Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Iowa?

No (for competent private instruction, option #2 with no reporting (opt-out), the option most families use). Iowa doesn't require a notice of intent for this option. If your child is enrolled in a public school, withdraw them in writing first.

What subjects do I have to teach in Iowa?

Iowa requires: Reading/language arts; Mathematics; Science; Social studies.

How many days or hours of homeschool does Iowa require?

CPI is defined as at least 148 days per school year (at least 37 days each quarter); see caveats.

What records should I keep when homeschooling in Iowa?

None required to be filed (keeping attendance and work samples is a good idea).

How to homeschool in Iowa

No notice requiredChecked against official sources October 9, 2026

Iowa has several homeschool options, and two of them require no paperwork at all: Competent Private Instruction (CPI) Option #2 with no reporting, and Independent Private Instruction (IPI). You only file Form A with your school district if you want to dual-enroll for classes, activities, or special education, use a district homeschool assistance program, or opt in to reporting. Whichever option you use, teach reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies.

Homeschooling in Iowa at a glance: no notice of intent required; instruction time: CPI is defined as at least 148 days per school year (at least 37 days each quarter); see caveats; 4 required subject areas; testing: none required to be reported.

Option 1: Competent Private Instruction, Option #2 with no reporting (opt-out)

The option most families use.

Competent Private Instruction, Option #2 with no reporting (opt-out) · Iowa Code §§ 299A.1, 299A.3

A parent without an Iowa teaching license teaches at home and chooses not to report to the district. No Form A, curriculum documentation, or proof of progress is filed, and the district may not ask who is teaching or where. Families on this option cannot dual-enroll for public school classes, activities, or special education services.

Notice: Not required.
Instruction time: CPI is defined as at least 148 days per school year (at least 37 days each quarter); see caveats.
Required subjects: Reading/language arts, Mathematics, Science, Social studies.
Records to keep: None required to be filed (keeping attendance and work samples is a good idea).
Testing / evaluation: None required to be reported.
Parent qualifications: None.
Also: Exempt from state immunization and health requirements under this option (per the Department's handbook).
Students with an IEP: the parent revokes consent and special education services end while using this option.

Checklist

Let your district know you are withdrawing to homeschool under CPI Option #2 no reporting (if enrolled): before your child stops attending (not legally required, but prevents truancy questions).
Teach reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies: ongoing, ages 6 through 16.

Option 2: Independent Private Instruction (IPI)

Independent Private Instruction (IPI) · Iowa Code § 299A.1(2)(b)

Unaccredited private or religious-based instruction that teaches math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies. Nothing is filed. The only obligation is to answer a written request from the school superintendent or state Department of Education with a short report.

Notice: Not required.
Instruction time: Not specified.
Required subjects: Mathematics, Reading and language arts, Science, Social studies.
Records to keep: None required to be filed.
Testing / evaluation: None required (you may request the district's annual standardized assessment at your own cost).
Parent qualifications: None.
Also: On written request from the district superintendent or the Director of the Department of Education, provide a report naming the primary instructor, the location, the name of the authority responsible for the instruction, and the names of the students.
IPI students cannot dual-enroll through the district; switch to a CPI option for that.

Checklist

Let your district know you are withdrawing to homeschool under IPI (if enrolled): before your child stops attending (not legally required, but prevents truancy questions).
Answer any written request for an IPI report (instructor, location, responsible authority, students): only if the district or Department asks in writing.

Option 3: Competent Private Instruction, Option #2 with reporting or dual enrollment

Competent Private Instruction, Option #2 with reporting or dual enrollment · Iowa Code §§ 299.4, 299A.3, 299A.4, 299A.8

A parent without an Iowa teaching license teaches at home and files Form A with the district, usually so the child can dual-enroll in public school classes, activities, or special education. The child must show adequate progress each year through a test, a portfolio review by an Iowa-licensed teacher, or an accredited online school transcript.

Notice: Send to: your resident school district (or the district you open-enrolled into); do not send it to the Iowa Department of Education.
When: by September 1, or within 14 calendar days of withdrawing from school or moving into the district.
How often: annually, for each child.
How: complete Form A and return it to the district office (ask the district where it prefers you send it).
Instruction time: At least 148 days per school year, at least 37 days each quarter.
Required subjects: Reading/language arts, Mathematics, Science, Social studies.
Records to keep: Copy of each year's Form A.
Lesson plans, diary, or other record of subjects and activities, plus a portfolio of work, if you use the portfolio-review option.
Testing / evaluation: A baseline evaluation in the first year (age 7 or older), then annual proof of adequate progress: a Department-approved standardized test (free through the district/AEA on request), a portfolio review by an Iowa-licensed teacher approved by the district, or an accredited online/correspondence school transcript. Complete it by May 31; results are due to the district (and Department) by August 1.
Parent qualifications: None for the parent (a portfolio evaluator must hold a current Iowa teaching license).
Also: If results show inadequate progress, the child must attend an accredited school the next year unless a retest or evaluator report shows adequate progress, or the Department approves a remediation plan.

Official form: Iowa Department of Education homeschooling page (Form A and Private Instruction Handbook)

What the notice must include

School year.
Student's full name, date of birth, address, and grade.
Name, address (and optionally phone) of the parent filing.
Number of instructional days (minimum 148).
Course of study for each subject: texts/resources and time spent (required if dual enrolling).
Proof of immunization or an exemption form (first filing, or first filing in a new district, if dual enrolling).
Whether you want dual enrollment and for what.
Parent's signature.

Checklist

File Form A with your resident school district: by September 1 each year, or within 14 days of withdrawing/moving in.
Request dual enrollment with the district: by September 1 (or within 14 days of withdrawing/moving in).
Complete the annual assessment or portfolio evaluation: by May 31 each year.
Submit the assessment or evaluator's results to the district: by August 1 following the school year.

Option 4: Competent Private Instruction, Option #1 (licensed teacher or district HSAP)

Competent Private Instruction, Option #1 (licensed teacher or district HSAP) · Iowa Code § 299A.2

Instruction is provided or supervised by someone with a current Iowa teaching license: a licensed parent, a privately hired licensed teacher, or the district's Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) if it offers one. No annual assessment is required unless the HSAP requires it.

Notice: Send to: your resident school district.
When: by September 1 (by September 15 to join a district HSAP), or within 14 calendar days of withdrawing from school or moving into the district.
How often: annually, for each child.
How: complete Form A (including the licensed teacher's name, address, and Board of Educational Examiners folder number) and return it to the district office.
Instruction time: At least 148 days per school year, at least 37 days each quarter.
Required subjects: Reading/language arts, Mathematics, Science, Social studies.
Testing / evaluation: Not required (an HSAP may require one as a condition of participating).
Parent qualifications: Instruction provided or supervised by a teacher with a current Iowa license appropriate to the child's grade; a supervising teacher may serve up to 25 families or 50 students.

Official form: Iowa Department of Education homeschooling page (Form A and Private Instruction Handbook)

What the notice must include

School year.
Student's full name, date of birth, address, and grade.
Name and address of the parent filing.
Number of instructional days (minimum 148).
Licensed teacher's name, address, and BOEE folder number (or "HSAP").
Course of study and proof of immunization if dual enrolling.
Whether you want dual enrollment and/or HSAP participation.
Parent's signature.

Checklist

File Form A with your resident school district: by September 1 each year (September 15 for HSAP only), or within 14 days of withdrawing/moving in.
Keep in contact with the supervising licensed teacher or HSAP: ongoing (HSAP teachers contact families four times every nine weeks or 45 instructional days).

Leaving a public school

Iowa does not require families using IPI or CPI Option #2 with no reporting to notify the district, but the Department of Education encourages telling the school you are withdrawing to homeschool, which option you chose, and the last day of attendance, so prolonged absence is not treated as truancy. Families using Form A have 14 calendar days after withdrawing to file it.

Common questions about homeschooling in Iowa

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Iowa?: No (for competent private instruction, option #2 with no reporting (opt-out), the option most families use). Iowa doesn't require a notice of intent for this option. If your child is enrolled in a public school, withdraw them in writing first.
What subjects do I have to teach in Iowa?: Iowa requires: Reading/language arts; Mathematics; Science; Social studies.
How many days or hours of homeschool does Iowa require?: CPI is defined as at least 148 days per school year (at least 37 days each quarter); see caveats.
Are standardized tests or evaluations required in Iowa?: None required to be reported.
Do parents need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Iowa?: None.
What records should I keep when homeschooling in Iowa?: None required to be filed (keeping attendance and work samples is a good idea).

Worth double-checking

New in 2026 (HF 2754): IPI is no longer limited to four unrelated students and may now charge tuition; parents may issue their own diplomas and transcripts for CPI/IPI, which must be accepted like public school diplomas (new Iowa Code § 299A.13); and parents may sign documents verifying a child's homeschool enrollment and grades (§ 299A.14). Our IPI description reflects the Department's technical assistance on HF 2754.
Which option is used most is not published; CPI Option #2 with no reporting is listed first because it is the lowest-paperwork CPI path. IPI is similar but lets the district request a basic report.
The 148-day/37-days-per-quarter definition appears in Iowa Code § 299A.1 for licensed-practitioner CPI, and the Department's handbook applies it to all CPI options; the statute is less explicit for parent-led CPI with no reporting.
Required subjects: the handbook says families under CPI Option #2 no-reporting and IPI are required to teach reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies, while for CPI options it says this is "encouraged".
Students under age 6 must have a blood lead test under Iowa health law; the handbook says CPI families are not exempt but IPI and CPI no-reporting families are.

Sources

This is a plain-language summary to help you get organized, not legal advice. Laws and forms change, so confirm the details with your state or school district before you file.