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How to Start Homeschooling in Alabama (2026)

Alabama law lets a child between the ages of six and 17 satisfy compulsory attendance by attending a public school, private school, or church school, or by being instructed by a competent private tutor. The Alabama Department of Revenue manages the CHOOSE Act, which makes education savings accounts available to eligible families.

Legal framework

Section 16-28-3 of the Code of Alabama requires every child between the ages of six and 17 to attend a public school, private school, or church school, or to be instructed by a competent private tutor. A child attending a church school before the 16th birthday is exempt from that requirement if the child complies with the enrollment and reporting procedures in section 16-28-7. Section 16-28-1 defines a church school as a school offering instruction in grades K-12 through on-site or home programs that is operated as a ministry of a local church, group of churches, denomination, or association of churches and does not receive state or federal funding, and defines a private school as one established, conducted, and supported by a nongovernmental entity offering instruction in grades K-12 through on-site or home programs. Under section 16-28-5, instruction by a private tutor means instruction by a person who holds a certificate issued by the State Superintendent of Education, who offers the branches of study required in the public schools for at least three hours a day for 140 days each calendar year, and who files a statement with the county or city superintendent before beginning instruction showing the children to be instructed, the subjects to be taught, and the period of instruction.

ESA & scholarship opportunities

The CHOOSE Act, signed March 7, 2024, makes refundable income tax credits called education savings accounts (ESAs) available through the Alabama Department of Revenue. According to the Department, an ESA for a participating student in a home education program (an individual or group program, homeschool or co-op) is $2,000, capped at $4,000 per family. The Department's page sets an award priority order that begins with the first 500 ESAs for participating students with special needs and gives priority to siblings of participating students; the order for each academic year is listed on the Department's CHOOSE Act page.