A Louisiana Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Louisiana.

Louisiana gives homeschooling families a genuine choice between two legal frameworks - one state-approved, one fiercely independent. Apply within 15 days of starting. Teach 180 days a year. Renew by October 1 with one of three kinds of evidence. This guide lays out both routes honestly so you can pick the one that fits.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from making the call to a Louisiana-legal school year.

№ 01
01

Choose between Louisiana's two routes.

The BESE-approved home study program (La. R.S. 17:236.1) is the state-recognized path - it carries TOPS eligibility, statutory sports access, and a diploma LDOE says carries the same weight as a state-issued one. The registered nonpublic school route (La. R.S. 17:236) trades those benefits for near-total independence: no annual approval, no renewal evidence.

What rides on the choice
Route consequences:
  • TOPS college awards: home study route only
  • LHSAA sports access: home study route only
  • Annual renewal evidence: home study route only
  • Registered nonpublic: register, report attendance, teach 180 days
02

File your application or registration.

Home study route: submit the LDOE online application within 15 days after your program begins, including a certified copy of each child's birth certificate and your assurance of a curriculum at least equal to public schools. Nonpublic route: notify the previous public school within 10 days and register your school with LDOE, reporting attendance within the first 30 days of the term.

Home study application includes
  • Certified birth certificate for each child
  • Assurance of a sustained, grade-level curriculum
  • Student & family information via the LDOE portal
  • Approval comes from BESE - not your district
03

Build a grade-level curriculum.

Louisiana sets a standard, not a subject list: home study instruction must be of quality at least equal to public schools at the same grade level, and the statute specifically requires study of the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. Most families anchor the year in English, reading, math, science, and social studies, then build outward.

Useful starting points
  • Louisiana Student Standards (as benchmarks)
  • CHEF of Louisiana support groups & co-ops
  • Library programs & museum partnerships
  • The founding documents the statute names
04

Run a 180-day year and save everything.

Both routes call for 180 school days per year, with no hourly minimum. On the home study route, the work you save - subject outlines, book lists, work samples, test copies - becomes your renewal evidence in the fall, so keep a simple running file from week one rather than reconstructing the year in September.

Keep on file
  • Outline of each subject taught
  • Lists of books & materials used
  • Dated samples of your child's work
  • Any test results & progress statements
05

Renew by October 1 with one proof of progress.

Home study approval lasts one school year. Renew by October 1 (or within 12 months of your initial approval, whichever is later) with one of three forms of evidence: your packet of materials, standardized test scores at or above grade level, or a statement from a teacher certified at your child's grade level. If anything is inadequate, LDOE must tell you what is missing and let you supplement.

Three ways to show quality
  • Packet of materials from the year
  • Test scores at / above grade level (e.g., CAT)
  • Certified teacher's statement
  • Registered nonpublic route: no renewal evidence at all
The Law · Louisiana

Two legal routes - pick yours with eyes open

№ 02

Louisiana homeschooling runs on two statutes. La. R.S. 17:236.1 creates the BESE-approved home study program - applied for through LDOE within 15 days of starting and renewed each year by October 1 with evidence of a curriculum at least equal to public schools. La. R.S. 17:236 lets a family instead operate as a registered nonpublic school not seeking state approval: register, report attendance, teach 180 days, and the state asks little else.

Option 01

BESE-Approved Home Study Program

Best for families who want the state-recognized credential - TOPS eligibility, LHSAA sports access, and a diploma LDOE equates with a state-issued one.

  • Apply via LDOE within 15 days of starting; BESE approves
  • Renew annually by Oct 1 with one of three forms of evidence
  • Curriculum at least equal to public schools, incl. the Declaration of Independence & Federalist Papers
  • 180 school days per year; sports & TOPS doors stay open
  • Governed by La. R.S. 17:236.1
Option 02

Registered Nonpublic School

Best for families who prize independence over state recognition and will plan their own road to college admissions.

  • Register with LDOE; no application for approval, ever
  • Report attendance within the first 30 days of each term
  • 180 school days per year; no prescribed subjects or testing
  • No renewal evidence - but no TOPS eligibility for graduates
  • Operates under La. R.S. 17:236
Requirements · Curriculum

What Louisiana expects your curriculum to cover.

№ 03

The home study statute does not hand you a subject list - it sets a bar: a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to public schools at the same grade level, including study of the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. In practice, that means anchoring the year in the public school core below and documenting it as you go.

01

English / Language Arts

Composition, grammar, and command of written and spoken language.

02

Reading

Phonics, fluency, comprehension, and literature across grade levels.

03

Mathematics

Numeracy through algebra and geometry, matched to grade level.

04

Science

Inquiry and observation across life, physical, and earth sciences.

05

Social Studies

History, geography, civics, and Louisiana's place in all three.

06

Founding Documents + Federalist Papers

The Declaration of Independence and Federalist Papers, named in the statute itself.

15
Days to apply

File your initial home study application with LDOE within 15 days after your program begins (La. R.S. 17:236.1).

180
School days per year

Both routes - approved home study and registered nonpublic school - run on a 180-day school year, with no hourly minimum.

Oct 1
Renewal deadline

Home study approval is annual: renew by October 1, or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later.

3
Forms of renewal evidence

A packet of the year's materials, test scores at or above grade level, or a certified teacher's statement - any one will do.

Questions · Answered Honestly

The questions Louisiana parents actually ask

№ 04
No. Neither route requires a license, degree, or any teaching qualification of the parent. The home study route asks you to demonstrate the program's quality each year at renewal - through materials, test scores, or a certified teacher's statement - but the teaching itself is yours, credential-free.
Yes. Louisiana lets you begin at any point in the year. Withdraw your child in writing, then file your home study application with LDOE within 15 days of starting - or, on the nonpublic route, notify the previous public school within 10 days and register with LDOE. Keep dated copies of everything.
Not much, at first - the law builds in a second chance. If your materials are inadequate, LDOE must notify you of the specific deficiencies and request additional materials before BESE rules. Initial applications accompanied by the required documents are approved as a matter of course; renewals turn on whether the year's evidence shows a curriculum at least equal to public schools. Families who keep records as they go rarely have trouble.
On the home study route, keep the four things the renewal packet is built from: an outline of each subject taught, lists of books and materials, dated samples of your child's work, and any test results or progress statements. On the registered nonpublic route, keep attendance records and report attendance to LDOE within the first 30 days of each term.
Yes - if you are on the BESE-approved home study route. La. R.S. 17:236.3 makes approved home study students eligible for interscholastic athletics at LHSAA member high schools: the parent submits a written request, the principal approves participation, and the school verifies eligibility on the same schedule as enrolled athletes. This statutory door does not open for the registered nonpublic route.
Yes. LDOE states that a diploma earned in a BESE-approved home study program carries the same weight as a state-issued diploma, and approved home study graduates can qualify for TOPS college awards through their ACT scores. Graduates of the registered nonpublic route still go to college every year - but without TOPS eligibility, so plan financial aid accordingly.
Not currently - not while you homeschool under either statute. LA GATOR launched for 2025-26, but students enrolled in a home study program or a registered nonpublic school are excluded from participating at the same time. Using GATOR funds means exiting the home study framework and accepting annual ELA and math assessments. Rules are new and evolving, so verify the current program guidance before making the trade.
Resources · Louisiana

Where Louisiana families find their people

№ 05
Official - State

Louisiana Department of Education

LDOE's home study page - the online application, renewal guidance, and answers straight from the agency that processes your approval.

Visit LDOE
Community - Statewide

CHEF of Louisiana

Christian Home Educators Fellowship of Louisiana - the state's long-running homeschool organization, with support groups, a state conference, and legislative monitoring.

Visit CHEF
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language guidance on both Louisiana routes, plus member legal help with applications, renewals, and any pushback.

Read the Law
The Louisiana Getting Started Kit

Both routes, mapped and ready.

The Louisiana Getting Started Kit turns La. R.S. 17:236 and 17:236.1 into working paperwork - five polished, print-ready documents that keep the 15-day clock, the October 1 renewal, and your evidence file all moving without drama.

  • Route Decision Worksheet + Application Companion - the home study vs. registered nonpublic choice laid out plainly (TOPS, sports, renewal duties), with a checklist for the 15-day LDOE filing.
  • Louisiana Compliance Checklist - every deadline as a checkable item: the 15-day initial application, October 1 renewal, 180-day year, and the nonpublic route's 30-day attendance report.
  • Renewal Evidence Binder templates - subject outline pages, book and materials logs, and work-sample cover sheets that become your La. R.S. 17:236.1 renewal packet automatically.
  • Weekly Planning Template - built around a grade-level core, with a slot for the Declaration of Independence and Federalist Papers study the statute names.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day plan from decision through application to your first full week of teaching.
Instant Digital Download
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One-time purchase · Yours forever
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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 Louisiana Department of Education and BESE, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Louisiana law as of 2026.

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