Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Illinois?

No. Illinois sets no qualification requirement for the parent teaching at home.

Homeschooling in Illinois

Q: Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Illinois?

No. None required. ISBE's homeschool web page (now marked archived) describes a voluntary registration form, but HSLDA (July 2025) says ISBE does not currently allow registration; ISBE's current guidance refers only to 'one voluntary form'.

What the law requires, what you file and when, and what to keep — with the statute behind each rule.

no notice required 12 sources Verified 12 October 2026

What Illinois requires

Notify: None required. ISBE's homeschool web page (now marked archived) describes a voluntary registration form, but HSLDA (July 2025) says ISBE does not currently allow registration; ISBE's current guidance refers only to 'one voluntary form'.
Testing or evaluation: Not required.
Subjects set by the state: Yes — 7 required subjects, listed below
Teaching time: None set by law (education must be at least equivalent to public school).
Compulsory school age: 6 to 17 — in detail
Records: None required by law; ISBE strongly encourages records (attendance, syllabi, work samples, test results) because parents may need to show equivalent instruction if a truancy complaint is investigated by the regional superintendent.

Taking your child out of school in Illinois

No formal state procedure. ISBE recommends giving the school a dated written withdrawal letter (keep a copy) so the child is not reported truant.

Chicago Public Schools asks homeschool parents to submit a Statement of Assurance and a letter each year, but its own policy says these are requested, not required by state law.

The legal routes

2 routes exist in Illinois. They carry different duties, and families often do not know the alternatives to the obvious one.

Home-based private school: Illinois courts (People v. Levisen, 1950) treat a homeschool as a private school exempt under 105 ILCS 5/26-1, if instruction is in English and covers the branches taught in public schools at a level at least equivalent to public school.
Enroll in an existing private or parochial school: A family may instead enroll the child in a private or religious school (including one that offers home-study support).

The notice, and who receives it

None required. ISBE's homeschool web page (now marked archived) describes a voluntary registration form, but HSLDA (July 2025) says ISBE does not currently allow registration; ISBE's current guidance refers only to 'one voluntary form'. Nothing has to be filed with any authority to begin.

Subjects Illinois requires

Language arts
Mathematics
Biological and physical sciences
Social sciences
Fine arts
Physical development and health
Instruction must be in English

See which courses here cover these subjects →

Compulsory school age

6 (by Sept. 1) to 17

Teaching time

None set by law (education must be at least equivalent to public school).

Who may teach

Illinois sets no qualification for the parent teaching at home: no teaching certificate, no college degree, and no requirement that you hold a high school diploma.

Testing and evaluation

No testing required, and test results need not be submitted to anyone.

Records to keep

None required by law; ISBE strongly encourages records (attendance, syllabi, work samples, test results) because parents may need to show equivalent instruction if a truancy complaint is investigated by the regional superintendent.

High school, diplomas and transcripts

Parent sets graduation requirements and issues the diploma/transcript. A public school diploma requires full-time public enrollment and meeting district graduation requirements.

Homeschooled students may take the classroom portion of driver's education through the local district (notify by April 1; proof of passing grades in 8 courses over prior two semesters).

Public school classes, sports and activities

Part-time enrollment is at the district's discretion (105 ILCS 5/10-20.24): request by May 1 for the next school year, space available, resident district only. Students with disabilities may attend part-time for special education services.

No 'Tim Tebow' law; IHSA/IESA rules sharply limit homeschool sports participation, and districts need not open extracurriculars.

Funding: education savings accounts, vouchers and tax credits

Illinois K-12 Education Expense Credit: 25% of qualified expenses over $250, max $750 per family; for homeschoolers in a qualified home school program, only certain book and lab fees count (not tuition or general curriculum) - see IDOR Publication 119. The Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship ended in 2023.

As of late Aug 2026 the governor had not decided whether Illinois will opt into the federal tax-credit scholarship program (decision due by end of 2026).

What changed recently

No change to homeschool law. HB2827 (the 'Homeschool Act', 2025), which would have required a declaration of intent filed with the Regional Office of Education, stalled and has sat in the House Rules Committee since April 2025.

HB5609 (2026), which would have expanded part-time enrollment and extracurricular access for nonpublic students, also stalled in Rules (Mar 2026). Invest in Kids scholarships ended after 2023.

What we could not confirm

Whether ISBE still accepts voluntary homeschool registrations is unclear (archived page vs. HSLDA's statement that it does not).

Exact list of homeschool expenses eligible for the education expense credit should be checked against IDOR Publication 119 (not fetched). Whether Illinois opts into the federal tax-credit scholarship is pending.

Whether any voluntary ISBE registration remains available

Listed because a legal summary that hides its gaps is harder to trust than one that names them. How these pages are checked.