Homeschooling in California: Guidance for Getting Started

Across all 50 states of America, homeschooling is legal. But when it comes to the details of this educational choice—how easy or hard it is, how to get started, what paperwork to file, the requirements, the costs, etc.—the details vary greatly from state to state.

This guide was written to help you scope out those key details for homeschooling in California, a state where homeschooling is both easy and popular! 

Equipped with this California homeschooling information, you’ll be able to decide if homeschooling is doable for your family, what type of CA homeschooler you’d like to be, and identify the action steps to get started today.

DISCLAIMER: This article is not written as legal advice. Check with your local school board and official California state laws before making decisions about educating your children.

There are multiple ways to homeschool legally under California homeschooling statues:

• using a credentialed tutor (either the parent him/herself or a non-family member)
• establishing a home-based private school by filing an affidavit
• operating under an umbrella school (Private School Satellite Program, PSP)
• enrolling in a charter school

Each method has its own requirements. Here is insight from two Southern California moms about the different paths:

We left our PSP after 8th grade and now homeschool on our own by filing a PSA (Private School Affidavit). We chose to homeschool privately and not through a public charter because we like the freedom to choose how we homeschool and not be under the government with our schooling.” —Kelly P. 

I customize my kids’ education every bit as much as a family who does not join a charter school. ... If I ever felt dissatisfied with the charter school, I have the freedom and choice to file independently again." —The Contemporary Homeschooler

California homeschooling laws require a parent to file a Private School Affidavit each school year (Oct. 1-15) in order to homeschool as a home-based private school. This is the form of homeschooling where a parent has the greatest freedom and least oversight, but no state monies are provided for curriculum or enrichment. Many homeschoolers in California call this an “independent homeschooler.”

Rules for homeschooling in California require that instruction be delivered in English and must cover the general academic areas also taught in public schools:

in grades 1-6: English, math, social sciences, science, fine arts, health, and P.E.
in grades 7-12: In addition to the above, foreign language, applied arts, vocational education, and driver’s education

A home-based private school is required to keep a small set of simple records, but oddly those records are not required to be submitted to the state. You simply need to keep the records! The affidavit process outlines those documents:

• Attendance Records
• Course of Study
• Faculty Qualifications
• Immunization Records or Waivers
• Health Exam Form or Waiver for Children Entering 1st Grade 

The Sonlight planner is a great way to organize these required documents along with your day-to-day homeschool lists and calendar pages. 

Although you’re not held to them, the state content standards offer reasonable benchmarks for planning your own program or choosing one to purchase.

While you can piecemeal subjects from different vendors and publishers, an all-on-one curriculum streamlines your process and erases much of the decision fatigue. 

If you go the home-based private school route, you will be asked to keep a Course of Study in your records. This can be a simple outline of what you plan to cover for the school year. If you purchase a comprehensive program like a Sonlight All-Subjects Package, you can use the scope and sequence as your Course of Study. 

As a home-based private school, you are expected to cover the same subjects covered in public school: English, math, social sciences, science, fine arts, health, and P.E. And in grades 7-12 also foreign language, applied arts, vocational education, and driver’s education.

As you evaluate homeschooling programs in California, you may consider online homeschooling. While digital resources provide value, there’s no substitute for real books. Learn the incredible advantages of Sonlight’s literature-based approach here.  

If you go the charter school route, there will be teachers on hand to help you choose your homeschooling program and direct you to the vendor area of their website for ordering.

The benefits of homeschooling in California are many. You get greater control over what, when, and how your children learn (or full control, depending on what type of homeschooling you choose). Your child can receive a completely customized education, perfectly tailored to their specific weaknesses, strengths, and interests. 

Homeschooled kids are more likely to enjoy learning because their parents can allow for enjoyable rabbit trails and hands-on projects. Imagine letting your child choose the science topic for the semester or taking time to explore a museum for hours without a nagging reminder that it’s time to get on the bus. 

There is truly no comparison between the attention a loving parent can provide a child and that of a harried classroom teacher trying to meet the varied needs of 30 students. 

If you opt to homeschool kindergarten at home, there is no need to file an affidavit or join with a charter school.

Field trips are so much more than a Plan B for a day when no one wants to do book work (although this is a perk, too!). Homeschool field trips provide invaluable real-world applications of what kids are learning about in their lessons. These excursions extend the learning and provide a facet of sensory immersion that books—as amazing as they are—can’t achieve.

California has the most state parks and national parks of any other state! So your options for nature-based exploration are plentiful. We asked Sonlight moms to tell us about field trips in California.

Kelly P. in Southern California raves about,

Ample field trip opportunities to the beaches, mountains, museums, aquariums, zoos, theater, etc. We also loved having Disneyland annual passes during the elementary years when our school days were shorter. Special memories! I’m so grateful to have the freedom to homeschool.”

Chrissy J. is a huge fan of her city’s field trips options:

San Diego is an amazing place for field trips…the zoo and Safari Park, Legoland, Sea World, and many historic locations. The weather also allows us to spend lots of time outside, which is so good for our brains!”

Brittney W. who resides in Los Angeles is an avid field tripper, too:

Another benefit is the amount of field trip opportunities we have. We have annual passes to Knott’s Berry Farm which is themed-based on the American West. We have a group we meet up with monthly at the amusement park. They have authentic Native American performances, replicas of one-room school houses and Independence Hall, they also have a gold mining area as well as the standard amusement park things like games and rides. We have access to beaches and museums and aquariums, hiking, music, art and theater. Our charter [school] also does field trips. They recently had a whale watching field trip. They have also gone to the San Diego Zoo and the Gentle Barn … where [my son] got to feed horses, hug cows, pet an emu, and hold a turkey. Obviously homeschooling also means you can take advantage of the numerous tourist attractions while most kids are in school, but things like the La Brea Tar Pits and the California Science Center, art museums and beaches when they aren’t too crowded.”

Any large venture prompts the question of cost. And it’s essential to weigh the expenses before you set out so you are prepared for the homeschool lifestyle. 

Among the states, California ranks 50th for cost of living and 49th for housing affordability. Ouch! If you live there, you already know what an expensive state it is. So anything is going to be more costly there.

As per the US Dept. of Education’s facts on California, “There is no statute at this time permitting students schooled at home access to public school classes and activities. Parents or guardians requesting permission for homeschooled students to participate in public school curricular, athletic, or extracurricular activities should contact the student's school district of residence.”

However, if you enroll with a charter school, you may have the option for something akin to part-time homeschooling in California. Many charters are offering a hybrid approach with at-home learning 2-3 days a week and in-person learning at the charter 2-3 days a week.

Brittney W. a Sonlighter in Los Angeles is one mom who uses this mix of charter + at-home learning:

Next year my son will most likely be in a district homeschool charter where he attends two days a week to work on different projects and the rest of the time homeschooled with the curriculum of our choosing.”

California state homeschooling laws say that instruction must be provided in English. However, there is an exception to this rule that allows private schools to choose when and under what circumstances instruction can be provided in a bilingual fashion:

It is the policy of the state to ensure the mastery of English by all pupils in the schools; provided that bilingual instruction may be offered in those situations when such instruction is educationally advantageous to the pupils. Bilingual instruction is authorized to the extent that it does not interfere with the systematic, sequential, and regular instruction of all pupils in the English language.”

So as long as your child is learning English, then you can also add on the instruction of subjects in another language and of course instruction of the language itself. The most commonly spoken languages in California after English are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Persian, and Japanese. Bilingual homeschooling is an excellent way to pass on another mother tongue to your children!

If you homeschool through a charter school, you won’t be able to use state funds to purchase faith-based curriculum, but there are no restrictions against including your religion in your homeschool. 

Two great ways to infuse your Christian faith into your homeschool experience are to add Bible study and missionary biographies to your lesson plans. 

Sonlight makes Christian homeschooling easy since it integrates the Bible into every History / Bible / Literature level— it’s fully planned out for you. And the teaching notes and discussion questions in the Instructor's Guide reflect a Christian worldview.

Sonlight is the original Christian literature-based curriculum. Learn more about what makes Sonlight unique among Christian curriculum here.

Getting plugged into homeschooling groups in California will give you a sounding board for your ideas and a fountain of practical advice. Although The State of California doesn’t provide networking support for homeschoolers, your support is not hard to find. 

Kelly P. is a Sonlighter in Southern California. She says,

The homeschool community is strong in our area. … homeschooling is incredibly easy here!” 

Start googling local homeschooling co-op [your city, neighborhood, or county] to find your homeschool community! A word of advice: Try out a group, and if it’s not a fit, try another! There are plenty of groups out there, and there’s one that’s perfect for you and your children. If not, why not start your own?

Get involved with state-wide homeschooling organizations in California like

• California Homeschool Network
• Homeschool Association of California
• Christian Home Educators of California (CHEA)

Many of these entities hold in-person or online events where you can connect with other parents, listen to great speakers, browse curriculum, and get advice.

For more possibilities, head to the Sonlight Connections page to

• look for (or start) a CA in-person homeschooling group
• install the Sonlight app
• join the Sonlight email list
• request to join the Sonlight Connections Facebook group

For free one-on-one homeschool consulting, make an appointment with a Sonlight Advisor. 

Yes, you can homeschool high school! It’s one of the most enjoyable seasons of homeschooling since your teen can take an active role in choosing topics of study, designing one-of-a-kind projects, and participating in meaningful extracurricular activities.

If your teen is enrolled in a Private School Satellite Program (PSP, also called umbrella school) or a charter school, those entities will lay out the required credits/courses, issue your teen’s high school transcript, and award a high school diploma. 

If you are homeschooling as an at-home private school, the responsibility lies on you to create a 4-year plan, to award a high school diploma, and to create a transcript. And while that may sound scary, it’s actually quite easy. Sonlight's College and Career Planning Kit takes you through this entire process. 

While not required, by passing the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE), homeschoolers who are at least 16 years old or in grade 10 can earn the legal equivalent of a public school diploma.

California state law requires a mere 13 credits for high school graduation, but most school systems have a much higher bar. Your PSP or charter school will have its own requirements and ways to calculate those credits. 

As an independent homeschooler (at-home private school), you aren’t required to follow the same credit requirements as public schools. In fact, you don’t have to issue credits at all!

While this freedom may sound delicious, you’ll want to evaluate your teen’s post-high school possibilities before you throw out the 4-year plan. If college is in the future, make sure your high school experience provides the required courses and credits for college admissions. For example, here are the University of CA admissions requirements. Look up a few possible colleges where your child may apply, and make your high school experience match what seems to be the baseline admissions requirements. 

As a homeschooler you can enjoy the benefits of dual enrollment—taking a course at a community or 4-year college to earn both high school credits and college credits. Each college has its own fees, policies, and requirements. So check with your closest campus to get the specifics.

California requires teens under 18 to complete driver education and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driver training before getting a permit. As at at-home private school, you can provide this education and training yourself! Here’s a great tutorial that lays out how it works and what forms you’ll need to submit.