Moving to New York: Homeschool Checklist

Required hours

900 hrs/year, 990 in grades 7-12

School days

180 days/year

Required subjects

9 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)

Recordkeeping

Required

Jump to the full New York 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 New York's.

Coming from a nearby state?

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

• California vs New York (5 rules differ)
• Connecticut vs New York (6 rules differ)
• Florida vs New York (6 rules differ)
• Georgia vs New York (6 rules differ)
• Massachusetts vs New York (4 rules differ)
• New Jersey vs New York (5 rules differ)
• North Carolina vs New York (7 rules differ)
• Pennsylvania vs New York (6 rules differ)
• South Carolina vs New York (8 rules differ)
• Texas vs New York (7 rules differ)
• Vermont vs New York (4 rules differ)

What to do when you arrive in New York

Once you're a New York resident, you follow New York's rules, not your old state's. New York requires notice, so file with your local school district to put your homeschool on record. Watch the filing date: Notice of intent (July 1 (for next school year)); Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) (Within 4 weeks of receiving the district's IHIP form, or by August 15, whichever is later); Quarterly report 1 (The date you set in your IHIP); Quarterly report 2 (The date you set in your IHIP); Quarterly report 3 (The date you set in your IHIP); Quarterly report 4 (The date you set in your IHIP); Annual assessment (With the fourth quarterly report). 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 New York, 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 New York's school-year calendar where you can. If you arrive mid-year, file New York'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 New York, you homeschool under New York'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 New York's requirements. Keeping portable digital records makes each PCS move far less disruptive.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for New York

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

• Hours toward each child's 900- or 990-hour goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• The records New York asks you to keep
• Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking

More New York guides

• New York Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in New York Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in New York What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in New York The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Public School Sports in New York Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in New York The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in New York The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• New York Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• New York Quarterly Reports What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• Homeschool Testing in New York What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.