Moving to Maryland: Homeschool Checklist

Required hours

No state minimum

Required subjects

8 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

Portfolio review

Portfolio

Required

Jump to the full Maryland 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 Maryland's.

Coming from a nearby state?

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

• Delaware vs Maryland (5 rules differ)
• District of Columbia vs Maryland (3 rules differ)
• Florida vs Maryland (4 rules differ)
• Pennsylvania vs Maryland (4 rules differ)
• Virginia vs Maryland (3 rules differ)
• West Virginia vs Maryland (5 rules differ)

What to do when you arrive in Maryland

Once you're a Maryland resident, you follow Maryland's rules, not your old state's. Maryland requires notice, so file with your local school district 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 Maryland, 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 Maryland's school-year calendar where you can. If you arrive mid-year, file Maryland'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 Maryland, you homeschool under Maryland'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 Maryland's requirements. Keeping portable digital records makes each PCS move far less disruptive.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Maryland

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

• Required subjects
• Portfolio records
• Portfolio review
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking
• High school transcripts

More Maryland guides

• Maryland Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Maryland Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Maryland What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in Maryland The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Required Subjects in Maryland The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• Maryland Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• Maryland Homeschool Portfolio What belongs in it, who can ask to see it, and a printable checklist.
• Homeschool Testing in Maryland What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.