Louisiana requires you to pick one of two legal routes and file paperwork each year, but neither route involves heavy state oversight day to day.
Yes, homeschooling is fully legal in Louisiana, and it's more manageable than the paperwork makes it look. The main decision is which of two legal routes to use: the state-approved home study program, or registering your homeschool as a nonpublic school not seeking state approval.
The home study program involves applying to the state education board and renewing each year with evidence that your curriculum is at least equal to what public schools offer. The nonpublic school option is simpler — an annual registration with far less to demonstrate — and it's the route most Louisiana homeschoolers choose.
Route one is the approved home study program: you apply to the state, renew annually, and show your program is at least equal to public school instruction. Route two is registering as a nonpublic school not seeking accreditation: an annual registration with the state and much lighter ongoing requirements. The home study route can matter for things like TOPS scholarship eligibility, so consider your child's age when choosing.
Whichever route you pick, you file with the Louisiana Department of Education — an initial application or registration, then a renewal each year. Check the department's current deadlines when you file.
Plan to provide instruction for roughly the same number of days as public schools (180 days is the common benchmark) and keep basic records of what you taught, especially if you're on the home study route and will need to show progress at renewal.
Decide between the home study program and the nonpublic school registration — if your child is young and you want simplicity, most families start with the nonpublic option.
If your child is currently enrolled in school, formally withdraw them so they aren't marked truant.
File your application or registration with the Louisiana Department of Education and note the annual renewal date.
Set up a simple record system: subjects covered, days of instruction, and samples of work.
Choose a curriculum that covers the core subjects at your child's actual level — an adaptive program like Cullinan Academy can place each child automatically, which also gives you clean progress evidence if you ever need it.
Whatever Louisiana 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.
Most families use the nonpublic school registration because it's simpler. The home study program involves more review but matters for TOPS scholarship eligibility, so many families switch to it for high school.
No test is mandated under the nonpublic school option. On the home study route, test results are one way (not the only way) to show satisfactory progress at annual renewal.
Yes, but eligibility rules differ by legal route and TOPS has its own requirements. If college scholarships are on your radar, research this before high school begins.
No. Louisiana does not require parents to hold a teaching certificate or a specific degree under either route.
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.