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State requirements · verified
Homeschooling in New Mexico.
In New Mexico you register your home school with the state Public Education Department and renew it by August 1 each year; there's no required testing.
Informational, not legal advice — verify with your state. We help you organize and document; you decide what to file.
What New Mexico asks
Who can home school
A parent or legal guardian runs the home school. Whoever teaches needs at least a high school diploma or its equivalent (New Mexico Statutes Annotated, NMSA, 1978 § 22-1-2.1). No teaching license is required.
Who you notify
The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED), not your school district.
When to notify
Within 30 days of starting your home school, then again on or before August 1 of every year you continue. NMPED asks you to register once your child turns 5.
How to notify
Register online through NMPED's Home School System at homeschool.ped.state.nm.us, or mail NMPED's paper Notification of a Home School form. Online is faster. Each child gets a registration number, which is your proof of notice.
School age
Children must attend public, private or home school from age 5 until at least 18, unless they graduate or earn a high school equivalency credential (§ 22-12A-4).
Subjects
Reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science (§ 22-1-2). You choose the materials. No one approves your curriculum or lesson plans, and you don't send them in.
Days and hours
The home school law doesn't set a number of days or hours. NMPED's paper form also reprints the public school year-length law; if you'd like certainty for your family, ask NMPED at Info.HomeSchool@ped.nm.gov.
Testing
None required. Home-schooled students don't take state tests, and you don't send in results. You may ask your district about testing, but it can say no.
Records
Keep your child's immunization records, or an approved waiver (§ 22-1-2.1). NMPED also encourages keeping attendance, materials and work samples, which help if your child returns to school or applies to college.
Public school classes and activities
Your child may take one or more public school classes and up to three New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) activities at your zoned school, if eligibility rules are met (§§ 22-8-23.8, 22-8-23.9).
Diplomas and college
You may grant your own diploma (not a state diploma). Your child may take the GED (General Educational Development) test from age 16. Registered home school students can qualify for the New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship.
If the rules aren't met
NMPED enforces the home school law. If a home school isn't meeting it, NMPED may order the child to attend a public or private school (§ 22-2-2).
Online public school
Students enrolled in an online public school are public school students, not home schoolers, so these steps don't apply to them.
Verified October 2026 · from NMSA 1978 §§ 22-1-2, 22-1-2.1, 22-2-2 and 22-12A-4 (as reprinted by NMPED) and NMPED's home schooling page, FAQ and district guidance.
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