A Illinois Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Illinois.

A clear, practical guide for families ready to bring learning home - written for the way Illinois actually does it. Your homeschool is legally a private school. Six branches of education, taught in English. Zero forms to file. What the law asks, what it doesn't, and how to start well.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from is this even allowed? to your own one-family private school.

№ 01
01

Know your legal footing.

Illinois has no homeschool statute - and that's good news. Under 105 ILCS 5/26-1, children attending a private school teaching the required branches of education in English are exempt from public school attendance, and the Illinois Supreme Court held in People v. Levisen (1950) that a home school is a private school. The moment you begin teaching, you are operating one.

The legal pillars
  • 105 ILCS 5/26-1 - the private school exemption
  • People v. Levisen, 404 Ill. 574 (1950)
  • Instruction in English, six branches covered
  • Education equivalent to public schooling
02

Withdraw with a dated letter.

There is no Notice of Intent in Illinois and nothing to file with ISBE or your district. If your child is currently enrolled, give the school a dated withdrawal letter stating that you are placing your student in a private school - ISBE's own FAQ recommends exactly this, because it documents continued education and prevents a truancy referral after a prolonged absence. Keep a copy.

Your letter should include
  • Child's name, grade & last day of attendance
  • A line placing the child in a private school per 105 ILCS 5/26-1
  • Your signature and the date
  • Skip ISBE's voluntary registration form - it is optional, not required
03

Cover the six branches, your way.

Illinois names six branches of education - language arts, math, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health - and requires instruction in English. That's the whole substantive requirement. No curriculum approval, no state standards review, no methodology rules: textbooks, online programs, co-ops, and unit studies all qualify.

Useful starting points
  • Illinois Learning Standards (optional benchmarks)
  • Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) events
  • Chicago-area and downstate co-ops & park district programs
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
04

Build a private-school paper trail.

Illinois requires no records, no attendance counts, and no submissions - but courts measure home education by whether it is at least equivalent to public schooling. A simple log of instruction across the six branches, periodic work samples, and a high school transcript are how a private school of one proves itself, whether to a Regional Office of Education inquiry, a college, or a future employer.

Keep on file
  • Copy of your withdrawal letter
  • Weekly log touching all six branches
  • Work samples a few times a year
  • Course titles, grades & transcript for high school
05

Use the public-school doors that are open.

Homeschoolers can attend public school part-time under 105 ILCS 5/10-20.24 - request courses from the principal by May 1 for the following year, space permitting. Districts must offer driver's education to resident nonpublic students (notify by April 1, with passing grades in 8 courses over the prior two semesters). Athletics are tighter: IHSA rules require taking and passing a course at the member school.

Doors & deadlines
  • Part-time enrollment: request by May 1
  • Driver's ed: notify district by April 1
  • IHSA sports: enroll & pass a course at the school
  • Special ed services: possible part-time via an IEP
The Law · Illinois

One status, fully yours

№ 02

Illinois homeschools operate under the private-school exemption of 105 ILCS 5/26-1 - there is no homeschool statute at all. In People v. Levisen (1950), the Illinois Supreme Court confirmed that a home school is a private school when the teacher is competent, the required branches are taught in English, and the education is at least equivalent to public schooling. A registration-and-portfolio bill (HB 2827) was debated in 2025 but never enacted; the law on this page is the law in force.

Option 01

Home-Based Private School

Best for every Illinois family - it is the state's single legal route, with full curricular freedom and no filings.

  • No registration - ISBE's form is voluntary, never required
  • Teach the 6 branches of education, in English
  • No testing, reporting, or minimum days and hours
  • Issue your own diploma & transcript like any private school
  • Governed by 105 ILCS 5/26-1 and People v. Levisen (1950)
Requirements · Curriculum

The six branches Illinois expects you to teach.

№ 03

Illinois asks private schools - including yours - to teach the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools, in English. ISBE reads that as the six branches below. How deeply and by what method is entirely your call; the state approves no curriculum and reviews no lesson plans.

01

Language Arts

Reading, writing, grammar, and literature across ages and grades.

02

Mathematics

Numeracy through algebra and geometry, with applied reasoning.

03

Biological & Physical Sciences

Life science, chemistry, physics, earth science - inquiry first.

04

Social Sciences

History, geography, civics, and economics in real context.

05

Fine Arts

Music, visual art, drama - creative work as part of the core.

06

Physical Development & Health

PE, wellness, and health education suited to each child.

0
Forms to file

No notice, no registration, no renewal. ISBE's homeschool registration form is voluntary - the law never requires it.

6
Branches of education

Language arts, math, biological & physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development & health - taught in English.

1950
Settled law since

People v. Levisen, 404 Ill. 574: the Illinois Supreme Court held that a home school is a private school under 105 ILCS 5/26-1.

May 1
Part-time request deadline

Ask the principal by May 1 to enroll part-time in public school courses for the following year, space permitting.

Questions · Answered Honestly

The questions Illinois parents actually ask

№ 04
No. Illinois requires no certificate, degree, or qualification. Under People v. Levisen, the teacher - parent or private tutor - must be 'competent,' which Illinois courts have never equated with credentials. Your obligation is to teach the six branches of education in English at a standard equivalent to public schooling.
Yes, at any point in the year. Hand the school a dated letter stating you are withdrawing your student to place them in a private school, and keep copies - ISBE's own guidance recommends this exact step so the school doesn't report your child as truant after a prolonged absence. There is no waiting period and no approval to wait for; you may begin teaching immediately.
No. Registration of homeschooled students is not required in Illinois. ISBE offers a voluntary Home Schooling Registration form, and some Regional Offices of Education have their own voluntary forms, but filing is a choice, not a duty - and the School Code expressly excludes home-based schools from the private-school registration and recognition process (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25o(e)). No district approval exists because none is needed.
Illinois requires no records and no submissions. Keep them anyway: a log of instruction across the six branches, work samples, and a high school transcript. If a truancy question ever reaches your Regional Office of Education - usually because a school was never told about a withdrawal - those records are your straightforward evidence that equivalent, English-language instruction is underway.
Not on homeschool status alone. Public schools have no obligation to open extracurriculars to private-school students, and IHSA By-law 3.011 ties eligibility to attendance: a homeschooled student must be taking and passing at least one credit-bearing course at the member school while passing 25 combined credit hours of weekly work. Families who want sports typically pair homeschooling with part-time enrollment (requested by May 1 under 105 ILCS 5/10-20.24) - talk to the athletic director well before the season.
Yes. As a private school, your homeschool sets its graduation requirements and issues its own diploma and transcript. Illinois colleges and universities have established procedures for homeschool applicants - the University of Illinois publishes its own homeschool admissions FAQ - so a clean transcript with course descriptions carries the weight.
Not currently. Illinois has no education savings account, and the Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship - which funded private school tuition only - expired at the end of 2023. ISBE itself notes it knows of no financial assistance for homeschooling expenses. The trade-off is genuine independence: no funding means no strings. Check current legislation, as proposals surface most sessions.
No. HB 2827 would have required a Homeschool Declaration Form and educational portfolios, but it stalled - it passed committee, never received a House floor vote, and died when the session adjourned. Illinois homeschool law today is exactly what it has been since Levisen: no registration, no reporting. Its sponsor has signaled a rewrite, so staying connected to a watchdog group like ICHE or HSLDA is wise.
Resources · Illinois

Where Illinois families plug in

№ 05
Official - State

Illinois State Board of Education

ISBE's homeschooling page and FAQ - the state's own confirmation that registration is voluntary, plus guidance on withdrawal, part-time attendance, and driver's ed.

Visit ISBE
Community - Statewide

Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE)

Illinois' long-standing statewide homeschool organization - legislative monitoring, regional support, and an annual conference for home-educating families.

Visit ICHE
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Illinois law, withdrawal letter templates, and the team that tracked HB 2827 to its end - with member legal help if questions arise.

Read the Law
The Illinois Getting Started Kit

Run your one-family private school like you mean it.

The Illinois Getting Started Kit gives your home-based private school the paperwork it deserves - a clean withdrawal, six-branch planning, and records that prove equivalence - without filing a single form with the state.

  • Illinois Withdrawal Letter template - since Illinois requires no Notice of Intent, this dated letter placing your child in a private school per 105 ILCS 5/26-1 is the one document to deliver; it also heads off truancy referrals.
  • Illinois Compliance Checklist - the six branches of education, English-language instruction, and the equivalence standard from People v. Levisen, each as a checkable item with its citation.
  • Recordkeeping Log - a weekly instruction log organized by branch, built for a state with no day or hour minimums but a real 'equivalent education' standard.
  • Weekly Planning Template - lesson planning across all six branches, with room for co-ops, fine arts days, and PE.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - decision to first school day, including the May 1 part-time enrollment and April 1 driver's ed deadlines worth circling.
Instant Digital Download
$29
One-time purchase · Yours forever
Get the Illinois Kit
Secure checkout · Instant delivery by email
Arrowstead Academy

Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the Illinois State Board of Education and your Regional Office of Education, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Illinois law as of 2026.

© Copyright 2026 Arrowstead Academy. All rights reserved.