Arizona · Plain-English guide

Arizona homeschool requirements

Homeschooling in Arizona is refreshingly simple — one notarized affidavit and five subjects. Here’s exactly what the law asks for, and (just as important) what it doesn’t.

Who needs to file

Arizona’s compulsory-attendance ages are 6 to 16. If you’re homeschooling a child in that range, you file the affidavit below. A child who has not yet turned 6 isn’t required to be enrolled, so the affidavit isn’t due until they start (or reach 6).

The affidavit of intent

This is the single filing that makes your homeschool official under A.R.S. §15-802. It:

• •Goes to your county school superintendent (not the state, not your local district office).
• •Must be notarized.
• •Is due within 30 days of the day you begin homeschooling (or of your child turning 6).
• •Is filed once — it stays valid until your child turns 16 or you withdraw. There’s no yearly renewal.
• •Is accompanied by a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate (or other proof of identity the statute allows), per A.R.S. §15-828.

Double-check: County offices sometimes have their own affidavit form or submission method (in person, by mail, or online). Confirm the exact form and address with your county school superintendent before you file — we intentionally don’t list per-county addresses here until we’ve verified each one.

The five required subjects

A.R.S. §15-802 requires instruction in these areas. There’s no mandated curriculum, textbook, or method — how you teach them is up to you.

• •Reading
• •Grammar
• •Mathematics
• •Social studies
• •Science

What Arizona does NOT require

This is where a lot of websites scare parents with rules that don’t exist in Arizona. Under A.R.S. §15-802, once your affidavit is on file, the state does not require any of the following:

In other words: no one is grading your homeschool. That freedom is the whole point — and it’s the law.

If you stop homeschooling

If you end your homeschool (for example, enrolling your child in a public or private school), notify your county school superintendent within 30 days. That’s the only ongoing notification the affidavit track involves.

Records: smart, but optional

Arizona doesn’t require you to keep records, submit work, or log hours. Still, a light paper trail — what you covered, some dated work samples, any outside classes — is worth keeping for your own peace of mind and for things like ESA reimbursement, college applications, or a future move to a state that does ask. Treat it as a good habit, not a legal duty.

On an ESA? Your path is different

If you use an Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA), you’re on a separate legal track — ESA students are not homeschoolers in the eyes of the law, and ESA families agree not to file the homeschool affidavit. It matters which one you’re on.

Read: Affidavit vs ESA — which path is yours →

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and reflects our reading of Arizona law as of 2026. Statutes change — always confirm current requirements with your county school superintendent or the Arizona Department of Education.