Georgia is considered a low-to-moderate regulation state for homeschooling — more structured than Texas, considerably lighter than Pennsylvania or New York. The requirements are real, but they're manageable, and most of what you track stays in your own files. Nobody comes knocking to review your records unless something goes very wrong.

Here's exactly what Georgia law requires under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c).

The Five Things Georgia Requires

  1. File a Declaration of Intent with the Georgia Department of Education — annually
  2. Teach at least 180 days per year, with each school day being at least 4.5 hours
  3. Cover five required subjects
  4. Administer standardized testing every three years starting at the end of 3rd grade
  5. Write an Annual Progress Report at the end of each school year

Most of these records stay in your own files — Georgia doesn't require you to submit test scores, progress reports, or portfolios to anyone. The Declaration of Intent is the only thing that goes to the state.

Declaration of Intent

Within 30 days of beginning your home study program, you must file a Declaration of Intent with the Georgia Department of Education. Unlike Florida and North Carolina, this is an annual filing — you must renew it by September 1 every year.

What the form asks for:

  • Names and ages of your students
  • Location of your home study program
  • The local school system in which your program is located
  • The 12-month period you consider your school year

You can file online through the Georgia DOE website. Keep a copy of each year's filing in your records.

Missing the September 1 renewal deadline is the most common compliance mistake Georgia families make. Set a recurring calendar reminder.

The 180-Day, 4.5-Hour Requirement

Georgia requires at least 180 days of instruction per year, with each school day consisting of at least 4.5 hours of instruction.

A few things worth knowing:

You don't submit attendance records to the state. Georgia no longer requires attendance to be reported. However, the Georgia Home Education Association (GHEA) strongly recommends keeping your own attendance records — if your homeschooling is ever questioned, you want to be able to demonstrate you met the 180-day requirement.

4.5 hours is the floor, not the ceiling. Most homeschool days naturally exceed this, especially when you count all educational activities — reading, hands-on projects, field trips, co-op classes, music lessons, and more.

Field trips and co-op days count. Document them well — note the date, location, and educational purpose.

Required Subjects

Georgia law requires instruction in five core subjects:

  1. Reading
  2. Language Arts
  3. Mathematics
  4. Social Studies
  5. Science

You choose your own curriculum, teaching method, and pacing. There's no state-approved curriculum list and no pre-approval process. Classical, Charlotte Mason, traditional textbook, unit studies, unschooling — all are legally valid as long as you're covering the five subjects.

You can also teach additional subjects — foreign language, art, music, physical education, electives — but only the five core subjects are legally required.

Standardized Testing Every Three Years

This is the requirement that most surprises Georgia families who are new to homeschooling.

Georgia requires students to take a nationally normed standardized test at least every three years, beginning at the end of 3rd grade. So a student would test at the end of grades 3, 6, 9, and 12 at minimum.

Key details:

  • You choose the test — common options include the Iowa Assessments, Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10), TerraNova, and CAT
  • You do not submit scores to the state — results stay in your personal school file
  • You can administer the test yourself "in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm-referenced tests," or use a testing service
  • There's no minimum score required — the test is a compliance requirement, not a gatekeeping mechanism

The GHEA maintains a list of approved tests and testing resources on their website. Many Georgia homeschool co-ops also offer group testing opportunities each spring.

One notable quirk: Georgia's own state test (the Georgia Milestones) is NOT nationally normed, which means it doesn't satisfy the homeschool testing requirement. Homeschooled students are actually held to a higher testing standard than public school students in this respect.

Annual Progress Report

At the end of each school year, you must write an Annual Progress Report (sometimes called an Annual Summary) documenting the progress your child made in each of the five required subjects.

You don't submit this to anyone. It stays in your personal school file and must be kept for at least three years.

What to include:

  • Progress in each of the five core subjects
  • Brief descriptions of what was covered
  • Any notable achievements or areas of growth

This doesn't need to be lengthy or formal. A page or two covering each subject — "Completed Saxon Math 7/6 through Lesson 120, strong performance on fractions and decimals, will begin pre-algebra next year" — is perfectly sufficient.

Think of it as a year-end note to your future self. It's also invaluable if your student ever re-enters public school, applies for dual enrollment, or needs documentation for any purpose years later.

Instructor Qualifications

The parent or guardian teaching must have at least a high school diploma or GED. You can also hire a tutor to help with specific subjects, as long as the tutor also meets this qualification.

No teaching license or college degree is required.

What Georgia Does NOT Require

  • No curriculum approval — you choose what and how to teach
  • No submission of test scores to the state
  • No submission of progress reports to the state
  • No portfolio review by an outside evaluator
  • No attendance reporting to the state (though you should keep records yourself)
  • No required subjects beyond the five core areas

Extracurricular Activities: A Georgia Perk

Georgia is one of a relatively small number of states that explicitly allows homeschooled students to participate in extracurricular activities at their local public schools — including sports, music programs, and academic clubs. This is sometimes called the "Dexter Mosely Act."

To participate, students must meet eligibility requirements including demonstrating passing progress in core subjects. Notify the local school district at least 30 days before the semester starts if your student wants to participate.

Practical Record-Keeping for Georgia Families

Given Georgia's actual requirements, here's what your records should include:

Declaration of Intent copies — keep every year's filing, permanently.

Attendance log — not required by the state, but keep one for yourself. A running count of school days gives you confidence that you've hit 180 and protects you if questions ever arise.

Lesson logs — a record of what you taught each day, including reading materials and subjects covered. Not required by law, but essential for writing your Annual Progress Report and invaluable for any future school transition.

Annual Progress Reports — written at the end of each school year, kept for at least three years.

Standardized test scores — keep these permanently, not just for three years.

A simple app where you log lessons daily makes the Annual Progress Report a five-minute summary at the end of the year rather than a reconstruction project.

Key Georgia Homeschool Resources

  • GHEA (Georgia Home Education Association) — ghea.org — the state's primary homeschool advocacy organization, with testing resources and legal summaries
  • HSLDA Georgia — hslda.org — legal support and law summaries
  • Georgia DOE Home School page — gadoe.org — official Declaration of Intent filing

Georgia's requirements are real but reasonable. File your Declaration of Intent every year by September 1, hit your 180 days, cover the five core subjects, test every three years starting in 3rd grade, and write a brief progress report at year's end. Everything except the DOI stays in your own files.

The families who struggle in Georgia are almost always the ones who forget to renew the Declaration of Intent, or who have no records when testing time rolls around in 3rd grade. A consistent daily logging habit solves both problems before they start.

For a comparison of requirements across all 50 states, see our homeschool laws by state guide. For help building a record keeping system that supports Georgia's Annual Progress Report requirement, see our getting started with homeschool record keeping guide.

Homeschool Ledger tracks attendance, logs lessons, and makes writing your Georgia Annual Progress Report straightforward — all in one app. Download it free