Frequently Asked Home School Questions - School Registration

Acknowledgment card -- Can it be replaced?

No. The Notice of Intent acknowledgment card is irreplaceable. It is a courtesy card which is printed only on a one-time basis solely to inform you that your initial Notice of Intent has been received. No copies of it are saved or re-issued by DNPE. DNPE can instead furnish (upon request only) an "Inspection Verification Certificate."

See the next paragraph for instructions on how to obtain one.

Acknowledgment card -- Inspection Verification Certificate:

To obtain an "Inspection Verification Certificate" (IVC), simply mail DNPE a copy (keep originals at your home) of your most recent home school student achievement test result scores as well as student attendance records and specifically request in writing the "Inspection Verification Certificate." 

Be sure to include with your written request your home school name, its mailing address, county and chief administrator's name.  On the mailing envelope in which you are sending your request, place the words "IVC Section" on the first line of the DNPE mailing address to expedite the handling of your request when it arrives. 

This free official government certificate will state that your school is operating legally.

After sending my Notice of Intent to DNPE, what happens next?

Within 30 calendar days thereafter, you will receive formal acknowledgment of receipt of your official Notice of Intent; a student attendance record keeping form; and, other important information. See "Acknowledgment Card" above.

Show your DNPE Notice of Intent acknowledgment to the appropriate conventional school official to withdraw your child and then begin your home school.  The school official will probably wish to make a copy of it.  Be sure you retain the original permanently.

Any consequences for failing to register my home school?

Yes. If any of the children currently living with you are at least age 7 but not yet age 16, they must be enrolled in a legal North Carolina school (either a local public, conventional non-public or a home school registered with DNPE).

Failure to register the home school with DNPE would constitute a parental violation of the State of North Carolina compulsory attendance law since the child(ren) would not be enrolled in a legal North Carolina school.  Local public school systems are charged with the legal responsibility of compulsory attendance law enforcement.  G.S. 115C- 379, 380 and 15A-1340.23 speak to the enforcement and penalty, if the parent/guardian is prosecuted by local officials and successfully convicted. 

In addition, students under age 18 may not obtain/retain/re-acquire a valid North Carolina driver's permit/license if he/she is not enrolled in a legal North Carolina school.  Also, see the next question.

Anything I need to know now about student drivers?

Yes.  Be aware that students under age 18 wishing to obtain/retain/re-acquire a North Carolina driver's permit/license must be enrolled in a North Carolina school at all times. 

To initially obtain a North Carolina driver's permit/license (or to have it restored), the student must acquire a North Carolina driving eligibility certificate from the chief administrator of the North Carolina school in which he/she is enrolled at that time. 

Home school chief administrators may not obtain a North Carolina driving eligibility certificate for distribution to its enrollees until after the home school has been properly registered with DNPE for at least the last six consecutive calendar months. 

Also, see "Should I keep my 15 year old student enrolled in a conventional school ?"

Approval or acceptance of the Notice of Intent -- Is it automatic?

There is no approval, disapproval, certification or licensing process involved. You are notifying the State of North Carolina of your intent to establish a home school, not asking for state approval to do so. As long as all questions on the Notice of Intent form are answered and credible high school diploma evidence is submitted with it for all adults named on lines 8 and 9 of the form, acceptance of your completed Notice of Intent form is automatic. 

Formal receipt acknowledgment of your Notice of Intent will be sent to you via the US Postal Service. 

See "Length of completion process" below for further details.

April or May registration -- Is it permitted?

Yes. However, be aware that if you withdraw your student (who was failing academically in a public or conventional non-public school), home school him/her during these final months of the school year and then re-enroll the student the following fall in that school, he/she will probably be retained in the same grade level.  

The student will also be prohibited from participating in athletics (or other inter-school competition activities) until after several weeks into the fall term.  See "Length of Completion Process" below. 

Also, see "Grade Levels, Assigning Student" and "Summer School."

Backdating the Notice of Intent form:

This action on your part will not provide retroactive legal coverage prior to its date of receipt by DNPE. 

Legal coverage begins on the date the Notice of Intent is received by DNPE -- not on the date entered on your form or when you mailed it.

Calling DNPE to check progress on Notice of Intent processing:

Because of the heavy volume of incoming calls daily and the very limited number of staff available to handle them, it is strongly suggested that you not call for this purpose until at least 30 calendar days have passed since you mailed your Notice of Intent to DNPE.  Instead, click here. 

Also, see "Length of Completion Process" below.

Chief administrator/owner:

On lines 7 and 9 of the Notice of Intent form, more than one person's name may be entered for Chief Administrator. 

On line 8, however, only one person's name should be given for Chief Administrator.  Most families list on line 8 the name of the adult in the home who will oversee the academic instruction and on line 9 the adult(s) in the home holding a high school diploma (or its equivalent) who will actually conduct the academic instruction on a regular day to day basis. 

The same name may be used on all three lines.

Also, see "What is the procedure for later changing the Owner's name."

Deadlines/time frames:

You may file your home school Notice of Intent anytime during the year except in or for June. However, see April or May Registration above. Also, see "Summer School." We suggest that you file your Notice of Intent at least 30 calendar days before the date you wish to withdraw your child from his/her present school.

If your only school-aged child will turn age seven this school year, you may file a Notice of Intent anytime this school year as long as it is before the child's seventh birthday.

If the only school-aged child will not turn age seven this school year, you may home school the child this year; but, you would not register with DNPE since the home school laws would not yet be applicable.

If your school is already registered with DNPE, and you are adding another one (or more) of your own children who are at least age seven, do not file another Notice of Intent.

A reminder that there is a limit of one Notice of Intent per household (not per child).

Also, see "Length of Completion Process" and "Required for 5/6 Year Olds" below.

Diploma evidence for parents/guardians:

A copy of your high school diploma, college diploma, GED; or, a copy of your high school or college transcript -- provided it states clearly that a diploma (high school or college) was awarded in a specific month and year -- are examples of acceptable diploma evidence. (High school certificates or copies of them are not acceptable.)

A letter on the letterhead of the educational institution stating your full name and that you received a high school or college diploma from that institution in a specific month and year is also acceptable diploma evidence. 

If the diploma documentation is in a language other than English, please also enclose an English translation of it by an outside of the household, non-related adult. That person should then sign, date it and provide a telephone number and mailing address where he/she may be reached for verification purposes. It would also be helpful to know about that person's familiarity with that language, such as: The person professionally teaches or translates that language, was born or previously lived for several years in that country, etc.

If diploma evidence is not submitted with the Notice of Intent, it will be returned to the chief administrator quickly for inclusion and re-submission. 

To avoid this unnecessary delay, be certain to always submit your diploma evidence with your Notice of Intent.

Elect to operate under part 1 or part 2?

The requirements of part 2 of Article 39, Chapter 115C of the North Carolina General Statutes are identical to part 1.  Part 1 is for religious schools while part 2 is for other types. 

The home school statutes require that you make the election to operate under one or the other and that you meet the requirements of the chosen part.  You are simply choosing how you prefer to be officially registered with DNPE. 

You may change your election at any time.  In order to register as a religious school, you are not required to necessarily use religious curriculum and vice versa.  This required choice is used for statistical purposes.

Fastest way to file?

Click on "Home School Requirements, Reminders & Recommendations" and read carefully the entire page.

Click on "Notice of Intent form";  complete the form on your PC screen answering all questions; download it onto paper;  follow directions given at the top of the form;  be sure to submit with it diploma evidence for all adults named on lines 8 and 9;  and, then send via overnight mail.  The DNPE address is at the top of the Notice of Intent form. 

Don't withdraw the student from (or stop sending him/her to) the present conventional school until the process of legally establishing your home school has been completed with DNPE. 

Also, see "Length of Completion Process" as well as "Hand Deliver My Notice of Intent" below and "Public Schools of North Carolina -- Withdrawing A Student From."

Fax my Notice of Intent?

No.  It must be sent to DNPE via US Postal Service regular mail; or by an overnight delivery service if its receipt by the division is time sensitive.  Also see "Hand Deliver My Notice of Intent" below.

First grade placement for home schooled kindergarten students:

See "Public Schools of North Carolina -- Grade Placement for Home Schooled 5 & 6 Year Old Students."

GED -- How do I obtain a replacement for a lost GED?

Contact the state GED office in the state which originally issued it.  If it was obtained originally through the State of North Carolina, contact the
                           NC State GED Office
                           5016 Mail Service Center
                           Raleigh, NC  27699-5016
                           Telephone (919) 807-7137

Or, click here for further information.

Hand deliver my Notice of Intent to DNPE offices?

No.  The home school law says your Notice of Intent is to be sent.  You may send it either via regular mail or overnight mail.  Also, see "Fax my Notice of Intent" above.

Inspection Verification Certificate:

See "Acknowledgment card -- Inspection Verification Certificate" above.

Legal definition of a home school:

Your proposed instructional arrangement must always meet the legal definition of a home school. 

See G.S. 115C-563(a) -  North Carolina statutes define a home school by from whom the child receives his/her academic instruction -- not by where the academic instruction is conducted. 

If all of the academic instruction will be conducted by a person outside of the household, the arrangement cannot legally qualify as a home school.  The requirements for a conventional non-public school would have to be followed instead.

See "Two Household Schools" for the one exception to this requirement.  Also, see "Professional Educators' Role in Home Schools" and the next question."

Legal distinction between a boarding school and a home school:

Generally, the distinction between these two types of non-public schools is determined by whether or not the school administrator lives within the same building as the students. 

If everyone sleeps under the same roof, it is indeed a home school.  Otherwise, the school must be registered as a conventional boarding school.  G.S.115C-563(a) was enacted to give individual parents the opportunity to teach their children themselves in lieu of conventional school attendance.

Also, see previous question.

Length of completion process:

Plan ahead.  Always allow up to 30 calendar days (at the very most) - especially during DNPE's busiest time of the year (July through November). 

This 30 day time frame begins with the day you mail to DNPE the completed Notice of Intent form (together with its attached diploma documentation) and ends with a written acknowledgment from DNPE in your mailbox indicating that DNPE has received your completed Notice of Intent form. 

That written acknowledgment on an orange colored 4" x 6" card means that you are then legally ready to begin operation of your home school.

Notice of Intents are not accepted during or for the month of June.

This 30-day process can be expedited.  See "Fastest Way to File" above.

Also, see "Grade Levels, Assigning Student" and "Summer School."

Must I register my home school in North Carolina even though my primary residency is in another state?

Yes, provided the student is of North Carolina compulsory attendance age (at least age 7, but not yet age 16) and provided the student will be staying within the State of North Carolina's geographical borders for more than 30 consecutive days during the traditional nine month school year. 

Claiming a primary residency out-of-state does not exempt the parent of such a student from North Carolina's compulsory attendance law.

Also, see "Travel, Out-of-State."

Name, School -- Any suggestions in choosing one?

Yes.  Click here for this information.

Non-diploma holding parents/guardians:

For parents/guardians living in households where there are no resident adults who possess a high school diploma (or its equivalent), there are two options available to legally have their children (of compulsory attendance age) home educated. 

First, the parent/guardian may contact the GED (General Equivalency Diploma) test coordinator at a local community college and make arrangements to acquire a GED (or to enroll in the Adult High School Diploma Program there).  The GED usually costs less than $10 but takes about 6 - 10 weeks to obtain.

Second, the parent/guardian might consider approaching the chief administrator of an existing legal home school and ask if he/she would consider enrolling the child in that home school to be taught weekdays on a regular basis by that parent in this already established home school.

See "Two Household Schools" and "Professional Educators' Role in Home Schools."

Numbers, School Code:  Are they assigned to schools?

Yes, but only for the purposes of filing the school's Annual Online Reports and in using DNPE's forthcoming additional interactive online services. Otherwise, all filing and referencing of North Carolina home schools by the State of North Carolina is only by school name and county.

Re-opening a home school:

If the home school has been closed for less than five years; the home school chief administrator lives in the same county; and the same previous home school name is used, complete the Notice of Intent form again (Be sure to answer “Yes” to the question on line 1 of the Notice of Intent form); and send it to DNPE. Including your high school diploma evidence will not be necessary this time except for any new names that may have now been added on the Chief Administrator or Provider lines. 

If the home school will be operating in a different county from its previous location, answer "Yes" to the question on line 1 and then enter there the previous county's name. Then on line 2, enter the current county.

If the home school has been closed for five years or more, submit your high school diploma evidence with it again for the adults you are now listing on the Chief Administrator and Provider lines of this Notice of Intent form.

Required annually?

No.  If you are continuing to operate a currently registered home school from year to year, do not send a Notice of Intent again -- even if you are adding another child. 

In its files, DNPE automatically retains your school from year to year as a currently active one -- provided you have not terminated the school and you have notified the division immediately about any changes in the school's address.

Also, see "Mailings from DNPE to All Schools, Annual."

Required for 5/6 year olds?

No. If your child will not turn age seven during the current school year (which runs from July 1 through the following June 30), you will not file a Notice of Intent with DNPE for this school term. 

At any time, you may simply go by the child's current conventional school; complete/sign the necessary paperwork there to withdraw your child; take him/her home; and, begin home schooling the child without dealing with this or any other government office for the remainder of this school year. 

However, please note that you must officially withdraw the child from the school in which the child is currently enrolled.  Don't simply stop sending the child to school. 

Otherwise, the parent/guardian risks possible prosecution for a compulsory attendance violation.  Within 30 days preceding the child's seventh birthday, the school will need to be registered with DNPE -- by no later than the child's seventh birthday.

Also, see "Grade Placement for Home Schooled 5 & 6 Year Old Students."

Required for 16/17 year olds?

Only if the student wishes to obtain/retain his/her North Carolina driver's permit/license while under age 18.  The student will then need to continue receiving academic instruction on a regular schedule and be required to take a nationally standardized achievement test each year until reaching age 18.

Also, see "Student Diplomas & Graduation."

Required for age 18 or older students?

No.  North Carolina's home school laws are applicable only for schools enrolling students who have not yet reached their eighteenth birthday.  Do not send a Notice of Intent if the only students involved are age 18 or older.

Required for each student?

No.  Do not send a separate notice of intent form for each student.  Your one notice of intent covers all children of compulsory attendance age who live with you.  Only one notice of intent per household please.

Also, see "Adding another student."

Send Notice of Intent now & diploma evidence later?

No.  That will delay the processing of your Notice of Intent even longer since it will be immediately returned to the home school chief administrator for re-submission later with the previously missing diploma evidence attached to it. 

Always send the Notice of Intent and the diploma evidence together.

Should I continue to send my child to school until the home school registration process has been completed?

Yes.  Otherwise, the principal of the conventional school in which the child is currently enrolled (would be attending) may order prosecution for a compulsory attendance violation. 

Consult that principal for the final answer to this question.

Also, see "Public Schools of North Carolina -- Withdrawing A Student From."

Students currently failing in a conventional school:

Click on "Grade Levels, Assigning Student."

Telephone number required?

State law does not require that you provide your telephone number.  From a practical standpoint, however, it would be to your benefit to provide it for faster service and more efficient communication. 

Often a parent will leave a voice mail message requesting a returned call, or a specific item from DNPE, and forget to include all the needed information to fulfill the request. On occasion, portions of such calls are unintelligible because of a poor quality telephone, long distance line or cell tower connection. 

When DNPE has no phone number on file, a response to such requests may be delayed.

Why are you asking for my e-mail address?

State law does not require that you provide your e-mail address.

DNPE is in the midst of a two year conversion process to automate many of its internal and external business services. It will allow DNPE to use e-mails and secured interactive web pages to communicate with and provide business services to home school administrators.

When fully operational, new home schoolers will be able to register their school online. Currently registered home schoolers who provide their e-mail address will be able to:

• Make changes online at any time to their current registration information;
• Be e-mailed each August the new Access Code for filing their Annual Online Report;
• Schedule their own Volunteer Office Help Days and Times without calling or writing DNPE

Home school administrators who voluntarily provide their e-mail address will be e-mailed instructions on how to register online with DNPE and create their own password and alias for accessing these new automated electronic services.

Your e-mail address is the vital technological ingredient upon which this automated business model is built. This new online business process will save home schoolers postage; eliminate the possibility of misdelivered mail; as well as reduce frustration and long distance costs in calling DNPE.

In short, the reason for requesting your e-mail address is to improve efficiency and greatly streamline services to North Carolina's home school families. Your cooperation and assistance in helping us achieve that goal is greatly appreciated.

Withdrawals from year-round schools

During the month of June, if your child attends a year-round school and you now wish instead to establish a home school to educate that child during the upcoming July 1 through June 30 home school year, please time the mailing of your Notice of Intent form to arrive at DNPE promptly on July 1 - but not before July 1. Be sure to attach a note to it requesting priority handling of it by DNPE because your child is currently enrolled in a year-round school. For verification purposes, you must also include the name of the year-round school and the date it will next open. Otherwise, your Notice of Intent will be processed in the customary order in which it was received.