Moving to California: Homeschool Checklist

Required hours

No state minimum

Required subjects

7 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

Not required

Recordkeeping

Required

Jump to the full California requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Where are you moving from?

Pick your current state to see how to close it out before you go, and how its homeschool rules compare to California's.

Coming from a nearby state?

Rule-by-rule comparisons for the moves into California families make most often, with what changes on the way in and on the way out.

• Arizona vs California (5 rules differ)
• Colorado vs California (6 rules differ)
• Florida vs California (7 rules differ)
• Georgia vs California (6 rules differ)
• Idaho vs California (4 rules differ)
• Illinois vs California (4 rules differ)
• Nevada vs California (3 rules differ)
• New York vs California (5 rules differ)
• North Carolina vs California (5 rules differ)
• Oregon vs California (4 rules differ)
• Tennessee vs California (6 rules differ)
• Texas vs California (5 rules differ)
• Washington vs California (6 rules differ)

What to do when you arrive in California

Once you're a California resident, you follow California's rules, not your old state's. California requires notice, so file with the state Department of Education to put your homeschool on record. File before you begin instruction at your new address. If your child was enrolled in a school on the way in, send that school a short withdrawal note too.

Do your homeschool records transfer?

No state, including California, requires you to hand over homeschool records from your previous state, and there's no central transfer process. What matters is that you keep your own records: an hours or attendance log, work samples, and any grades or transcripts. Those travel with you and are what colleges and your new state may ask to see. This is exactly what Homeschool Fox is built for. Your log, hours, and reports live in one account and move with your family, so a cross-country move doesn't reset your records.

Timing your move: mid-year vs summer

Try to line your move up with California's school-year calendar where you can. If you arrive mid-year, file California's notice as soon as you're settled rather than waiting for fall, so there's no gap where your child looks unenrolled. A summer move is simpler: get your filing in before the new school year starts. Either way, keep dated proof of when you filed.

Moving as a military family

Military families move often, and the rule of thumb is simple: follow the homeschool law of the state you're physically living in. Once you're stationed in California, you homeschool under California's rules, even if your legal residency for taxes or voting is another state. The Military Interstate Children's Compact smooths public-school transfers, but it doesn't override homeschool law, so plan around California's requirements. Keeping portable digital records makes each PCS move far less disruptive.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for California

The records California asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Required subjects
• The records California asks you to keep
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking
• High school transcripts

More California guides

• California Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in California Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in California What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in California The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Public School Sports in California Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Required Subjects in California The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• California Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.