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Homeschool laws · State guide

Homeschooling in Louisiana

Louisiana offers two routes: a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval (yearly attendance submission, 180 days) or a BESE Approved Home Study Program (apply within 15 days, renew yearly with evidence of progress).

Last checkedAgainst Statute + state sources

Louisiana at a glanceLevel: Low

Notice to the state
Yes
Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval: submit attendance to LDOE online each year, and within 10 days of enrolling a student who left public school, notify the former school (R.S. 17:221.3).
Testing
No
Not required for a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval; 4th and 8th grade LEAP available on request (LDOE).
Record-keeping
Required
The school maintains student attendance records (LDOE guidelines).
Immunization
Required
Nonpublic homeschoolers need meningococcal vaccination proof or an exemption for grades 6 and 11 (or ages 11 and 16); BESE home study requires it at ages 11 and 16 (R.S. 17:170.4).
Required subjects
None specified
Instruction time
180 days
LDOE guidelines; the statute's own 180-day minimum, in R.S. 17:236, has been suspended since 2005–06
Parent qualifications
For a school receiving no public funds, instructional staff meet requirements set by the school or church
LDOE, citing R.S. 17:236
Compulsory school age
5 (by September 30) through 18
LDOE, citing R.S. 17:221

Ways to homeschool here: Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval ('registered nonpublic school') · BESE Approved Home Study Program (R.S. 17:236.1)

Choice Homeschool works hard to keep every state guide accurate and up to date, but laws change. If something here has changed or is missing, please let us know, ideally with a link to the official source, and we’ll recheck it.

Overview

The Louisiana Department of Education offers two homeschooling options. The summary fields above describe the less-regulated one, a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval. LDOE notes that this option is not BESE-approved, its students are not eligible for TOPS scholarships, and LDOE does not oversee students’ records.

  • Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval: annual online attendance submission to LDOE; 180 days; notice to the former public school within 10 days (LDOE).
  • BESE Approved Home Study Program (R.S. 17:236.1): apply to BESE within 15 days of starting, with a certified birth certificate; the parent certifies a ‘sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools at the same grade level.’ Renew by October 1 (or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later) with either a packet of materials (subject outlines, work samples and similar), a passing state competency test score, a standardized test score at or above grade level (or one grade level of progress per year), or a statement from a certified teacher. LDOE says programs must maintain 180 instructional days; no teaching certificate is required; home study students may be TOPS-eligible.

Requirements at a glance

  • Notice: Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval: submit the school’s attendance/enrollment information to the Louisiana Department of Education online (report total attendance as of the 30th day of the school term, per R.S. 17:232(C)); the confirmation is valid one year. Within 10 days of enrolling a student who left public school (that year or at the end of the prior year), send the former public school a notice of enrollment (R.S. 17:221.3). (LDOE guidelines)
  • Testing or assessment: Not required for a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval; 4th and 8th grade LEAP available on request (LDOE).
  • Records: The school maintains student attendance records (LDOE guidelines).
  • Subjects: None specified
  • Instruction time: 180 days. LDOE guidelines say a nonpublic school not seeking state approval must operate a minimum session of 180 days, citing R.S. 17:236, and LDOE says BESE home study programs must maintain 180 instructional days. Subsection B of that statute has suspended its own 180-day minimum since the 2005–06 school year and lets BESE set the minimum session by rule instead; LDOE’s guidance still lists 180 days.
  • Parent/teacher qualifications: For a school receiving no public funds, instructional staff meet requirements set by the school or church (LDOE, citing R.S. 17:236)
  • Compulsory attendance ages: 5 (by September 30) through 18 (LDOE, citing R.S. 17:221)

Sources

This page summarizes the statutes and official pages listed in the sources block, as read on the last-checked date. It is general information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with your state or local education agency.