Colorado is moderately regulated: annual written notice 14 days before starting, a required subject list, attendance expectations, and testing or evaluation at certain grade levels.
Homeschooling is legal in Colorado under a clear statute, and thousands of families use it. The rules are specific but manageable: file a written notice of intent with a school district 14 days before you begin (and annually after that), teach the required subjects, and have your child tested or evaluated at certain grade milestones.
Colorado also offers two alternatives that shift the paperwork: enrolling your child in an independent or umbrella school that takes homeschoolers, or having instruction provided by a licensed teacher. Families who use those routes generally do not file the homeschool notice.
Send written notice of intent to any Colorado school district (it does not have to be your own) 14 days before starting, and each year thereafter. The notice includes basic information such as the child's name, age, and hours of instruction planned.
Colorado expects instruction in reading, writing, speaking, math, history, civics, literature, science, and the U.S. Constitution, for around 172 days per year averaging about four hours a day.
Students are evaluated in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 — either a nationally standardized test or an evaluation by a qualified person. Results go to the district (or an independent school), and a child who scores very low may be asked to try another schooling arrangement, though the evaluation alternative gives families flexibility.
Keep attendance, test and evaluation results, and immunization records (or exemptions). Districts can request them under specific circumstances, so keep the file current.
Pick your route: statute homeschooling with notice, an umbrella/independent school, or a licensed teacher.
If using the statute, send your notice of intent to a Colorado district at least 14 days before you begin.
Withdraw your child from their current school once your notice timing is satisfied.
Plan a year that covers Colorado's subject list at roughly 4 hours a day, 172 days.
Calendar the testing/evaluation years (grades 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) so they never sneak up on you.
Choose a curriculum that covers all the required subjects and logs attendance and progress automatically, so your records are always district-ready.
Whatever Colorado asks for — attendance, subject coverage, progress evidence, transcripts — Cullinan Academy tracks it automatically as your kids learn: verified mastery records, time-on-task, printable transcripts with GPA, and state report templates. No spreadsheet required.
In grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 your child needs either a nationally standardized test or an evaluation by a qualified individual. In other grades, nothing.
Yes. Colorado lets you file with any school district in the state, and some families choose districts known to be homeschool-friendly.
Enrolling in an independent school that accepts homeschoolers means the school handles oversight and you skip the district notice and testing submissions — the school's own policies apply instead.
The statute contemplates an average of about four instructional hours a day for roughly 172 days. Reading, projects, and real-world learning count toward instruction.
You issue the diploma and transcript. Keep testing/evaluation records through grade 11 and course descriptions for college admissions.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes, and districts sometimes apply it differently. Verify current requirements with your state's department of education or a local homeschool association before filing anything. Content last reviewed 2026-07.