Learn about homeschooling laws, requirements, and resources specific to Utah.
Utah offers a straightforward approach to homeschooling with minimal regulations and simple notification requirements. This comprehensive guide explains the legal options for homeschooling in Utah, required notifications, curriculum requirements, parent qualifications, testing and assessment rules, recordkeeping obligations, oversight and enforcement procedures, legal protections, common compliance pitfalls, and available support organizations. The information is based on Utah Code §53G-6-204 and guidance from the Utah State Board of Education.
Utah is known as a homeschool-friendly state with minimal regulation on home education. School attendance is compulsory for children roughly ages 6–18, but state law explicitly allows homeschooling as an alternative means to satisfy this requirement. Below is a comprehensive overview of Utah's homeschooling laws and guidelines, including legal options, notification procedures, curriculum standards, parent qualifications, testing, recordkeeping, oversight, legal protections, and support resources.
This information is provided for educational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. While we strive to keep this content accurate and up-to-date, homeschool laws and policies can change. Always verify current requirements with official sources like the Utah State Board of Education.
Utah law provides one primary avenue to homeschool: parents educate their children at home under a homeschool exemption to the compulsory education law. This is codified in Utah Code § 53G-6-204, which authorizes local school boards to excuse a school-age child from public or private school attendance based on a parent's filed intent to homeschool.
In practice, this means parents must formally notify the school district of their intent (see next section), after which the child is legally exempt from attending school and the parent assumes full responsibility for the child's education. Unlike some states, Utah does not have multiple homeschooling statutes or umbrella school options – homeschooling is simply recognized via the one statutory process of filing a notice of intent.
Legal basis: Utah Code § 53G-6-204 provides the exemption from compulsory education for homeschooling.
Utah law explicitly permits dual enrollment, allowing homeschool students to enroll part-time in public schools for specific classes or extracurricular activities if desired.
Under Utah Code § 53G-6-702, parents can request dual enrollment in their local district, and homeschooled students may participate in courses or programs (including sports or other activities) on a part-time basis without giving up their homeschool status. This provides flexibility for families who want to combine homeschooling with public school offerings.
Homeschooled students in Utah can also take classes through the Statewide Online Education Program for middle/high school credit if needed, as another option for supplemental coursework.
Legal basis: Utah Code § 53G-6-702 provides for dual enrollment options.
It's important to distinguish independent homeschooling from publicly funded at-home schooling programs:
Families should choose the option that best fits their needs, but understand the legal distinction – independent homeschooling (parent-led, privately funded) carries broad freedom and legal protections, whereas publicly funded home-based schooling comes with public school regulations.
To legally homeschool in Utah, parents must notify their local school district of their intent. The process is straightforward:
Submit a written notice of intent (formerly called an affidavit) to the local school district's board of education for each child you plan to homeschool. This notice should state that you intend to homeschool and assume sole responsibility for your child's education.
Only one filing is required per child at the outset of homeschooling – you do not need to re-file annually under current law. (In 2025, Utah law was amended to replace the yearly affidavit with a one-time notice of intent.) If you move to a new school district, you should file a new notice in the new district since the exemption is granted by the district of residence.
If your child is currently enrolled in a public or private school, inform the school that the child will be withdrawn to homeschool. This prevents confusion or truancy issues.
Many families do this via a withdrawal letter or form. (For example, HSLDA provides a sample withdrawal letter to send to the principal when pulling a child out mid-year.) Ensure you complete any required withdrawal paperwork so the school knows the student will be educated at home.
After you submit your notice, the local school board is required by law to issue you an attendance exemption certificate acknowledging your child is officially excused from compulsory attendance for homeschooling.
The district must provide this certificate within 30 days of receiving your notice. The certificate is essentially your proof that you are in compliance with Utah's homeschool law. Keep this document in your records.
Beyond the initial notification, Utah does not require any annual filings, renewal of your intent, or periodic reports to the district. Once you have your exemption, it remains valid as long as you continue to homeschool. (If you were to enroll the child back in school and later resume homeschooling, you would file a new intent notice at that time.)
The Utah State Board of Education provides a model affidavit/intent form, but a simple letter is usually sufficient. You should include:
As of May 2025, Utah no longer requires parents to disclose their criminal background or sign a statement about criminal history when filing the homeschool notice. (Previously, parents had to attest they had no felony child abuse convictions, but House Bill 209 removed this affidavit requirement and any background check procedure.) Now, the notification is purely a declaration of intent to homeschool.
Send the notice to the school district in which you reside (usually to the Superintendent or the district's homeschool liaison).
It's wise to submit it in writing (hard copy or via the district's online form if available) and keep proof of submission. Once filed and accepted, the district will not require further action from you on an ongoing basis.
Legal basis: Utah Code § 53G-6-204 governs the exemption from school attendance for home education.
Utah places no mandated curriculum or subject requirements on homeschoolers by grade level. Parents have complete discretion in choosing what subjects to teach and which curriculum or educational materials to use.
There is no state-approved curriculum that you must follow for homeschooling in Utah – in fact, the law explicitly states the parent is "solely responsible for the selection of instructional materials and textbooks" for their child.
This means you can tailor your child's education to their needs, use religious or secular curricula, enroll them in online courses or co-ops, and design a learning plan that works best for your family.
Legal basis: Utah Code § 53G-6-204 protects parents' right to select their own instructional materials.
Because the state does not impose subject or textbook requirements, there is also no official list of required subjects by grade. You are not, for example, required to teach Utah Core Standards or cover specific topics in certain grades.
Of course, many parents choose to cover the basic subjects (reading, writing, math, science, history, etc.) and often exceed the content of public school courses, but this is entirely up to the family.
There are no required hours or days of instruction for Utah homeschoolers. Unlike public schools which must meet 180 days/990 hours (typical school year length), homeschool families can set their own school calendar and daily schedule.
You do not have to keep track of instructional hours or a school calendar to submit to the state.
Utah law entrusts the homeschool parent with full control over the curriculum. The local school district cannot dictate or approve your lesson plans and has "no authority or responsibility" over the curriculum or educational methods you use.
This flexibility is a major benefit, allowing for personalized education.
Even though Utah doesn't mandate curriculum content, you may want to keep some considerations in mind:
There are no prerequisite qualifications or approvals needed to be a homeschool parent in Utah. The law assumes that parents have the right and ability to direct their child's education.
Utah does not impose any specific educational qualification on the parent/teacher in a homeschool. You are not required to be a certified teacher, or to have a college or even high school diploma, in order to homeschool your children.
Any parent or legal guardian who has custody of the child may homeschool. The absence of a teacher-qualification requirement means homeschooling is open to virtually all families willing to take on the responsibility.
Legal basis: Utah Code § 53G-6-204 does not include any requirements for parent education or credentials.
In the past, Utah required parents signing a homeschool affidavit to declare they had not been convicted of child abuse (and allowed districts to prohibit homeschooling by certain offenders).
However, as of 2025, parents are no longer required to undergo a background check or make any criminal history attestation when filing to homeschool. House Bill 209 removed that requirement, shifting the focus to a simple notice of intent.
This legislative change was based on the view that abuse and neglect are matters for the criminal justice and child welfare system, not the education system.
Even though the affidavit's background question was eliminated, Utah law continues to expect that homeschooling parents provide a safe, non-abusive environment. If there were a situation of severe abuse or neglect, state authorities could intervene through normal legal channels. But there is no longer a preemptive vetting of parents' criminal records as part of the homeschool approval process.
Once you file the intent notice, you are trusted to carry out your child's schooling without having to prove your teaching ability or morality to the state. This low barrier to entry is a hallmark of Utah's homeschool law.
Utah homeschoolers are not required to participate in any state-mandated testing or evaluations. The exemption you receive from the school district explicitly waives all statewide testing requirements for your child.
Homeschool students do not have to take the Utah RISE or Aspire Plus tests (the standardized assessments given in public schools), nor do they have to undergo annual academic evaluations by certified teachers.
Once you are homeschooling under Utah's law, the state does not monitor your child's academic progress through testing.
This lack of required testing gives families the freedom to choose how to gauge their children's learning. Many parents use informal assessments or portfolio reviews, and some opt to have their children take standardized tests privately (e.g. MAP Growth, Iowa basic tests, PSAT/SAT/ACT for older students).
Utah law allows parents to determine if and how their child will be assessed – the school district has no authority to mandate or administer exams to homeschoolers.
If a homeschooling student later returns to public school, the school may administer placement tests or evaluate transcripts/portfolios to determine appropriate grade level or credits.
This is a one-time evaluation for placement, not a state accountability test.
Homeschoolers who want to participate in public school classes or sports may need to meet certain eligibility criteria (for example, a sports league may require periodic grade checks).
In those cases, parents usually provide a written statement or grade report for the child since no official report cards exist from a school.
These situations aside, homeschoolers face no routine testing obligations. Utah gives families full latitude to assess learning in the ways they see fit, trusting parents to ensure their children are progressing.
Utah imposes no bureaucratic recordkeeping on homeschoolers. You are not required to maintain or submit any records to the state or school district.
Utah does not require homeschool parents to keep attendance records or log school hours. There is no minimum number of days per year or hours per day that you must document for a homeschooled student.
A local school board "may not require" a homeschooling parent to maintain records of instruction or attendance. This means you won't be turning in attendance sheets or monthly logs of schooling to anyone.
Homeschool schedules can be flexible – you can school year-round or follow a traditional school calendar, and take breaks as you see fit, without reporting those details.
Similarly, Utah's homeschool statute imposes no formal recordkeeping requirements on what you teach or your child's performance. You are not asked to submit curricula, report grades, or keep a portfolio for state review.
All recordkeeping is left to the parent's discretion. You have the freedom not to report daily attendance or grades to anyone, but you carry the responsibility to ensure your child is actually learning.
While not required by law, it is strongly recommended by experienced organizations that you maintain some basic educational records for each homeschooled child. Good recordkeeping can be invaluable for college applications, employment, or if you ever need to demonstrate the education your child received.
According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), important records to keep include:
While Utah won't ask for these records, having them helps protect your homeschool in case questions ever arise and will make transitions easier (such as applying to college or proving prerequisites for a job).
HSLDA recommends keeping general homeschool records for at least two years, and high school records permanently. Additionally, if your child is college-bound, you will use your records to create transcripts and might need to show course descriptions or portfolios to admissions offices.
Many families find that maintaining a portfolio or planner is helpful for their own organization, even if the state doesn't require it.
Utah's approach to homeschool oversight is very hands-off. Once the initial notice is filed and the exemption certificate is issued, the state and school district have no ongoing supervisory role in your homeschool.
The local school board does not evaluate your teaching, collect test scores, or visit your home. By law, "the district has no authority or responsibility" for the curriculum, schedule, or quality of home instruction – all of that is entrusted to the parent.
Utah code even relieves the school district of any liability for the education of a child who is homeschooled, since the parent has formally taken over that responsibility.
This means that after you start homeschooling, you generally will not hear from state or district officials regarding your program, except possibly an annual reminder of opportunities (some districts send letters about dual enrollment or available resources, but they cannot require you to respond or submit anything).
The primary point of enforcement is at the start of homeschooling – you must file the required notification so that your child is legally exempt from compulsory attendance.
If a school-age child is not attending school and there is no record of a homeschool exemption for them, the child could be considered truant.
However, as long as you have submitted your notice of intent and received the exemption certificate, your child is legally excused from attendance, and truancy laws do not apply.
It is wise to keep a copy of your exemption certificate in case any question arises (for example, if an officer or school official inquires why your child isn't in school, you can show the exemption letter as proof of compliance).
Utah does not have a mechanism for routine checks on homeschool families. There are no home visits, portfolio reviews, or testing requirements that officials use to "enforce" educational quality.
The assumption is that parents, having taken on the responsibility, will ensure an adequate education.
Utah's general child welfare laws still apply: if there were serious concerns that a child was being educationally neglected or abused, authorities could investigate under abuse/neglect statutes (as they would for any child). But there is no special homeschool task force or evaluation—homeschoolers are largely left alone by the state, unless a red flag triggers a standard welfare investigation.
It's noteworthy that until 2025, Utah required a parent to affirm no felony child abuse conviction when filing the homeschool affidavit. This was seen as a safeguard, preventing known abusers from isolating children via homeschooling.
With the passage of H.B. 209 in 2025, that requirement was removed, and school districts can no longer require or conduct background checks on homeschooling parents.
Consequently, current enforcement relies on trust: Utah trusts parents to educate their children and only intervenes if standard legal processes (e.g. a criminal case or a neglect report) warrant it.
If your child returns to public school after a period of homeschooling, the school may enforce its policy to assess the student's placement. For example, the child might be given a test or the parent might need to show what subjects were covered, so the school knows what grade level or credits the student should have.
This is not an "enforcement" of homeschooling per se, but rather the school's way to integrate the student back into the system appropriately.
Utah law (per H.B. 209) also explicitly removes any liability from school boards for a homeschooled student's education during the time they were out of school. In other words, once a child is exempted for homeschooling, the district isn't responsible for any learning gaps or outcomes – that is all on the parent. This reinforces that oversight is effectively nil during the homeschooling period, and the parent's autonomy is maximized.
Homeschooling can be a daunting journey, but Utah has a robust network of support at both the state and local levels. Here are key organizations and resources available to Utah homeschooling families:
The USBE maintains a Home School webpage with up-to-date information on how to homeschool legally in Utah, including FAQs and contact info for the homeschool liaison. This is a primary source for understanding state requirements.
The USBE's Parent Liaison for homeschooling can answer questions and guide families on compliance. They also provide links to the relevant laws (Utah Code § 53G-6-204) and resources like the dual enrollment policy and special education guidance.
While the USBE does not manage your homeschool, it's good to be aware of their published guidelines and utilize their FAQ document, which clarifies many common queries (e.g. one-time notification, no mandated curriculum, etc.).
UHEA is a long-standing non-profit organization (over 35 years) dedicated to protecting and expanding the rights of parents to educate their children at home. It is an inclusive volunteer-run group (not limited to any religion) that monitors legislation, lobbies for homeschool freedom, and provides resources to families.
UHEA's website offers guidance on getting started, Utah's homeschool laws, and connections to local support groups. In recent years, UHEA has also spearheaded the U-HOPE Coalition (Utah Home-Education Organizations for Parental Empowerment) – a coalition of homeschool groups across the state working together.
Joining UHEA (membership is typically low-cost) helps support advocacy efforts and keeps you informed about any changes in law or policy.
UTCH is a Christian-oriented statewide homeschool association. It had been less active for a few years but was revitalized in 2023 by a new generation of homeschool leaders.
UTCH hosts a yearly homeschool conference with workshops and curriculum vendors, providing a chance for families (Christian and non-Christian alike) to network and learn. UTCH focuses on encouraging families and often incorporates faith-based perspectives on home education.
They also engage in legislative awareness, organizing an annual "Day at the Capitol" for homeschoolers to meet lawmakers.
HSLDA is a national advocacy organization that has attorneys and resources dedicated to homeschooling in every state. For Utah, HSLDA provides concise legal summaries and step-by-step instructions on compliance (such as how to file your notice and withdraw from school).
They also track legislation in Utah that might affect homeschoolers and can intervene if a member family faces legal challenges. Membership in HSLDA is optional but can be a safety net – HSLDA lawyers will represent member families if there's ever a wrongful truancy charge or other legal dispute.
Their website (hslda.org) has a Utah section with FAQs, and they often partner with UHEA on state issues.
Utah has numerous local homeschool groups, co-ops, and networks that provide face-to-face support and activities. These are often organized by region (for example, there are active groups in Salt Lake City, Utah County, Davis County, St. George, Cache Valley, and most other areas).
HomeschoolHubUtah.com is a helpful online directory that lists many co-ops, classes, and extracurricular opportunities around the state. You can search by location to find groups near you.
Additionally, many Facebook groups exist for Utah homeschoolers – often one for each county or city – which serve as a space to ask questions, buy/sell curriculum, and hear about park days or workshops.
Starting in 2023, Utah created the Utah Fits All Scholarship, an education spending account program that can provide up to $8,000 per student annually for those pursuing education outside of traditional public schools.
Homeschooling families can apply for these funds to help pay for curriculum, textbooks, online courses, tutoring, private school classes, etc. This program is open to all K–12 students in Utah regardless of income, though funds are limited and awarded on a first-come or lottery basis if oversubscribed.
Important: While this scholarship can greatly offset the cost of homeschooling, recipients will need to comply with program rules. Using this scholarship does not turn your child into a public school student (it's not a charter), so you still file a homeschool notice, but you will have financial reporting obligations.
Utah has unique publicly-funded options that partner with homeschoolers. Harmony Educational Services and OpenEd (formerly My Tech High) are two prominent programs that allow students to remain officially enrolled in a public school while doing all coursework at home with parental guidance.
In return, families get access to a budget (around $1,500–$2,000) for curriculum, classes, or even extracurricular activities.
Keep in mind, enrolling in these programs means your child is technically a public school student during that time. That entails meeting certain requirements: you may have to submit work samples, do periodic assessments, and ensure attendance per program rules.
Utah homeschoolers have access to a wealth of additional resources:
One of the best steps you can take is to connect with other homeschooling families early on. Attend a conference (like the UHEA or UTCH events) if you can, join an online group, or go to a park day.
Utah's homeschooling community is known for being welcoming and collaborative – they share teaching co-ops, swap curriculum, and organize group activities. Many support organizations (UHEA, UTCH) have member directories or local chapters that can pair you with mentors.
By tapping into these networks, you'll find encouragement, advice on curriculum, and updates on any changes in the law or opportunities available.
Learning Corner offers several AI-powered tools that can assist Utah homeschoolers:
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Last Updated: July 22, 2025