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Georgia Homeschool Requirements Moderate regulation
What Georgia requires from homeschool families — notification, subjects, hours, testing, and portfolio rules — with links to the current law. This is the same state data FolioKid uses to build your portfolio template.
- Governing law: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c)
- Required subjects: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science (elementary grades; some states vary by grade)
- Instructional hours: 810 hours per year (elementary; secondary may differ)
- Instructional days: 180 days per year
- Testing: grades 3, 6, 9, 12
File a Declaration of Intent with the GA DOE within 30 days of starting; renew annually by September 1. Annual written progress assessment and three-year-cycle test results (starting grade 3) are kept in family files, not submitted.
Records you must keep in Georgia
Georgia keeps homeschool records in your own family files — nothing routine is submitted to the state, but you must maintain all of the following:
- Your Declaration of Intent, filed within 30 days of starting and renewed annually by September 1
- Evidence that the teaching parent holds a high school diploma or GED
- A portfolio of work samples across Georgia's five required subjects (reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science)
- A record of instructional time — 810 hours across 180 days
- Your annual written progress assessment (kept in your family files, not submitted to the state)
- Standardized test results on the grade 3, 6, 9, and 12 cycle (no minimum score; also kept on file, not submitted)
Your Georgia filing timeline
- Within 30 days of startingFile your Declaration of Intent with the Georgia Department of Education.
- By September 1 (each year)Renew your Declaration of Intent for the coming school year.
- All year longKeep the portfolio, subject samples, and your hours/days record current as you go.
- Grades 3, 6, 9 & 12Administer an approved standardized test and file the results in your family records.
- End of the school yearWrite your annual progress assessment and keep it on file.
How FolioKid builds a Georgia-compliant portfolio
You do the teaching; FolioKid assembles the records Georgia asks you to keep on file:
- Snap photos of work as it happens — FolioKid tags each entry by subject against Georgia's five required subjects.
- Log instructional time toward the 810-hour / 180-day target with a running total.
- Record grade 3, 6, 9, and 12 test scores and write your annual progress assessment — all kept in your own files.
- Export a Georgia-formatted portfolio PDF — or send a reviewer a read-only share link (no account needed, expires in 30 days).
Free: the Georgia Homeschool Records Checklist
A one-page printable PDF — exactly what to keep, your filing deadlines, and a blank hours log. We'll email it to you.
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Official Georgia sources
- 📜 O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690 — the statute itself
- 🏛️ Georgia Department of Education — Home Schools
- 🔎 HSLDA — Georgia homeschool law summary
Georgia homeschool FAQ
What law governs homeschooling in Georgia?
Homeschooling in Georgia is governed by O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c). File a Declaration of Intent with the GA DOE within 30 days of starting; renew annually by September 1. Annual written progress assessment and three-year-cycle test results (starting grade 3) are kept in family files, not submitted. Always verify current requirements with your state department of education.
What subjects are required for homeschooling in Georgia?
Georgia requires: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science (elementary grades; some states vary by grade).
How many hours or days of instruction does Georgia require?
Georgia requires 810 hours per year (elementary; secondary may differ) and 180 days per year.
Does Georgia require testing or a portfolio evaluation?
Yes — Georgia requires standardized testing (grades 3, 6, 9, 12).
Keeping records for Georgia? Snap photos of your kids' work and FolioKid organizes them into a year-end portfolio PDF — formatted around Georgia's requirements.
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