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🚀 How to Start Homeschooling in Illinois

The first steps for a Illinois family starting to homeschool: what to file, how to leave a public school, and where to find co-ops, classes and help — drawn from our Illinois guide and articles.

Homeschooling in Illinois: the basics

The law: whoever has custody or control of a child between age 6 (on or before September 1) and 17, unless the child has graduated from high school, must have the child attend public school — except that a child attending a private or parochial school where children are taught the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools, in the English language, is not required to attend public school (105 ILCS 5/26-1).
Home schools are private schools: ISBE says that in People v. Levisen (1950) the Illinois Supreme Court held that home schooling could be considered private schooling if the teacher were competent, the required subjects were taught, and the student received an education at least equivalent to public schooling. As a result, ISBE says, home schooling is considered a form of private education in Illinois.
Required subjects: ISBE says that under 105 ILCS 5/26-1 and 27-1 you must provide instruction, in English, in language arts, mathematics, biological and physical science, social science (social studies), fine arts, and physical development and health. These are the areas Section 27-1 lists as the primary purpose of schooling. ISBE also says you must offer education at least equivalent to that offered in public schools.
What is not required: ISBE says the only specific requirement to homeschool in Illinois is to offer those subject areas. Graduation requirements, homework, testing, grade advancement, textbook and curriculum choice and recordkeeping are decisions the parent or guardian makes. There are no specific required classes, and no requirements for the number of school days or the length of a school day.
Who can teach: neither Section 26-1 nor ISBE's homeschool page sets a teacher qualification; ISBE describes Levisen as requiring that the teacher be competent. ISBE says parents who meet the standard are free to decide the manner, time and materials that best suit their children.
The parent carries the burden: ISBE notes a 1974 federal district court decision stating that under Illinois law the burden of proof rests with parents to show their plan of home instruction meets state requirements.
Character education: some older guides cite 105 ILCS 5/27-12 for teaching "honesty, justice, kindness and moral courage." The General Assembly's statute file now shows Section 27-12 as "(Repealed)" by Public Act 104-391, effective August 15, 2025, and ISBE's homeschool page lists only the six subject areas.
Registration and recognition: ISBE says a public school cannot require a home school program to be "registered" or "recognized" through the State Board of Education, because the School Code excludes home schools from that voluntary process.
No free state online school: ISBE says that at this time Illinois has no free online public school option like some other states, and it is the parent's or guardian's responsibility to provide a full educational program that includes the required subjects. Private online schools are one option ISBE mentions; they charge for their services.
How many: ISBE says it has no information specific to Illinois on homeschool students, because Illinois doesn't require any formal registration process.

Read the full section in our Illinois guide

Official sources

Summarized from our Illinois guide (as of November 2026) and articles. Rules change — confirm on the official pages before you act.

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