New Hampshire Homeschool Notification: RSA 193-A Requirements Explained

The term "letter of intent" gets thrown around a lot in homeschool circles, but in New Hampshire it's not technically accurate. What the state requires under RSA 193-A isn't a declaration of intent — it's a notification that a home education program has commenced. The distinction matters more than it sounds.

An intent letter implies you're asking permission or announcing a future plan. New Hampshire's notification is a legal notice that you've already started. You don't file it before you begin. You file it within 5 business days of when your program begins.

The Legal Basis: RSA 193-A and Ed 315

New Hampshire's home education law is codified at RSA 193-A. The administrative rules that implement it are found in Ed 315. Together, they define what parents must do, what participating agencies must do, and — critically — what local school districts cannot do.

RSA 193-A gives parents the right to educate their children at home without district approval. The notification requirement exists to inform the state that a child is being educated outside the public school system. It is not an application for permission. The agency receiving your notification cannot deny it, reject it, or condition it on additional information.

This distinction was clarified when the Legislature removed approval language from the statute in 2022. If a participating agency tries to tell you your notification is "under review" or "requires additional documentation," they are operating outside the law.

Who Receives the Notification

New Hampshire law gives you three choices for your participating agency:

Your local superintendent. This is the default option for most families. It's free, the address is easy to find on your school district's website, and it satisfies the requirement. The superintendent's office will log your notification and send written acknowledgment within 14 days.

The NH DOE Commissioner. You send the notification directly to the Commissioner of Education in Concord. This is also free and bypasses the local district entirely. If you want to homeschool without your local district having documentation, this is a clean option.

A participating private school. Some private schools in New Hampshire have registered to serve as participating agencies for homeschooling families, typically for a fee. This provides maximum privacy — the local district never receives notification. If privacy from your district is a priority, research which private schools in your area offer this service.

You choose one. You don't notify all three.

The 5 Business Days Rule

This is the requirement that catches families off guard. RSA 193-A requires notification to a participating agency within 5 business days of the date your home education program commences.

Not 5 days after you decide to homeschool. Not 5 days after you mail the letter. Within 5 business days of when the program actually starts.

If your child's last day at school is a Monday and your home education program begins that Tuesday, your notification must be postmarked (or received, depending on how you read it) by the following Tuesday. Standard Certified Mail delivery takes 2-3 business days, which means you need to mail it immediately — not after the first week of homeschooling.

The practical implication: draft your notification letter before your child's last day of school. Mail it on the first day of your home education program, or even the day before.

If you miss the 5-business-day window, your child may accrue unexcused absences between the last day of school and when notification is received. Enough absences can trigger interventions under RSA 189:34, New Hampshire's truancy statute. In more serious situations, this can involve DCYF.

What the Notification Must Contain

RSA 193-A specifies the required content for the notification letter. It's a short list:

1. Names of the children being home-educated
2. Dates of birth of the children
3. Address of the children
4. Names of the parents or guardians
5. Address of the parents or guardians
6. The date the home education program commences

That is the complete list. The law does not require — and you should not include — curriculum plans, grade levels, educational goals, subjects to be taught, hours of instruction per day, qualifications of the teaching parent, or reasons for leaving public school.

Including extra information is not helpful and is not legally required. It transforms a notification (which the agency must accept) into something that looks like an application (which the agency might feel empowered to question or reject). Keep it to the statutory requirements.

One-Time Filing Per Child

This catches families by surprise: the notification is one-time per child. You do not re-file each year. Once your participating agency acknowledges receipt of the notification, it remains on file for as long as you continue homeschooling.

There are circumstances where you would need to file again — if you switch participating agencies, if you formally terminate the program and restart it, or if you enroll the child back in public school and later withdraw again. But routine continuation of your homeschool program does not require annual notification.

The participating agency is required to send written acknowledgment within 14 days of receiving your notification. Keep this letter. It's your proof that the notification was processed.

The Difference Between Notification and Your Withdrawal Letter

Families new to New Hampshire homeschool law sometimes assume the notification letter goes to the school. It doesn't.

The notification under RSA 193-A goes to your participating agency — superintendent, NH DOE Commissioner, or participating private school.

A separate withdrawal letter goes to the school your child is currently attending. This letter tells the school that your child is withdrawing and that you'll be homeschooling under RSA 193-A. It is not the statutory notification — it's just letting the school know your child is leaving.

Both letters need to go out around the same time, but they go to different places and serve different legal purposes. If you send the notification to the school instead of the participating agency, you have not satisfied the RSA 193-A requirement.

If you want both letter templates — the withdrawal letter to the school and the notification letter to the participating agency — along with guidance on correct addressing, timing, and what to do if you get pushback, the New Hampshire Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers both documents with New Hampshire-specific language.

After Notification Is Filed

Once you've filed your notification and received written acknowledgment, you're operating as a registered home education program under RSA 193-A.

Your ongoing obligations include:

• Maintaining a portfolio of your child's work throughout the year
• Conducting an annual assessment — either a standardized test approved by the participating agency, a portfolio review by a licensed teacher or supervisor, or another approved method
• Notifying the participating agency if you make certain changes to the program structure

The annual assessment requirement is separate from the one-time notification. Many families confuse them. The notification launches the program. The annual assessment continues it year to year.

Notification vs. the Education Freedom Account

New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program under RSA 194-F is a separate pathway that provides state funds for education expenses. You cannot simultaneously homeschool under RSA 193-A and be enrolled in the EFA program — they are legally distinct frameworks.

If you want to use EFA, you follow the EFA enrollment process, not the RSA 193-A notification process. If you're currently in a home education program and want to switch to EFA, you must formally terminate the home education program per Ed 315.06 before enrolling in EFA.

Know which pathway you're on before filing any paperwork. The New Hampshire DOE's resources distinguish between the two, and the New Hampshire Legal Withdrawal Blueprint explains how each pathway works and which one makes sense for different families.

Common Mistakes in NH Homeschool Notification

Sending the notification to the school. It goes to the participating agency, not the school.

Including curriculum information. The statutory list doesn't include it. Don't add it.

Waiting too long after your program starts. The 5-business-day window runs from commencement, not from when you feel ready.

Not sending via Certified Mail. You need proof of sending and delivery.

Not keeping the acknowledgment letter. When it arrives, file it with your homeschool records.

Re-filing annually. Not required unless circumstances change.

New Hampshire's notification process is genuinely straightforward — as long as you know where to send what, what to include, and when to send it. The law is on parents' side here. The difficulty is navigating it without knowing what the law actually says.

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