Homeschooling has become a modern educational phenomenon alternative to delivering quality education to every child, even without leaving their homes. This system of educating individuals is bound by regulations based on mandatory school laws imposed in different states.
If you choose to homeschool your kids, does this mean you can do away with the vaccination requirement?
The answer is a resounding NO.
States impose different state vaccination laws that require school-aged children to be vaccinated before school entry. It is required in both public and private schools. Implementing state and local vaccination requirements help in maintaining high vaccination coverage in the country. Through mandating vaccination, more children are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) and ultimately lowering the rates of VPDs.
State laws also provide exemptions due to medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. And there are mechanisms in place for the enforcement of both school vaccination requirements and exemptions.
HOMESCHOOL AND VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
There are different home school charters in the United States, and each has set out different rules to be a follower. Homeschools generally do not fit into the definition of a traditional school. In most states, homeschools are exempt from the vaccination requirement. But in some states and school districts, they are considered private schools; therefore, vaccination is a requirement before entry.
These requirements vary from one state to another. To give you a quick rundown of the information, we have collected several data from various federal state websites and compiled them in a table. Below, you will see the different vaccination requirements of the 50 states in the country.
OVERVIEW:
- Out of the 50 states, 11 states do not require parents to inform or alert their local school districts that their children are homeschooled
- 25 states do not have a clear mandate concerning homeschooling
- Two states do not require parents to vaccinate their children due to religious and philosophical exemptions
- Some states impose that parents keep a record of their child’s vaccination, while some states do not require any record
- The majority of the states do not require parents or guardian to submit proof of their children’s academic progress
- In most states, parents can homeschool their children without having to prove educational attainment, while some require that parents be at least competent in teaching their children
- No state requires that parents should be college degree holders
| State | Immunization Requirement |
| Alabama | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students in public and private schools |
| Alaska | No/Yes; only required students in public and private schools, but is also required for homeschooled children through the state’s correspondence school programs |
| Arizona | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students in public and private schools |
| Arkansas | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students in public and private schools |
| California | No state immunization laws do not include students in home-based educations setup |
| Colorado | Yes, immunization is a requirement for parents homeschooling their children under that homeschool statute and keeping records of immunization. The same does not apply to parents homeschooling under private tutor arrangement |
| Connecticut | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Delaware | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students in public and private schools |
| Florida | No for students under the home school statute, independent of any school homeschool programs or under private tutor arrangement Yes, for students enrolled in private homeschool programs |
| Georgia | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Hawaii | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Idaho | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Illinois | Yes required for all students before entry to any school program; homeschool is considered private school in the state |
| Indiana | Yes, all children in Indiana are required to be vaccinated before admission to any school program, including homeschool |
| Iowa | Yes required for all students before entry to any school program, including homeschool, but parents are not required to submit a record of vaccination |
| Kansas | Yes required for all students before entry to any school program, including homeschooled children |
| Kentucky | Yes required for all students before entry to any school program, including homeschool which operate as private schools |
| Louisiana | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children under the state’s homeschool statute |
| Maine | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children under the state’s homeschool statute. Parents are not required to keep a record of immunization |
| Maryland | No homeschooled children under the homeschool statute are not required to be vaccinated Yes, for homeschooled children under the church school or private school system |
| Massachusetts | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Michigan | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children |
| Minnesota | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children. Records of immunization must also be submitted to official channels |
| Mississippi | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school **Do not allow religious or philosophical exemptions to vaccinations |
| Missouri | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in public, private, parochial, and parish schools |
| Montana | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children |
| Nebraska | Yes, for children homeschooled under Rule 12 or non-religious private schools No for children homeschooled under Rule 13 or religious private schools |
| Nevada | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| New Hampshire | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| New Jersey | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| New Mexico | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children, and parents must maintain a record of vaccinations |
| New York | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| North Carolina | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children |
| North Dakota | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children |
| Ohio | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Oklahoma | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Oregon | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Pennsylvania | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children |
| Rhode Island | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| South Carolina | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school and homeschool is classified as home-based instruction |
| South Dakota | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Tennessee | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children. Students homeschooled under the church school system must submit the record of vaccination to the church and school. |
| Texas | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children |
| Utah | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Vermont | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school |
| Virginia | Yes, immunization is required for school attendance, including homeschooled children, and keep a record of the vaccinations |
| Washington | No for homeschooled kids; only required for students enrolled in school Records of immunization may be required for students’ education at home in distance learning or extension programs. |
| West Virginia | No for homeschooled kids, only required for students enrolled in school. |
| Wisconsin | No for homeschooled kids, only required for students enrolled in school. |
| Wyoming | Yes, homeschool is considered part of the home-based educational programs under the umbrella of private schools. |