Maryland Homeschool Notice of Intent: What to Write and How to Submit It

If you are withdrawing your child from a Maryland public school to begin home instruction, the single most important document you will file is the Notice of Intent — Maryland's official term for what families in most other states call a "letter of intent to homeschool." Getting this form right, submitting it through the correct channel, and creating a paper trail from day one is what keeps your family legally protected during the transition.

This post walks through exactly what the Maryland Notice of Intent requires, what happens after you submit it, and how to avoid the mistakes that trigger truancy flags.

What Is the Maryland Notice of Intent?

Under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR 13A.10.01), every family beginning a home instruction program must submit a written notification to the local school superintendent. This is not a request for permission. It is a notification — a legal declaration that you are exercising your right under Maryland Education Article §7-301, which exempts children from compulsory attendance when they receive "regular, thorough instruction during the school year in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age."

The formal document is called the Home Instruction Notification Form. Most Maryland counties provide their own county-specific version. Montgomery County uses Form 270-34. Baltimore County parents submit through the BCPS "Focus" portal. Howard County provides a PDF that is mailed to the district office. Whatever your county calls it, the function is identical: you are formally notifying the superintendent that your child will be receiving home instruction beginning on a specific date.

The 15-Day Rule

COMAR requires that the Notice of Intent be submitted at least 15 days before the home instruction program begins. This is commonly called the "15-day rule" or the "15-day waiting period," and it is one of the most misunderstood elements of Maryland homeschool law.

The 15 days is not a probationary period during which your child must remain in public school. It is a notification window. Legally, you are informing the district that instruction will begin on or after a specific future date. However, many district administrators — particularly in larger counties — incorrectly treat this as a mandatory in-school waiting period. If you withdraw your child and begin home instruction on Day 1, some districts will flag the absences as unexcused, generating automated truancy emails.

The most protective approach is to submit the Notice of Intent and the formal withdrawal letter to the school principal on the same day, via certified mail with return receipt requested. This creates a dated legal record of both actions simultaneously. If truancy warnings arrive during the 15-day window, the certified mail receipt serves as your affirmative defense proving you were in compliance with state law.

What Must the Notice of Intent Include?

While each county has its own form, every Notice of Intent must include the following elements per COMAR:

Child and family information: The student's full legal name, date of birth, current grade level, and home address. The name and address of the parent or legal guardian filing the notification.

Supervision pathway selection: Maryland requires you to declare which supervisory option you are choosing at the time of filing.

• Option 1 (County Supervision): Your home instruction program will be supervised by the local school superintendent. This means your child's educational portfolio will be reviewed by a county representative — typically once or twice per year.
• Option 2 (Umbrella School Supervision): Your home instruction program will be supervised by a registered nonpublic entity, commonly called an umbrella school. If you choose this option, you must identify the specific umbrella organization on the form by name.

This is not a decision to take lightly. Option 1 keeps the local school district in a direct oversight role and requires you to build a compliant portfolio for county review. Option 2 removes the school district from the oversight process entirely but requires joining a registered umbrella organization, which typically charges an annual fee ranging from roughly $100 to $350 depending on the organization.

Standardized testing preference: Maryland law permits — but does not require — homeschooled students to participate in the state's standardized testing program at their local public school. The Notice of Intent asks you to indicate whether you want your child included in this voluntary program. Most families decline.

Parent signature and date: The form must be signed by the parent or legal guardian. No notarization is required.

How to Submit the Notice of Intent

The Notice of Intent must be submitted directly to the local school superintendent's office — not to the individual school principal. Each county designates a specific mailing address or online submission portal for home instruction notifications.

For the certified mail approach, address the envelope to the Supervisor of Home Instruction at your county's central administration office. Keep both the green return receipt card and a dated copy of the complete form for your records. This paper trail is your legal protection if the district later claims the notice was never received or was filed too late.

If you are also withdrawing your child from a currently-enrolled school (rather than simply declining to enroll in the first place), you will need to send a separate written withdrawal letter to the principal of the individual school. This letter notifies the school that your child is being officially unenrolled and asks them to update the student's records accordingly. The withdrawal letter and the Notice of Intent serve different administrative functions and should be sent as separate documents, ideally on the same day.

After You Submit: What Happens Next

Once the county receives your Notice of Intent, they will acknowledge receipt and assign your family to a home instruction coordinator. If you selected Option 1, the coordinator will contact you to schedule the first portfolio review, typically at the end of the semester. If you selected Option 2, the county will wait for annual verification from your umbrella organization confirming that your child remains enrolled.

From this point forward, Maryland law prevents local school officials from imposing requirements beyond those in COMAR. They cannot require you to submit daily lesson plans, demand a specific curriculum, or request more than three portfolio reviews per year. Any demands beyond what COMAR specifies are legally unenforceable.

The 2024-2025 school year saw 42,151 Maryland students enrolled in home instruction — roughly 4.1% of the state's total K-12 population. The process is well-established, and thousands of Maryland families navigate it every year without incident when the paperwork is submitted correctly.

The Most Common Mistakes

Submitting only to the school, not the superintendent's office. The Notice of Intent goes to the county superintendent — not the principal of your child's building. Sending it only to the principal does not satisfy the COMAR requirement and will not trigger the official registration process.

Failing to identify the umbrella organization for Option 2. If you select Option 2 but leave the umbrella name blank, the form is incomplete. You must be formally enrolled with a registered umbrella before you can indicate their name on the form.

Not sending the withdrawal letter separately. The Notice of Intent registers your home instruction program. The withdrawal letter tells the individual school to unenroll your child. Both documents are necessary for a clean administrative exit.

Not keeping copies. Keep a copy of every document you submit, including the certified mail receipt. This file is your legal protection for the duration of your homeschool program, not just during the initial transition.

The Maryland Notice of Intent is a straightforward form once you understand its structure — but the strategic choices embedded in it, particularly the Option 1 vs. Option 2 decision, have significant long-term consequences for how your homeschool is supervised and how much administrative work you carry each year.

If you want a complete, ready-to-use withdrawal letter template tailored to Maryland's legal requirements, a step-by-step guide to the 15-day notice process, and a curated breakdown of Maryland umbrella schools by cost and oversight level, the Maryland Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers all of it in a single document — including the exact language to use when submitting your Notice of Intent by certified mail.

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