Homeschooling in New Hampshire
Welcome, New Hampshire homeschool family. A major law change took effect July 1, 2026, giving parents a much simpler path to independent home education. There is no general notice to file, no state-mandated portfolio or annual evaluation, and no prescribed homeschool subject list. Here is what families need to know now.
Who this applies to
New Hampshire’s compulsory-attendance law generally applies to a child who is at least six years old and under eighteen. If a child turns six after September 30, attendance is not required until the following school year.
A child receiving home education under RSA 193-A satisfies the compulsory-attendance exception. Home education means education provided, coordinated, or directed by a parent for the parent’s own child. A student participating in the separate Education Freedom Account program is not classified as a home-educated student under RSA 193-A, and beginning EFA participation terminates the student’s home-education program.
No general homeschool notification
New Hampshire no longer requires families to file a general notice of intent to begin or end a home-education program. Participation in a home-education program consistent with RSA 193-A is presumed to satisfy the education required by law.
The state may not treat the absence of a notice, records, evaluations, or assessments in a lawful home-education program as a failure to provide education.
New Hampshire law also states that a child may not be considered neglected solely because the child participates in a home-education program.
What New Hampshire asks for
What New Hampshire asks for
- Compulsory age
- General notice
- Public-school withdrawal
- Public-school program access
- Required subjects
- Portfolio and records
- Annual evaluation and testing
- Completion document
How to handle it
- Beginning at age six and continuing until age eighteen; a child turning six after September 30 begins the following school year
- None to begin or end an independent home-education program
- Provide a parent-signed optional declaration of home education to the school when withdrawing
- Provide the optional declaration to the resident district if seeking access under RSA 193:1-c
- No prescribed statutory homeschool subject list after the July 2026 change
- No state-mandated homeschool portfolio or recordkeeping requirement
- No required annual evaluation or homeschool testing mandate
- A parent may issue a certificate of completion and may submit it to the commissioner for a Department certificate
What New Hampshire asks for
How to handle it
- Compulsory age
- Beginning at age six and continuing until age eighteen; a child turning six after September 30 begins the following school year
- General notice
- None to begin or end an independent home-education program
- Public-school withdrawal
- Provide a parent-signed optional declaration of home education to the school when withdrawing
- Public-school program access
- Provide the optional declaration to the resident district if seeking access under RSA 193:1-c
- Required subjects
- No prescribed statutory homeschool subject list after the July 2026 change
- Portfolio and records
- No state-mandated homeschool portfolio or recordkeeping requirement
- Annual evaluation and testing
- No required annual evaluation or homeschool testing mandate
- Completion document
- A parent may issue a certificate of completion and may submit it to the commissioner for a Department certificate
When an optional declaration is required
The statute calls this document an optional declaration of home education. It becomes required in two circumstances: when withdrawing a child from a public school and when seeking access to public-school programs under RSA 193:1-c.
The optional declaration is a parent-signed written statement identifying the student by name, date of birth, and current address and stating that the student is home educated and meets New Hampshire’s compulsory-attendance requirements. The New Hampshire Department of Education instructs a withdrawing family to provide it to the public school. For public-school program access, provide it to the resident district.
No required portfolio, evaluation, testing, or subject list
Chapter 297 removed New Hampshire’s former mandatory homeschool portfolio and annual evaluation provisions. It also replaced the former home-education statutes containing the prescribed subject list.
New Hampshire therefore does not require an independent home-education family to maintain the former statutory portfolio, obtain an annual teacher evaluation, administer a standardized test, or follow the former prescribed list of subjects. Families may still keep records, assess progress, and build a broad course of study as part of responsible homeschool planning.
Certificates of completion
A parent may certify that a child has completed a New Hampshire home-education program. The parent-issued certificate may include the child’s name and date of birth, the parents’ names, the program-completion date, and the parent’s signature.
A family may also submit the parent-issued certificate to the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education. Within thirty days after receiving it, the commissioner must issue a Department certificate stating that the student completed a New Hampshire home-education program under RSA 193-A.
Your home base: SchoolhouseTeachers.com
New Hampshire gives parents wide freedom to shape a home-education program. SchoolhouseTeachers.com gives your family the curriculum and organizational tools to use that freedom confidently from preschool through high school, all in one HOME BASE.
One online family membership gives every child unlimited access to hundreds of online, self-paced courses from preschool through twelfth grade, all from a Biblical worldview, with graduation and college-preparation resources.
You will also find Virtual School Boxes, self-grading iST courses, World Book Online, and thousands of family-friendly videos.
Even when the state does not mandate a portfolio or annual evaluation, dependable records help families document progress and prepare for high school, college, employment, and other opportunities. The Homeschool Records & Compliance Center includes:
- Education Plan Builder for mapping each child’s subjects and courses
- Custom Schedule Builder for organizing your instructional year
- Gradebook and report cards for tracking academic progress
- Portfolio Builder for collecting work samples
- Transcript tools for high-school planning and later opportunities
- Applecore recordkeeping for grades, attendance, courses, and credits
- Certificates of Completion for documenting finished courses
One family membership. Every child in your HOME. No fee per child. No fee per course. No limits.
“SchoolhouseTeachers.com is just amazing! I’ve had my account for almost two years, and I still don’t think I’ve seen everything!”
Ammy Quinn, SchoolhouseTeachers.com member
Questions? Call 1.888.718.HOME or email
customerservice@theoldschoolhouse.com.
A real homeschooler answers.
Requirements vary and change. Confirm current requirements with the New Hampshire Department of Education and current New Hampshire law. SchoolhouseTeachers.com provides curriculum and recordkeeping tools. It is not a school, it is not accredited, and nothing on this page is legal advice.
Sources: RSA 193:1; H.B. 1268, Chapter 297, Laws of 2026, Sections 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, and 21; New Hampshire Department of Education Home Education page; New Hampshire State Board of Education Ed 315 expedited-repeal materials.
Last reviewed: August 2026
