Homeschooling how to in New Jersey
Are you considering homeschooling your child? You can do it! As you get started, it’s important to make sure you comply with the education laws where you live. This page helps you understand how to homeschool legally—step by step.
Compulsory school attendance age
When your child reaches his or her 6th birthday, you must start complying with New Jersey compulsory attendance law.
Once your child reaches his or her 16th birthday, you are no longer required to obey the school laws.
HSLDA believes that a parent-issued diploma and transcript should be sufficient to demonstrate that a child has completed a secondary education. However, even if your child is beyond compulsory school attendance age, there may be situations where you would want to continue to follow the requirements of a home education option recognized in your state's law until your child graduates from high school (filing a home education notice, keeping attendance and other records, etc.). These records may be requested in some situations, such as obtaining a driver's license if your child is a minor, enlisting in the military, or applying to colleges. If you are a member of HSLDA and would like additional details, please contact us.
Complying with your state’s homeschool law
Under New Jersey law, you must give your child an education that is academically “equivalent” to what he or she would receive at school.
“Equivalent” does not mean “identical.” In practice, if parents have been making a good-faith effort to give their child an education that is appropriate for the child’s age and covers the major subjects, the courts have not ordered them to stop homeschooling.
For comparison purposes, New Jersey’s public high schools usually offer instruction in the following areas:
- language arts (4 years),
- math (3 years),
- science (3 years),
- world history (1 year),
- civics and/or U.S. and New Jersey history (2 years),
- health/safety/physical education (2.5 hours per week for 4 years),
- financial/economic or business/entrepreneurial (1 semester),
- visual or performing arts (1 year),
- foreign language (1 year, or show proficiency),
- career/technical/vocational (1 year), and
- “technological literacy,” civics, economics, geography, and “global content” (not as separate subjects, but “integrated” throughout).
Also for comparison purposes, the GED tests reading, writing, social studies, science, and math.
Note: School districts occasionally demand that families send written notice that they are homeschooling, or get approval from the district—but these are not required under the law.
Records
If your state has any specific recordkeeping requirements, they are listed above. Regardless of your state’s recordkeeping requirements, HSLDA recommends that you keep detailed records of your homeschool program. These records may be helpful if you face an investigation regarding your homeschooling or your student needs to furnish proof of education.
These records should include attendance records, information on the textbooks and workbooks your student used, samples of your student’s schoolwork, correspondence with school officials, portfolios and test results, and any other documents showing that your child is receiving an appropriate education in compliance with the law. You should maintain these records for at least two years. You should keep your student’s high school records and proof of compliance with the home education laws during the high school years (including any type of home education notice that you file with state or local officials) on file forever. HSLDA’s high school webpage has additional information about homeschool recordkeeping.
Home School Legal Defense Association is a national advocacy organization that supports the right of parents to educate their children at home. We are dedicated to protecting the legality of your homeschool while equipping you to successfully teach your children.
HSLDA members have 24/7 phone and email access to our staff of attorneys and legal assistants, who can help you understand the homeschool law in your state and will go to bat for you if a school official or other authority challenges your homeschool. Our 80,000 members—families like you!— also receive personalized advice on everything from homeschooling a high schooler to teaching a child with special needs from our team of education consultants.
Home School Legal Defense Association is a national advocacy organization that supports the right of parents to educate their children at home. We are dedicated to protecting the legality of your homeschool while equipping you to successfully teach your children.
HSLDA members have 24/7 phone and email access to our staff of attorneys and legal assistants, who can help you understand the homeschool law in your state and will go to bat for you if a school official or other authority challenges your homeschool. Our 80,000 members—families like you!— also receive personalized advice on everything from homeschooling a high schooler to teaching a child with special needs from our team of education consultants.
Home School Legal Defense Association is a national advocacy organization that supports the right of parents to educate their children at home. We are dedicated to protecting the legality of your homeschool while equipping you to successfully teach your children.
HSLDA members have 24/7 phone and email access to our staff of attorneys and legal assistants, who can help you understand the homeschool law in your state and will go to bat for you if a school official or other authority challenges your homeschool. Our 80,000 members—families like you!— also receive personalized advice on everything from homeschooling a high schooler to teaching a child with special needs from our team of education consultants.