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Homeschool laws · State guide

Homeschooling in Colorado

Colorado requires annual notice to a school district, 172 days of instruction, testing or evaluation in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, and permanent records kept by the parent.

Last checkedAgainst Statute + state sources

Colorado at a glanceLevel: Moderate

Notice to the state
Yes
Send written notice to any Colorado school district 14 days before starting and each year after, from age 6 (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(e)).
Testing
Yes
A nationally standardized test or an evaluation by a qualified person in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, with results sent to the district or an independent or parochial school (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(f)).
Record-keeping
Required
Keep permanent records of attendance, test and evaluation results and immunizations; the district may see them on 14 days' notice only with probable cause of noncompliance (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(g)).
Immunization
Records only
Homeschoolers need not be vaccinated, but parents must keep immunization records or a signed exemption statement (C.R.S. §§22-33-104.5(3)(g), 25-4-902(1.5), (6)).
Required subjects
Yes, 9
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Mathematics, History, Civics, Literature, Science, U.S. Constitution
Instruction time
At least 172 days a year, averaging 4 instructional contact hours per day
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(c)
Parent qualifications
None; a parent or designated adult relative is not subject to educator licensing
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(a)
Compulsory school age
Homeschool notice from age 6; per CDE, a program need not be established until age 7 or continued/notified after age 16
C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(e)

Ways to homeschool here: Nonpublic home-based educational program

Choice Homeschool works hard to keep every state guide accurate and up to date, but laws change. If something here has changed or is missing, please let us know, ideally with a link to the official source, and we’ll recheck it.

Overview

Colorado’s home-based education statute (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5) declares home-based education a legitimate alternative to classroom attendance, subject to minimum state controls. A ‘nonpublic home-based educational program’ is instruction in a home by the parent or a designated adult relative, not supervised by a school district.

  • Nonpublic home-based educational program

Requirements at a glance

  • Notice: Written notice to any Colorado school district 14 days before starting a nonpublic home-based educational program and each year after; it states each child’s name, age, residence and hours of attendance. Not required until the child is 6. If the child was habitually truant in the prior six months of school, a written curriculum description must accompany the notice. (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(b), (3)(e))
  • Testing or assessment: In grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11: a nationally standardized achievement test, or an evaluation by a qualified person (licensed teacher, independent/parochial school teacher, licensed psychologist, or holder of a graduate degree in education). Results go to the notified district or to a Colorado independent or parochial school. A composite score at or below the 13th percentile (after a retest opportunity) or an evaluation showing insufficient progress means the child must be placed in a school until the next testing period. (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(2)(c), (3)(f), (5))
  • Records: Parent keeps permanent records including attendance, test and evaluation results, and immunization records; produced to the district on 14 days’ written notice only if the superintendent has probable cause of noncompliance. (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(g))
  • Subjects: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Mathematics, History, Civics, Literature, Science, U.S. Constitution
  • Instruction time: At least 172 days a year, averaging 4 instructional contact hours per day (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(c))
  • Parent/teacher qualifications: None; a parent or designated adult relative is not subject to educator licensing (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(a))
  • Compulsory attendance ages: Homeschool notice from age 6; per CDE, a program need not be established until age 7 or continued/notified after age 16 (C.R.S. §22-33-104.5(3)(e))

CDE notes that homeschool students are not required to take Colorado’s state assessments and that Colorado-specific assessments do not satisfy the nationally standardized test requirement.

Sources

This page summarizes the statutes and official pages listed in the sources block, as read on the last-checked date. It is general information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with your state or local education agency.

The statute text was read from CDE’s reprint, which CDE labels an unofficial publication of the Colorado Revised Statutes.