What North Carolina law requires when you teach your child at home — the filings, the deadlines, the records — and what it does not require, in writing.
Notice: One-time notice of intent to operate, with the name and address of the school and the name of the school's owner and chief administrator, sent to a duly authorized representative of the State (the Director, Division of Nonpublic Education, DNPE) when the new home school is established (G.S. 115C-552(a), 115C-560(a), 115C-563(b)); DNPE directs filing at least five business days before the opening date; the school must also notify DNPE upon termination (G.S. 115C-552(b), 115C-560(b)).
Ongoing duties: Elect to operate under Part 1 or Part 2 of Article 39 and meet the requirements of the Part elected (G.S. 115C-564); operate on a regular schedule during at least nine calendar months of the year; make and maintain annual attendance and disease immunization records for each student (G.S. 115C-548, 115C-556); administer a nationally standardized test or other nationally standardized equivalent measurement on an annual basis (G.S. 115C-564, incorporating G.S. 115C-549 and 115C-557) measuring English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics, keeping the results for one year for inspection by DNPE; persons providing academic instruction must hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent (G.S. 115C-564).
Withdrawal from public school: no codified withdrawal procedure — a dated written notice to the school is the practice, and it creates your paper record.
Source: G.S. 115C-563, 115C-564, 115C-548, 115C-549, 115C-552, 115C-556, 115C-557, 115C-560
Rules checked October 2026 — every rule on this page is cited to its source. Verify day counts against your district's official calendar.
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