Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Indiana?

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

Homeschooling in Indiana

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

No. none required; parents may voluntarily report enrollment to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The Secretary of Education may request the number of students by grade level (IC 20-33-2-21).

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

no notice required 15 sources Verified 12 October 2026

What Indiana requires

Notify: none required; parents may voluntarily report enrollment to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The Secretary of Education may request the number of students by grade level (IC 20-33-2-21).
Testing or evaluation: Not required.
Subjects set by the state: No subject list.
Teaching time: 180 days — in detail
Compulsory school age: See compulsory school age
Records: Daily attendance record (required, IC 20-33-2-20); must be shown on request of the Secretary of Education or local superintendent solely to verify enrollment and attendance.

Taking your child out of school in Indiana

First move: Tell the principal in writing that the child is withdrawing to homeschool (no state approval needed).

For HIGH SCHOOL students the parent must sign the state 'Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Nonpublic School Located in Indiana' form; if not signed, the student is counted as a dropout and reported to the BMV, which can deny or revoke a driver's license/permit. No form is required for elementary/middle school.

The legal routes

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

Homeschool as a non-accredited nonpublic (private) school: Indiana treats homeschools as non-accredited nonpublic schools. Parents must give instruction equivalent to public school, in English, for the full school term, and keep daily attendance records.
Accredited private school or public virtual school: Enrolling in an accredited private school or a public virtual/charter school is a different legal status; virtual charter students are public school students, not homeschoolers.

The notice, and who receives it

none required; parents may voluntarily report enrollment to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The Secretary of Education may request the number of students by grade level (IC 20-33-2-21). Nothing has to be filed with any authority to begin.

Compulsory school age

From the start of the fall term of the school year the child turns 7 until age 18 or graduation (16-17 may withdraw only with exit interview); kindergarten not required

Teaching time

180 days per school year (July 1-June 30) per IDOE guidance - the statute requires attendance for the 'full term'; days at a previous school count; no daily hour minimum.

Who may teach

Indiana 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. Homeschoolers generally cannot take state tests (ILEARN) unless enrolled in a public or accredited program.

INESA (special-needs ESA) participants must take state testing.

Records to keep

Daily attendance record (required, IC 20-33-2-20); must be shown on request of the Secretary of Education or local superintendent solely to verify enrollment and attendance. Keeping course/work records is recommended.

High school, diplomas and transcripts

Parent issues the diploma; homeschoolers do not receive an Indiana accredited (e.g., Core 40) diploma. Since July 1, 2025 (HB 1348), a homeschool diploma is legally sufficient proof of high school completion, and state/local agencies and Indiana public colleges may not treat a person differently based solely on it.

Homeschoolers are not eligible for 21st Century Scholars.

Public school classes, sports and activities

Part-time enrollment and extracurricular participation are local school corporation decisions. IHSAA allows homeschoolers to play high school sports if enrolled in at least one class per day at the school and meeting IHSAA eligibility criteria.

Homeschooled students with disabilities can access IDEA equitable services like other private-school students.

Funding: education savings accounts, vouchers and tax credits

Indiana private school/homeschool tax deduction: $1,000 per child from adjusted gross income for curricula, textbooks, software, supplies, tutoring, etc. (IC 6-3-2-22).

Indiana Education Scholarship Account (INESA) for students with disabilities - homeschoolers may apply, but enrolled students are then no longer independent homeschoolers and must test. The Choice Scholarship (voucher, universal from 2026-27) is for accredited private schools, not homeschools.

What changed recently

2025: HB 1348 (effective July 1, 2025) makes a homeschool diploma sufficient proof of high school completion and bars state/local agencies and public colleges from discriminating based solely on it. 2025 budget made the Choice Scholarship voucher universal starting 2026-27 (accredited private schools only).

A 2025 bill to add homeschool oversight did not pass.

What we could not confirm

The 180-day figure comes from IDOE guidance; the statute says 'full term' (HSLDA reads it as matching local public school days). Enacted text/IC section of HB 1348 not fetched directly (confirmed via HSLDA and news).

The state high-school withdrawal form still says Indiana recognizes only accredited diplomas, which appears outdated after HB 1348. Any 2026-session changes affecting homeschoolers could not be confirmed (none found).

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

Statutes and sources

Statute and regulation

Ind. Code § 20-33-2-6
Ind. Code § 20-33-2-8
Ind. Code § 20-33-2-12
Ind. Code § 20-33-2-20
Ind. Code § 20-33-2-21
Ind. Code § 20-33-2-28
Ind. Code § 20-33-2-28.6
Ind. Code § 6-3-2-22