Michigan Homeschool Laws & Requirements

Compulsory School Attendance Age

Michigan compulsory attendance generally begins at age 6 and continues until age 18 for most students, subject to statutory exceptions. Michigan law also contains provisions allowing certain students age 16 or older to stop attending with written parental permission.

Homeschool Notification and Enrollment

A family homeschooling under the parent-home-education exemption in MCL 380.1561(3)(f) does not register as a nonpublic school with the Michigan Department of Education and does not submit routine homeschool reports to MDE. Local and intermediate school districts are responsible for interpreting and enforcing compulsory attendance law.

Required Subjects

Michigan requires an organized educational program in the following subject areas:

• Reading • Spelling • Mathematics • Science • History • Civics • Literature • Writing • English grammar

Instructional Days and Hours

Michigan does not prescribe a specific number of homeschool instructional days or daily instructional hours for a family operating under the parent-home-education exemption. Parents may design their own schedule while maintaining an organized educational program.

Attendance and Records

Families using the parent-home-education exemption are not required to submit routine attendance, grades, portfolios, or transcripts to MDE. Good recordkeeping is nevertheless strongly recommended, especially attendance, courses, grades, credits, work samples, assessment results, transcripts, and graduation documentation.

Standardized Testing

Michigan does not impose a routine statewide standardized-testing requirement on students homeschooled under the parent-home-education exemption simply because they are homeschooled.

Parent Teacher Qualifications

Under the parent-home-education exemption, there are no minimum educational or certification qualifications for the teacher beyond the requirement that the instruction be provided by the child's parent or legal guardian.

Curriculum Freedom

Parents choose the curriculum, materials, teaching methods, and educational resources. The program must include the required subject areas listed in Michigan law, but families are not required to use Michigan public-school curriculum or state-approved textbooks.

Graduation

Michigan public-school graduation requirements under the Michigan Merit Curriculum do not automatically apply to independent homeschool students. Parents may establish their own homeschool graduation requirements and issue their own graduation documentation. Families should maintain a detailed transcript and consider future college, military, employment, and licensing requirements.

Separate Nonpublic School Option

Michigan also allows a homeschool to operate under the nonpublic-school exemption. That route involves separate reporting and personnel requirements and should not be confused with the simpler parent-home-education exemption. Most families using the parent exemption do not report as nonpublic schools to MDE.

Alabama Church School Services for Michigan Families

Michigan families may use Alabama Church School for curriculum, attendance resources, academic records, report cards, transcripts, diplomas, graduation documentation, and educational support. ACS enrollment does not replace the parent's obligation to provide the organized program and required subjects under Michigan law, but Michigan families using the parent-home-education exemption generally do not have a separate state homeschool registration requirement.