Homeschooling in Georgia and the Declaration of Intent

Georgia makes the first step simple. There's one document to file with the state: the Declaration of Intent. The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) calls it the official document a parent submits to start or continue a home school program. Once it's filed, most of what follows is about teaching and keeping your own records. For context, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1 requires children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays to attend a public school, private school or home school program, as GaDOE's guidance explains.

This guide covers how to file the declaration of intent to homeschool in Georgia and when it's due. It also covers what the law expects you to teach, testing, and what happens if you withdraw a child from public school. Everything here comes from GaDOE's own guidance. The rules themselves are in Georgia's home study statute, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690, so read it yourself before relying on any summary, including this one.

What the declaration is and how to file it

The Declaration of Intent is the form you submit to the Georgia Department of Education to register a home study program. GaDOE's home school guidance describes it as the official document a parent submits to the department to begin or continue homeschooling. It's due within 30 days of starting your program, and by September 1 each year after that if you continue.

You can submit it online, or print the form and send it by email, fax or mail. The declaration has to list each student's name and age, the address of your home study program, your local school system, and the 12-month period you'll treat as your school year. GaDOE strongly encourages keeping a copy. Your teen will need it later: GaDOE says homeschool students applying for a driving permit, driver's license or Youth Work Permit must have a copy of the declaration with the parent's 36-character signature.

When is the declaration of intent due?

GaDOE's guidance sets the timing: file within 30 days of beginning your home study program, then by September 1 every year you continue. If you're starting mid-year, the 30-day clock starts when your home study program begins. There's no need to wait for a new school year.

What happens when you withdraw from public school?

According to GaDOE's guidance, local school systems must have proof of a student's enrollment in a home school program within 45 days of withdrawal from a Georgia public school. Your filed Declaration of Intent satisfies that. File the declaration promptly and keep your copy where you can find it.

What does Georgia require you to teach?

According to GaDOE's guidance, a home study program must provide a basic academic program that includes, at a minimum, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. You can teach other subjects too. GaDOE doesn't endorse, promote or provide a curriculum, so choosing one is up to you.

The school year is 180 days, and GaDOE's guidance says each school day must be at least four and a half school hours.

Who can teach? Parents may teach only their own children, and the teaching parent needs at least a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma such as the GED. You can also hire a tutor who holds one of those.

You also write an annual progress report for each child. It assesses progress in each required subject, and you keep it for at least three years.

Does Georgia require testing?

Yes. According to GaDOE, students in home study programs must take an appropriate nationally standardized test at least every three years, beginning at the end of third grade. The test is given in consultation with someone trained in administering and interpreting norm-referenced tests. Parents keep the scores and records. Many families arrange testing through a local homeschool group or a testing provider.

Records worth keeping

Keep your own records even though you file only the declaration with the state. A folder with your Declaration of Intent, annual progress reports, a list of subjects and materials, test results, and work samples covers most needs. Records also help if your child returns to public school. GaDOE says the local school system decides placement and credit for home study work when a child enrolls, under State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1-.15.

If your child is still enrolled, what to settle before you pull your kid out of school covers the practical side. To compare Georgia with other states, see homeschool laws by state.

Your first month homeschooling in Georgia, step by step

Here's a sensible order to work through, based on GaDOE's guidance:

1. Read O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690. It's short, and it's the law you'll be following.
2. Withdraw your child if they're enrolled. Ask the school how it handles withdrawals, then file your declaration promptly, because the school system needs proof within 45 days.
3. Submit your declaration within 30 days of starting. Online is fastest. Save a copy.
4. Choose materials for the five required areas: reading, language arts, math, social studies and science.
5. Plan your 180 days of at least four and a half school hours each.
6. Set up a records folder for the declaration, progress reports, materials, test results and work samples.
7. Put the next September 1 deadline on your calendar so next year's filing isn't a scramble.

Opportunities for Georgia homeschoolers

Homeschooling in Georgia doesn't cut your child off from public school activities. GaDOE points to the Dexter Mosely Act, which allows home study students in grades 6 through 12 to take part in extracurricular and interscholastic activities in their resident public school system, with some notification and course enrollment conditions.

Common questions

Do I need approval to homeschool in Georgia? No approval is required. You file the Declaration of Intent with GaDOE, and GaDOE describes its role in home study programs as very limited.

Can I return my child to public school later? Yes. The local school system decides your child's placement and which credits to award, following state board rules and its own local policies.

How do I get a copy of a declaration I already filed? GaDOE says you can request a copy of a previously submitted Declaration of Intent by emailing its homeschool division.

The short version

Homeschooling in Georgia starts with one form: the Declaration of Intent, due within 30 days of starting and by September 1 each year after. Teach the five required areas for 180 days, write a progress report each year, test at least every three years from the end of third grade, and keep your own records. This week, read O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690 once in full, then file your declaration and save a copy.

Sources: Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Home School: Information about home study programs (August 2025); Declaration of Intent filing page; Georgia home study statute, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690. Retrieved 2026-10-30, rechecked 2026-11-02. Rules change, so confirm with GaDOE.