Maryland Homeschool Notification Forms: Form 77R, FR19, and What You Actually Need to File

Parents researching Maryland homeschool paperwork quickly run into a confusing alphabet soup of form numbers. Form 77R shows up in searches. FR19 appears in county-level references. MCAC surfaces in conversations about Maryland educational regulations. If you are trying to figure out which piece of paper to file — and when — to legally begin homeschooling in Maryland, this post cuts through that confusion.

The short answer: Maryland homeschooling is governed by a single core state notification process, but county-level forms vary in numbering. Understanding the relationship between state law, COMAR regulations, and your specific county's paperwork is the key to staying legally compliant from day one.

What Maryland Law Actually Requires

Maryland's compulsory education law, Education Article §7-301, exempts children from the compulsory attendance requirement 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." To claim that exemption, parents must file a formal notification with their local school superintendent.

The mechanism is spelled out in COMAR 13A.10.01, which requires:

• A signed written notification submitted to the local superintendent at least 15 days before beginning home instruction
• Parent contact information and each child's name and age
• A declaration of which supervision option the family has chosen (Option 1: county oversight, or Option 2: a registered nonpublic/umbrella organization)
• If choosing Option 2, the name of the specific registered umbrella organization
• The family's preference about participation in the local public school's standardized-testing program

This notification is commonly called the "Notice of Intent" or the "Home Instruction Notification Form." Check the current county form and ask the home-instruction office which fields it requires; county labels and additional administrative fields can vary.

What Is Maryland Form 77R?

Form 77R is a label that appears in some Maryland homeschool searches, but it is not the statewide name established by the cited Maryland requirements. The statewide requirement is the Home Instruction Notification Form; check the current county form before filing. The core information includes the parent's contact information, each child's name and age, the selected supervision option, the umbrella organization's name for Option 2, and the standardized-testing preference.

Montgomery County uses Form 270-34 for initial notification and Form 270-36 for annual continuation. Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) allows parents to submit the notification digitally through its "FOCUS" parent portal. Howard County directs parents to mail a written notification to a specific address. The underlying legal requirement is statewide, while the administrative form and submission process can differ by county.

If you have encountered "Form 77R" in your research and cannot find it on your county's website, do not assume it is the current form. Contact your county's Home Instruction Coordinator and confirm the exact form name in use.

What Is FR19 in Maryland?

FR19 is not identified in the statewide home-instruction requirements cited here. If a school official references FR19 when you are trying to withdraw your child to homeschool, ask whether it is a local records code and what, if anything, you must complete.

Your obligation as a parent is to submit the Home Instruction Notification Form to the superintendent's office and, separately, notify your child's current school in writing that you are withdrawing them from enrollment.

MCAC Maryland: What It Is and Why It Shows Up in Homeschool Searches

MCAC is not identified in the statewide home-instruction requirements cited here. If it appears in a county communication, ask the home-instruction office what it refers to and whether any action is required.

Under COMAR 13A.10.01, local school systems may not impose home-instruction requirements beyond those stated in the regulations. No county official can require alignment with the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards, Common Core, or another public-school standards framework. You are free to teach any curriculum you choose, provided you cover the eight required subject areas: English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education.

The Core Filing Process, Step by Step

Regardless of what your county calls the form, the process for legally beginning home instruction in Maryland follows this sequence:

Step 1: Decide your supervision option. Option 1 means your portfolio will be reviewed by a county representative no more than three times per year; most counties schedule one or two reviews, so confirm the local schedule. Option 2 means you join a registered nonpublic or church-exempt umbrella organization that assumes oversight responsibility. Your umbrella will conduct its own reviews and verify your enrollment annually.

Step 2: Obtain the correct form for your county. Go directly to your county public school system's website and search for "Home Instruction" or "Home Schooling." Download or request the notification form. If the county uses an online submission portal (as BCPS does), use that system.

Step 3: Complete and submit the form at least 15 days before you begin instruction. Keep a copy for your own records. If mailing, Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested is recommended as a record of mailing and delivery. It may help document the timeline if a truancy question arises, but it does not guarantee legal compliance or a particular outcome.

Step 4: Notify your child's current school of the withdrawal. This is a separate step from the superintendent notification. Submit a written withdrawal notice to the principal or school registrar and request that the school update its attendance records. Return any school property (laptops, textbooks) at this time.

Step 5: Begin instruction. Maryland law does not require a school administrator to "approve" your program before you start. Homeschooling is a notification process, not a permission process.

The 15-Day Notice: A Contested Requirement

The 15-day requirement generates significant confusion and anxiety, particularly for families in crisis situations — a child experiencing severe bullying, acute anxiety, or a sudden IEP breakdown — who need to exit the school system immediately rather than in two weeks.

Legal advocates including HSLDA have argued that the 15-day waiting period is an administrative regulation that conflicts with the underlying statutory right to homeschool granted by §7-301, and therefore cannot be enforced as a mandatory delay. In practice, some families submit the withdrawal letter to the principal and the Notice of Intent to the superintendent on the same day and immediately begin instruction, but that is an advocacy position with contested legal effect. Preserve filing, mailing, and instruction records and obtain county-specific or legal guidance.

If you receive truancy notices during the 15-day window, your certified-mail receipt for the Notice of Intent and your documented instruction log may support your response. They do not guarantee that an inquiry or particular outcome will be avoided.

Common Paperwork Mistakes That Create Problems

Filing with the school office rather than the superintendent's office. COMAR directs the notification to the local superintendent, not to the individual school principal. While many families hand a copy to both, the superintendent's office is the legally correct recipient of the official notification.

Failing to specify an Option 2 umbrella organization by name. If you select Option 2 but leave the umbrella's name blank, your notification is incomplete. The county will contact you for the missing information, potentially delaying your compliance status.

Assuming the notification auto-renews. Home instruction must be verified annually with the local superintendent or supervising nonpublic school or institution before the school year begins; the exact form and process vary by county. Under Option 2, maintain active enrollment with the umbrella. Lapsing from umbrella membership without switching to Option 1 can create a compliance gap.

No written withdrawal from the previous school. Filing the superintendent notice without formally withdrawing your child from enrollment at the school can leave the school's attendance system showing unexplained absences and prompt follow-up or truancy questions.

Getting the Full Picture

The notification forms — whether called Form 77R, Form 270-34, or anything else — are the first step in a multi-layer process. Understanding exactly what to write on those forms, how to submit them to create a clear mailing record, and how to navigate the 15-day window while responding to possible truancy questions is the difference between a clean legal exit and weeks of stressful district back-and-forth.

The Maryland Legal Withdrawal Blueprint consolidates all of this into one place: the exact notification language that satisfies COMAR, certified mail instructions, county-by-county form references, and done-for-you withdrawal letter templates you can adapt and send today.

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