Missouri requires no notice or testing, but it does set a 1,000-hour annual instruction requirement and expects you to keep records showing it.
Homeschooling is legal in Missouri with no registration, no notification, and no testing. The trade-off is that Missouri is specific about instructional time: 1,000 hours of instruction per school year, with at least 600 hours in the core subjects of reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies — and a portion of those core hours at your regular home school location.
In practice, 1,000 hours is roughly five hours a day across a 200-day year, and almost everything educational counts. The real requirement is the paper trail: a plan book or log, samples of your child's work, and evaluations or a written record of progress.
None required. You may file a voluntary declaration of enrollment with your county or the state, but most families skip it. Just withdraw your child properly from any current school.
Provide 1,000 hours of instruction per year, at least 600 in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies, with a substantial share of those core hours at your usual homeschool location. Field trips, co-ops, and hands-on projects count toward the total.
Maintain a plan book, diary, or log showing subjects taught and activities, plus samples of your child's work and a record of academic progress. These records are your legal protection if your homeschooling is ever questioned.
Withdraw your child from their current school in writing — no state filing needed.
Set up your hour log immediately; a simple notebook or spreadsheet with date, subject, and time is enough.
Sketch a rough year: about 1,000 hours breaks down to a very normal school schedule, so don't let the number intimidate you.
Save dated work samples in a folder each month.
Pick a curriculum that logs time and progress automatically — Cullinan Academy records every lesson and minute, which turns Missouri's record requirement into a button press.
Whatever Missouri 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.
It's about 5 hours a day for 200 days — and reading time, science projects, educational outings, and PE all count. Most homeschools clear it without changing anything.
Not routinely. Records exist as your evidence if a truancy question ever arises, which is rare. Keep them organized and you're covered.
No. There is no testing or assessment requirement for homeschooled students.
Missouri lets you define your own twelve-month reporting period. Pick a start date, note it in your log, and count hours within that window.
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.