Homeschooling in Illinois
A practical starting point for Illinois families: what to file, what to track, and what state funding (if any) you can use.
At a glance
Operate as a private school. No notice or testing required statewide.
No statewide ESA. The Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship sunset in 2023.
In-depth guides
Illinois homeschool laws
Notification, record-keeping, testing, and umbrella-school rules for Illinois families.
Read the guide
Illinois homeschool funding
Illinois's funding landscape — what programs exist, who they serve, and why homeschoolers may or may not qualify.
Read the guide
Getting started in Illinois
A high-level checklist tailored to Illinois’s rules. Specifics like form numbers and deadlines live in the in-depth state laws guide above.
- 1
Know Illinois's homeschool rules
Operate as a private school. No notice or testing required statewide.
- 2
Withdraw and begin as a private school
Illinois treats homeschools as private schools. Withdraw from public school in writing if needed — no state notice or registration is required.
- 3
Cover required branches of education
Provide instruction in reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, and other subjects comparable to public school. Keep informal records for your files.
- 4
Choose curriculum and plan your year
Choose curriculum that fits your child's grade level and any required subjects, then sketch a year-long plan you can adjust as you go.
Frequently asked
Do I need to notify the state to homeschool in Illinois?
No. The state does not require notice, registration, or filing to start homeschooling. You can begin as soon as your child is withdrawn from any public-school enrollment.
Does Illinois require homeschool standardized testing?
No standardized testing or evaluation is required by the state. Some families choose to test for their own benchmarking.
Can homeschool families in Illinois access ESA or scholarship funding?
No statewide ESA. The Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship sunset in 2023.
How do I withdraw my child from public school in Illinois?
Send a written withdrawal letter to the school's principal or registrar. Keep a dated copy. Once you have filed any state-required notice, your child is considered a homeschooler and the public school no longer needs to mark them absent.
Related states
Other states with similar regulation and a comparable funding posture.
Numa keeps Illinois compliance on autopilot.
- Pre-filled forms for your state's notice and reporting
- Attendance, portfolio, and assessment tracking by grade
- Curriculum planning that matches state requirements