NH Homeschooling Requirements: What New Hampshire Parents Need to Know
New Hampshire is one of the more parent-friendly states when it comes to homeschooling. The legal framework gives families real flexibility while still requiring one-time notification and annual assessment. If you're starting out — or moving to New Hampshire and wondering what changes — here's what the law actually requires.
Notification: Who You Tell and When
New Hampshire law (RSA 193-A:5) requires written notification within five business days of commencing a home education program, withdrawing from a public school, or moving into a school district. The notification must include:
- The names of the children participating
- Their addresses
- Their birth dates
You may send this to the commissioner of education, the resident district superintendent, or the principal of a participating nonpublic school. Most districts accept notification by mail or email. There's no approval required — you're notifying, not asking permission. The participating agency must acknowledge receipt within 14 days.
If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, notify the participating agency within five business days of the withdrawal.
One important note: if you move from a district after previously filing there, notify the original superintendent that the child has moved and provide the required notification for the new district within five business days of commencing the program there.
Required Subjects
New Hampshire law specifies a list of subjects that must be covered during home education. The list isn't particularly restrictive, but you need to address all of them:
- Science, mathematics, and health
- Language, reading, writing, and spelling
- Government and history, including the history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States
- Exposure to and appreciation of art and music
There's no required number of hours per subject, no prescribed curriculum, and no requirement that you follow any state standards. How you cover these subjects is entirely up to you — whether that's textbooks, online courses, living books, project-based learning, or a co-op.
Annual Assessment Options
Each year, you must provide evidence that your child is making progress. New Hampshire gives you four options:
- Evaluation by a certified teacher or nonpublic-school teacher — the teacher reviews the portfolio and discusses the student's progress
- National student achievement test — administered by a person who meets the test provider's qualifications
- State assessment — taking a state student assessment test used by the resident district
- Other valid measurement tool — mutually agreed upon with the commissioner, resident district superintendent, or participating nonpublic-school principal
The portfolio + certified teacher review route is the most popular among New Hampshire homeschoolers. You assemble samples of your child's work throughout the year, and a certified teacher (often someone from a local homeschool co-op or a retired teacher) reviews it and writes a brief letter.
Keep the assessment results on file. You don't submit them to anyone automatically, but if the district asks, you need to produce them.
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Record-Keeping Requirements
New Hampshire requires that homeschooling parents maintain:
- A portfolio of records and materials, including a reading log and samples of the child's work, preserved for two years after instruction ends
- A copy of the annual evaluation
No minimum school day hours are specified in New Hampshire law, but keeping records showing consistent, year-round engagement is a practical safeguard if questions ever arise.
Most families keep a simple daily log and save representative samples of written work, math tests, science reports, and projects throughout the year. A three-ring binder per year works fine.
Compulsory Education Age
New Hampshire's compulsory-attendance rule applies to children at least 6 and under 18; home education is an exception when the RSA 193-A requirements are met.
High school students are covered under the same notification and assessment structure. There's no separate "high school" approval process in New Hampshire.
Getting a Diploma
New Hampshire does not issue diplomas to homeschool graduates through any state process. As the parent-administrator of the homeschool, you issue your child's diploma. There is no state requirement for what the diploma says or looks like, but you should document the courses, credits, and graduation date on an official-looking transcript.
For college admissions, a parent-issued diploma is legally valid. What matters far more to admissions officers is your student's transcript, course descriptions, standardized test scores, and external validators like dual enrollment grades. The diploma itself is a formality.
If your student plans to apply to state universities in New Hampshire — particularly UNH — call their admissions office to confirm current documentation requirements. Most New Hampshire colleges are familiar with homeschool applicants and accept parent-issued transcripts.
Dual Enrollment and Community College
New Hampshire homeschool students can attend NHTI, Great Bay Community College, or any of the Community College System of New Hampshire campuses through dual enrollment. Dual enrollment gives your high schooler real college credits, an external GPA that validates your home transcript, and direct experience with a college classroom environment.
Contact each campus directly for their dual enrollment process. Most require a placement test or transcript review, and some charge reduced tuition rates for high school students.
Special Education Considerations
If your child has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) and you transition to homeschooling, the public school is no longer obligated to provide services. Some districts voluntarily offer "Child Find" services or speech/occupational therapy to homeschooled students, but this varies by district. Contact your district's special education coordinator directly to understand what, if anything, is available to you.
Preparing for College from New Hampshire
New Hampshire's flexible requirements mean your student can pursue a rigorous, transcript-ready curriculum from 9th grade onward without bureaucratic obstacles. Start documenting courses and credits from the beginning of high school — not just because colleges want to see it, but because it protects you if your student decides to apply to selective schools that require detailed course descriptions.
For homeschool families planning toward four-year college admissions, the documentation burden falls entirely on you as the parent-administrator. That means creating a professional transcript, writing course descriptions, navigating the Common App counselor section, and understanding how your student's self-directed work translates to Carnegie units.
The US University Admissions Framework at /us/university/ walks through the entire process — from transcript creation and GPA calculation to NCAA eligibility, FAFSA, and scholarship strategy — specifically designed for homeschool parents taking on the counselor role for the first time.
Quick Reference: NH Homeschool Compliance Checklist
- Written notification within five business days of starting, withdrawing, or moving into a district (not annually)
- Cover required subjects: science, mathematics, health, language, reading, writing, spelling, government, history, art, and music
- Annual assessment (choose one of four methods)
- Maintain the required portfolio and evaluation records
- Issue diploma yourself at graduation
- Contact district for special ed services if applicable
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