Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Wisconsin?

Yes. You send notice to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which shares it with your resident school district, on or before October 15 each year (can be filed from July 1); if you withdraw a child from school after October 15, file or update it on or before the child's last day of school. How often: annually. Online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report in DPI's HOMER system (paper copies are no longer accepted); print the confirmation.

What subjects do I have to teach in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin requires: Reading; Language arts; Mathematics; Social studies; Science; Health.

How many days or hours of homeschool does Wisconsin require?

At least 875 hours per school year.

What records should I keep when homeschooling in Wisconsin?

Copies of each year's submitted PI-1206 with its confirmation number (DPI keeps them only seven years); Recommended: hours of instruction, curriculum, and academic progress (useful for colleges, employers, and the military).

How to homeschool in Wisconsin

Low regulationChecked against official sources October 9, 2026

In Wisconsin you file the PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report online with the Department of Public Instruction every year, by October 15. You provide at least 875 hours of instruction a year in six subjects. There is no testing and no parent qualification requirement, and the form is a notice, not an application.

Homeschooling in Wisconsin at a glance: notice of intent required (send to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which shares it with your resident school district); instruction time: at least 875 hours per school year; 6 required subject areas; testing: none required.

Requirements in Wisconsin

Home-based private educational program · Wis. Stat. §§ 115.001(3g), 118.165(1), 115.30(3)

The parent (or someone the parent designates) teaches the child, and the program counts as a private school for compulsory attendance. A program serving more than one family does not qualify. Neither DPI nor the school district approves or monitors the program.

Notice: Send to: the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which shares it with your resident school district.
When: on or before October 15 each year (can be filed from July 1); if you withdraw a child from school after October 15, file or update it on or before the child's last day of school.
How often: annually.
How: online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report in DPI's HOMER system (paper copies are no longer accepted); print the confirmation.
Instruction time: At least 875 hours per school year.
Required subjects: Reading, Language arts, Mathematics, Social studies, Science, Health.
Records to keep: Copies of each year's submitted PI-1206 with its confirmation number (DPI keeps them only seven years).
Recommended: hours of instruction, curriculum, and academic progress (useful for colleges, employers, and the military).
Testing / evaluation: None required.
Parent qualifications: None.
Also: Provide a sequentially progressive curriculum in the six required subjects (you are not required to teach anything that conflicts with your religious beliefs).
The program must not be set up to avoid compulsory attendance.

Official form: DPI PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report (HOMER)

What the notice must include

Enrollment in your program as of the third Friday of September (the children enrolled in elementary and high school grades).
A statement of whether your program meets all the criteria of Wis. Stat. § 118.165(1).
Your address and resident school district.

Checklist

Submit the online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report and print the confirmation: each year between July 1 and October 15 (or by the last day of school if withdrawing later in the year).
Provide and log at least 875 hours of instruction: each school year.
Update the PI-1206 if a child returns to public or private school: when the child enrolls elsewhere.

Leaving a public school

Compulsory attendance starts at age 6; file a PI-1206 if your child turns 6 on or before September 1. If you are withdrawing a child from school before October 15, the district should treat your stated intent to homeschool as sufficient notice until you file. After October 15, submit or update your PI-1206 on or before the child's last day of school to avoid truancy issues. A child enrolled in 5-year-old kindergarten must follow the district's withdrawal procedure.

Common questions about homeschooling in Wisconsin

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Wisconsin?: Yes. You send notice to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which shares it with your resident school district, on or before October 15 each year (can be filed from July 1); if you withdraw a child from school after October 15, file or update it on or before the child's last day of school. How often: annually. Online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report in DPI's HOMER system (paper copies are no longer accepted); print the confirmation.
What subjects do I have to teach in Wisconsin?: Wisconsin requires: Reading; Language arts; Mathematics; Social studies; Science; Health.
How many days or hours of homeschool does Wisconsin require?: At least 875 hours per school year.
Are standardized tests or evaluations required in Wisconsin?: None required.
Do parents need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Wisconsin?: None.
What records should I keep when homeschooling in Wisconsin?: Copies of each year's submitted PI-1206 with its confirmation number (DPI keeps them only seven years); Recommended: hours of instruction, curriculum, and academic progress (useful for colleges, employers, and the military).

Worth double-checking

The exact fields on the online PI-1206 could not be checked directly; the notice contents above come from Wis. Stat. § 115.30(3) and DPI's FAQ. Sources disagree on whether children's names are collected. Fill in whatever the HOMER form asks.
Enrolling in an out-of-state or private online or correspondence program that isn't a Wisconsin private school still counts as homeschooling, so you must file the PI-1206. Wisconsin public virtual charter schools are public school and need no PI-1206.

Sources

Wis. Stat. § 118.165, Private school criteria (Wisconsin Legislature).(official)
Wis. Stat. § 115.30(3), Enrollment reports (Wisconsin Legislature).(official)
Wisconsin DPI: Home-Based Private Educational Program (Homeschooling).(official)
Wisconsin DPI: Homeschooling FAQ.(official)

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.