Homeschooling in Utah

Getting Started: Filing Your Notice of Intent

Utah is one of the most homeschool-friendly states in the country, and getting started is straightforward. Under Utah Code Ann. 53G-6-204, you need to file a one-time Notice of Intent with your local school board. That's it. Once filed, the school board will issue an Excuse Certificate within 30 days, and you're officially cleared to homeschool.

As of May 7, 2025, House Bill 209 simplified the process further. The old affidavit requirement was replaced with a straightforward notice of intent. If you already filed an affidavit for a child under the previous system, you do not need to refile for that child.

A few key details about the notice:

• You file once per child, not annually
• Submit it to the school board of the district where you reside
• No criminal background disclosure is required (removed by HB 209)
• If your child was previously enrolled in public school, you should also submit a withdrawal form

Required Subjects and Curriculum

Here's where Utah truly stands out: there are no state-mandated subjects for homeschoolers. You have complete freedom to choose your own curriculum, textbooks, and instructional materials. The state does not prescribe what you must teach or how you must teach it.

Under the law, parents bear sole responsibility for the selection of instructional materials and textbooks. There's no state approval process, no curriculum review, and no required scope-and-sequence documents to submit.

Attendance and Instructional Hours

Utah does not specify a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. You have the flexibility to design a schedule that works for your family, whether that means year-round schooling, a traditional September-to-June calendar, or something in between.

Teacher Qualifications

You do not need a teaching certificate, college degree, or even a high school diploma to homeschool your children in Utah. The state places no qualification requirements on homeschool instructors.

Recordkeeping

While Utah doesn't legally mandate specific recordkeeping, HSLDA and other organizations strongly recommend maintaining thorough records of your child's education. Good records are invaluable for college applications, transcript creation, and demonstrating educational progress. Consider keeping:

• Attendance logs or calendars
• Curriculum descriptions and course outlines
• Samples of student work and completed assignments
• Records of extracurricular activities and community involvement
• Standardized test scores (if you choose to test voluntarily)

Dual Enrollment and Public School Access

One of Utah's best features for homeschoolers is its robust dual enrollment program under Utah Code 53G-6-702 and 53G-6-703. Your homeschooled child can enroll part-time in a public school to take individual classes while continuing to homeschool for the rest of their coursework.

Even better, dual-enrolled homeschool students are eligible to participate in extracurricular and co-curricular activities at their local public school, including sports teams, clubs, and fine arts programs. The school district cannot impose additional requirements on homeschoolers beyond what applies to fully enrolled students. This is governed by State Board of Education Regulation R277-438.

Utah Fits All Scholarship (Education Savings Account)

Utah offers one of the most generous homeschool funding programs in the nation through the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. This is an Education Savings Account (ESA) available to all Utah K-12 students.

For the 2025-2026 school year, scholarship amounts are:

• $4,000 for homeschooled students ages 5-11
• $6,000 for homeschooled students ages 12-18
• $8,000 for private school students

Eligible expenses are broad and include:

• Curriculum and textbooks
• Online courses and tutoring
• Extracurricular activities (athletics, orchestra, drama, debate, robotics)
• Educational field trips (museums, zoos, historical sites)
• Technical college and university courses

As of 2025 legislation, extracurricular expenses are capped at 20% of the ESA value, and physical education expenses are also capped at 20%. Participants may roll over two-thirds of unspent funds each year. The program is now administered by Odyssey (as of May 2025).

529 Education Savings Plans

Utah's my529 plan is consistently ranked among the top 529 plans nationally. As of 2026, federal law allows up to $20,000 in annual withdrawals from 529 accounts for qualified K-12 education expenses, including curriculum materials and tutoring services.

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

Federal Coverdell ESAs allow you to contribute up to $2,000 per year per child tax-free for qualified education expenses, including homeschool curriculum and materials.