Oregon Homeschool Laws and Requirements
Aug 14, 2026Homeschooling is legal in Oregon, and the filing goes to your education service district rather than your school district or the state. You send one notice of intent, not an annual renewal. What recurs is testing: your child is tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 by a qualified tester you choose, and results stay with your family unless the ESD asks for them.
Last Reviewed: August 15, 2026. Reviewed by the Modern Homeschools Editorial Team. Next scheduled review: August 15, 2027.
Oregon Homeschool Requirements at a Glance
| Topic | What applies in Oregon |
|---|---|
| Compulsory attendance ages | The homeschooling rules and laws first apply to children who reach age 6 by September 1 of the current school year, and through age 18 |
| Notification or registration | Notify your local education service district of intent to homeschool, electronically or by mail, within 10 days of withdrawing the child from school or from the start of the school year |
| Legal pathway or homeschool definition | Teaching by a parent, legal guardian, or private teacher under the compulsory attendance exemption in ORS 339.030 and 339.035 |
| Parent or instructor qualifications | None identified in the department's guidance for families |
| Required subjects | None prescribed. Homeschool families may choose their own curriculum |
| Instructional time | No number of days or hours is identified in the department's guidance for families |
| Testing or evaluation | Testing at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, administered by a qualified neutral tester using an approved test. Families new to homeschooling have an 18-month grace period before children must be assessed |
| Required records | Test results, retained by the family and submitted to the local ESD when requested rather than routinely |
| Responsible government agency | Your education service district receives the notice and any requested scores. The Oregon Department of Education serves as a liaison for homeschooling students rather than as a responsible entity |
One Notice, Then Testing on a Grade Schedule
The notice of intent is a single filing rather than a yearly renewal. It goes to the education service district covering where you live, within 10 days of withdrawing your child from school, or within 10 days of the start of the school year if that is when you begin.
After that, you contact the ESD only when something changes. Moving outside your ESD's boundary calls for a notice, and so does your child returning to school. No annual form falls in between.
Testing is what recurs. Your child is tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, and testing is due by August 15 for those grades. Families new to homeschooling have an 18-month grace period before children must be assessed.
How to Start Homeschooling in Oregon
- Find your ESD. The education service district, not your school district, receives the notice.
- Send the notice within 10 days. Ten days from withdrawing your child, or from the start of the school year, electronically or by mail.
- Choose your curriculum. Oregon prescribes no subjects, no hours, and no set number of days.
- Mark the testing grades. End of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, due by August 15, once your grace period has passed.
- Line up a qualified tester early. The tester must be neutral and meet the department's criteria.
Testing, Attendance, and Record Keeping
Oregon names the tests it accepts, among them the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, the Stanford Achievement Test Battery, and the Terra Nova. The person administering it must be neutral and qualified, which the department defines through criteria such as holding a teaching or psychology license, being eligible to purchase the approved tests, or having relevant graduate coursework or prior testing experience.
The score matters at one threshold. So long as your child tests above the 15th percentile, your local ESD will not intervene. If your child tests below it, the ESD will ask that you have your child tested the following year. That is a request for another test rather than an immediate loss of your homeschool status.
Results flow to you first. Testers submit scores to the family, and families submit scores to their local ESD as requested, so retain them. A student with a disability whose IEP or personal development plan indicates that methods other than testing should show satisfactory progress is handled differently, and your ESD is the office to ask.
Nothing else is collected. Oregon sets no attendance register, no portfolio review, and no annual report, so a file of subjects, materials, and completed work is prudent rather than required.
Official Oregon Homeschool Resources
- Oregon Department of Education, Information for Families
- Oregon Department of Education, Information About Testing
- Oregon Department of Education, Homeschooling FAQs
- Oregon Department of Education, Relevant Statutes and Rules
Beginning Your Homeschool Journey?
Your First 30 Days of Homeschooling provides a practical path for establishing your priorities, planning your next steps, and creating a rhythm that works for your family.
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.