Most states hand you one homeschool path. Louisiana hands you two, and the first real decision you make is not which curriculum to buy. It is which kind of homeschool you are running, because that single choice quietly shapes your paperwork, your deadlines, and whether your teen can chase a state scholarship in a few years.
It sounds heavier than it is. Neither option involves a home visit, a curriculum review, or a test the state grades. But the two paths really are different, and picking the wrong one by accident is the most common way Louisiana families make this harder than it needs to be.
Here is how the two options actually compare, what each one requires, and how to start down the one that fits your family.
Is Homeschooling Legal in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana law provides for home education under La. R.S. 17:236 and 17:236.1, and compulsory attendance covers children who turn 5 by September 30 through age 18. You satisfy that law through one of two structures: a BESE-Approved Home Study Program, or enrollment as a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval.
Do not let the word “approved” scare you off the first option. Louisiana’s approval process is essentially a registration with a formal name. As long as your application meets the basic requirements, the state approves it. There is no interview, no home inspection, and no one auditing your lesson plans.
Your Two Paths, Side by Side
Option 1: BESE-Approved Home Study Program
This is the path most Louisiana families use. You apply to the Louisiana Department of Education on behalf of the state board (BESE). New families file the application within 15 days of starting instruction, and continuing families renew once a year by October 1. At renewal you confirm you are providing a sustained curriculum of a quality at least equal to public school.
The paperwork buys real benefits. Home study students can qualify for the TOPS scholarship later (the state requires BESE approval for 11th and 12th grade to be eligible), can borrow textbooks from the local district, and can access public school sports. Diplomas earned under an approved program are recognized by Louisiana colleges and employers.
Option 2: Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval
Here you register your home as a nonpublic school that is not seeking the state’s stamp of approval. You submit a notification of enrollment, typically when you withdraw a child from public school. This path carries the fewest restrictions and is the friendliest to unschooling and other flexible approaches.
The trade-off is funding and scholarships. A student homeschooled this way cannot accept government education funds, and a teen who spends all four high school years on the nonpublic path will not qualify for TOPS. For a kindergartner, that rarely matters yet. For a rising junior with college plans, it matters a lot.
How to Choose Between Them
The honest shortcut: match the path to your child’s age and your plans. For younger children, the nonpublic school option keeps the administrative load close to zero, and you can always switch later. For middle and high schoolers, especially anyone who might want a Louisiana public college, the BESE home study path is usually worth the extra form, because scholarship eligibility, sports, and diploma recognition become real stakes.
You are not locked in for life. Plenty of families start nonpublic when the kids are small and move to BESE-approved home study by the time TOPS is on the horizon. The important thing is to choose on purpose, not by accident.
What You Have to Teach
Louisiana keeps the content rules light. Both paths require at least 180 days of instruction across the year, and you are free to run a traditional September-to-June calendar, school year-round, or anything in between, as long as the days add up within a 12-month span.
For BESE home study, the standard is not a checklist of subjects but a curriculum of a quality at least equal to what public schools offer. There is no state-mandated textbook, philosophy, or test. That single “at least equal in quality” phrase is the whole academic bar, and it is broad enough to cover almost any serious approach you choose.
How to Actually Start
If your child has never been enrolled
Decide on your path first. For BESE home study, submit the application to the Louisiana Department of Education within 15 days of starting instruction. For the nonpublic route, register as a nonpublic school and keep your own records from day one. Either way, you begin teaching right away rather than waiting for a reply.
If your child is currently in public school
Send the school a written withdrawal notice, then file the paperwork for your chosen path (the BESE application within 15 days, or the nonpublic notification of enrollment). Keep dated copies of everything. That file is what turns a public-school absence into a legal, on-purpose transfer to home education.
Brand new to this? Our guide to how to start homeschooling covers curriculum and the first few weeks.
Do You Have to Keep Records in Louisiana?
Functionally, yes, though the reason depends on your path. BESE home study families renew every October 1 and want evidence of a real, quality program on hand for that renewal. Nonpublic families have no one collecting records, but a clean file is still the thing that answers any truancy question and, later, builds the transcript a college or employer asks for.
Either way, the fix is the same: capture it as you go. A wall-mounted file organizer by your teaching space keeps attendance, work samples, and your day count in one spot, so renewal season or a transcript request becomes a matter of pulling a folder instead of reconstructing a year.
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Louisiana Homeschool Law: Common Questions
Do I have to notify the state or my district?
Yes, and how depends on your path. BESE home study families apply to the Louisiana Department of Education (within 15 days of starting, then renew by October 1). Nonpublic families submit a notification of enrollment as a nonpublic school. If you are leaving public school, send that school a written withdrawal notice as well.
Does my child have to take a standardized test?
No. Louisiana does not require standardized testing for either homeschool path. Some families test privately to track progress, but no scores are reported to the state.
Do I need a teaching credential or college degree?
No. Louisiana sets no qualification, certification, or degree requirement for the parent providing instruction.
Is there any financial help available?
A little. Louisiana offers a state School Expense Deduction of up to $5,000 per student for educational costs, and the newer LA GATOR program is a separate funded route with its own application and rules. Note that accepting government funds is incompatible with the nonpublic-school-not-seeking-approval path.
Other States and the Big Picture
Louisiana’s two-path setup makes it more structured than its western neighbor and more flexible than several states to the east. Our overview of homeschool laws by state lays out how differently the rules run from one border to the next. Right next door, Texas asks for almost nothing, Florida pairs a notice of intent with an annual evaluation, and Georgia wants a monthly attendance count and a declaration of intent.
The Bottom Line for Louisiana Families
Pick your path first: BESE-approved home study for scholarship and diploma benefits, or the nonpublic school option for maximum freedom. Teach at least 180 days, keep good records, and file the paperwork your path calls for. No testing, no home visits, no credential required. That is the whole legal picture.
Once the path is set, the planning is the fun part. Start with planning your homeschool year, and grab the free weekly planner above to keep the daily rhythm calm.
Last reviewed: August 2026. This is a plain-language summary of Louisiana home education law as it stood on that date, not legal advice. Homeschool rules change, so before you make decisions for your family, confirm the current requirements with the official source: Louisiana Department of Education, Home Study. The governing law is La. R.S. 17:236 and 17:236.1.
