Alden House. Parent Center

Homeschooling in Missouri

What the law requires, what you file and when, and what to keep — with the statute behind each rule.

no notice required 13 sources Verified 12 October 2026

What Missouri requires

Notify
None. (The optional declaration of enrollment that could be filed with the county recorder of deeds or school district was repealed effective Aug 28, 2025.)
Testing or evaluation
Not required.
Subjects set by the state
Yes — 5 required subjects, listed below
Teaching time
1,000 hours, 600 hours — in detail
Compulsory school age
7 to 17 — in detail
Records
Required (not submitted): (1) a plan book, diary or other written record of subjects taught and activities; (2) a portfolio of samples of the child's work; (3) a record of evaluations of academic progress; or other credible equivalent evidence.

Taking your child out of school in Missouri

First move: Give the public school written notice that you intend to pursue another educational option under RSMo 167.031 and ask that the child be dropped from the rolls; the school must remove the child promptly (RSMo 167.042, as amended 2025).

No approval is needed.

The legal routes

3 routes exist in Missouri. They carry different duties, and families often do not know the alternatives to the obvious one.

Home school (RSMo 167.012)
Parent-run school, no tuition, no more than 4 unrelated children; must keep records and provide 1,000 hours of instruction. Home school students may not use MOScholars.
Family Paced Education (FPE) school (RSMo 167.013)
Created in 2024; same records and 1,000-hour rules as a home school, but FPE students may receive MOScholars scholarship funds (with extra certification).
Private, parochial or parish school
Enroll in a private or religious school; a full-time-equivalent combination of school types is also allowed.

The notice, and who receives it

None. (The optional declaration of enrollment that could be filed with the county recorder of deeds or school district was repealed effective Aug 28, 2025.) Nothing has to be filed with any authority to begin.

Subjects Missouri requires

  • Reading
  • Language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Social studies
  • Science

See which courses here cover these subjects →

Compulsory school age

7 to 17 (or until 16 high school credits are completed); St. Louis-type metropolitan districts may set 16 or 17 by board resolution.

Hour and record rules do not apply once a child is 16.

Teaching time

1,000 hours per school year (July 1 to June 30); at least 600 hours in the five core subjects (or related academic courses), and at least 400 of those 600 at the regular home school location. Not required for students 16 or older.

Who may teach

Missouri sets no qualification for the parent teaching at home: no teaching certificate, no college degree, and no requirement that you hold a high school diploma.

Testing and evaluation

No standardized testing. Parents must keep a record of evaluations of the child's academic progress (form of evaluation is up to the parent).

Records to keep

Required (not submitted): (1) a plan book, diary or other written record of subjects taught and activities; (2) a portfolio of samples of the child's work; (3) a record of evaluations of academic progress; or other credible equivalent evidence. A daily log showing compliance is a legal defense.

Records are reviewable only by the local prosecuting attorney. Not required for students 16+.

High school, diplomas and transcripts

Parent issues the diploma and transcript. For homeschoolers, a high school credit means 100+ hours of instruction in a course; completing 16 credits ends compulsory attendance.

No state graduation requirements for home schools.

Public school classes, sports and activities

Since Aug 28, 2025 (SB 63), public school districts and charter schools may not bar home school or FPE students who live in the district from trying out for sports, fine arts and related cocurricular activities, and cannot require them to take classes to qualify. Students must show residency, a sports physical, meet the same conduct/performance standards and pay the same fees; a student who leaves public school while ineligible must wait 12 months.

Districts may provide special education services to resident homeschoolers and may not discriminate against them in services they offer.

Funding: education savings accounts, vouchers and tax credits

MOScholars (tax-credit-funded education savings scholarship administered by the State Treasurer): for students with an IEP, or households under 300% of the free/reduced lunch income standard who meet a public-school/entry-grade/sibling criterion. Usable at FPE schools (not 'home schools') and private, charter or virtual schools.

What changed recently

2024 (SB 727, eff. Aug 28, 2024): home school rules moved to RSMo 167.012; new 'FPE school' option created (RSMo 167.013) that can use MOScholars.

2025 (SB 63, eff. Aug 28, 2025): optional declaration of enrollment repealed; schools must promptly drop a child on written notice; districts must let home/FPE students try out for activities.

What we could not confirm

MOScholars income thresholds, award amounts and 2026-27 dates were not confirmed; families should check with the State Treasurer. No 2026-session changes found on the Revisor site (sections show no versions after Aug 28, 2025).

  • MOScholars income dollar figures and 2026-27 dates not confirmed (Treasurer page does not list them).

Listed because a legal summary that hides its gaps is harder to trust than one that names them. How these pages are checked.

Statutes and sources

Statute and regulation

  • RSMo § 167.031
  • RSMo § 167.012
  • RSMo § 167.013
  • RSMo § 167.042
  • RSMo § 167.061
  • RSMo § 167.790
  • RSMo § 162.996
  • RSMo §§ 166.700-166.720 (MOScholars)
  • RSMo § 210.167

Statute text

State agency

Secondary sources