Nebraska Homeschool Laws and Requirements

Homeschooling in Nebraska runs through the exempt school process. A parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker elects not to meet state approval or accreditation requirements, and files that election with the Commissioner of Education each year by July 15. Nebraska then asks for instructional hours by grade level, five basic skill areas, and records you keep at home. The department does not collect grades or require progress reports, and no state testing applies.

Last Reviewed: August 15, 2026. Reviewed by the Modern Homeschools Editorial Team. Next scheduled review: August 15, 2027.

Nebraska Homeschool Requirements at a Glance

Filed With the State Versus Kept at Home

Filed each year. The exemption election is the filing, and it repeats annually rather than carrying over. It includes a Statement of Election and Assurances signed by the parent, legal guardian, or educational decisionmaker, and an Authorized Parent Representative form naming the person who acts as the school's agent and files the paperwork. A certified birth certificate is required at initial enrollment.

You may file online through the department's exempt school system or on paper by mail, but the department asks that you not submit both ways. If you begin midyear, a filing is still accepted and the required hours may be prorated.

Kept at home. Everything academic. The department does not collect grades or require progress reports, and the parent representative is responsible for their own recordkeeping. Attendance, hours, subjects covered, and student work stay in your file.

How to Start Homeschooling in Nebraska

1. Designate your parent representative. This person is the school's agent or principal and is who files with the Commissioner of Education.
2. File by July 15. The deadline applies to each year the school will be in operation, so put it on a recurring calendar.
3. Gather the paperwork. The Statement of Election and Assurances, the Authorized Parent Representative form, and a certified birth certificate for initial enrollment.
4. Plan your hours. 1,032 hours in grades K through 8, or 1,080 hours in grades 9 through 12.
5. Withdraw from public school, if enrolled. Tell the school so its enrollment records match your filing.

Testing, Attendance, and Record Keeping

Nebraska requires no standardized testing of exempt school students, no portfolio, and no annual academic report. Once your election is filed and acknowledged, nothing about your child's progress goes back to the department.

Hours are the number to track. Because the requirement is an annual total rather than a fixed daily schedule, an attendance and hours log is the practical way to show you met it, and it is the record most families build their year around.

Immunization is the one health requirement that reaches exempt schools directly. The state's own form notes that exempt schools comply with the immunization requirements in section 79-217, with the exceptions provided in sections 79-221 and 79-222, which include a religious exemption. Your local health department or physician is the right source for the details, and the department's current forms will tell you what documentation to have on hand.

Beyond that, records are yours. Subjects covered, materials used, and completed work support a transcript and answer questions if your student later enrolls in a district that applies its own placement policies. If you stop homeschooling, a withdrawal notification is filed; if you move, file from your new address for the next school year.

Official Nebraska Homeschool Resources

• Nebraska Department of Education, Exempt School Program
• Exempt School Frequently Asked Questions
• Statement of Election and Assurances form
• Instructions and forms packet

Modern Homeschools provides educational information to help families understand and navigate homeschooling requirements. Because requirements may change, families should confirm current details with the official state sources linked within this guide.