follow all required procedures Notify the Division of address changes or enrollment changes Respond to all official correspondence There is also a process for re-opening a previous homeschool instead of filing a notice if that is a particular need.
Formally Withdrawing From Public School	Each school district has its own system to follow when withdrawing a student from public school. Please, check with your local school district for instructions.
Instruction	Instruction must take place no less than nine calendar months (non-consecutive) with holidays and vacations included.
Curriculum	Students must be taught state required subjects and earn credits depending on the course of study (college or workforce: English - 4 credits Mathematics - 3 to 4 credits Science - 2 to 3 credits Social Studies - 2 to 4 credits Health and Physical Education - 1 credit Electives - 6 credits Career/Technical - 0 to 4 credits
Testing	Standardized testing must be administered annually. Homeschooling instructors are responsible for obtaining or scheduling testing.
Immunizations	Immunization records are required by the State of North Carolina for all homeschooled students. Information regarding religious and belief exemptions is available from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Record Keeping	Records of immunizations and attendance are highly recommended and may be requested at any time.
Student Driving	In order to obtain a Driving Eligibility Certificate, the homeschool and the student must be in compliance with all North Carolina homeschooling regulations and laws, must have an active Notice of Intent on file and abide by all behavior conduction laws.
Closing Homeschool	The Division of Non-Public Education should be notified to officially close a homeschool once activity for all students has ceased.

Visit the Division of Non-Public Education and North Carolina Administration for detailed information on homeschooling in North Carolina.

Are you a homeschooler (new or veteran) seeking to share insight? Read our guidelines and thenreach out introducing yourself to obtain blogging credentials! And if you're a homeschool parent, be sure to follow the Homeschooling Heroes page on Facebook for tons of resources and insight, and join the Unschool Homeschool group to expand your horizons as to what homeschooling is/can be. And finally, if you're looking for activities to join, we have a group with New Orleans-based activities, which will be expanding to an area near you - so join our group! And be excited about that, because we offer tons of exceptional educational and extracurricular activities for homeschoolers and parents, and can't wait to include you.

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