South Carolina homeschool requirements
South Carolina offers three legal routes — through the local district, through SCAIHS, or through a third-option accountability association (the most common) — all requiring a 180-day year and a parent with a high-school diploma or GED.
Program
United States — South Carolina · South Carolina Home School (Three Options)
What the South Carolina process looks like
1.Establish the program
Choose one of the three options
Register under Option 1 (local school district approval, §59-65-40), Option 2 (SCAIHS membership, §59-65-45), or Option 3 (a qualifying accountability association of 50+ families, §59-65-47). Option 3 is the most common. The parent must hold at least a high-school diploma or GED.
Withdraw from prior school (if applicable)
Withdraw the child from any current school.
2.During the year
Teach required subjects for 180 days
Provide at least 180 days of instruction covering reading, writing, math, science, and social studies (and composition/literature in grades 7+), and keep the records your option requires (typically attendance, a plan book, and a portfolio of work).
3.End of year
Meet your option's review/testing rules
Complete whatever review your chosen option requires. Testing varies: Option 1 requires the state test; many Option 3 associations require no standardized testing, while some require a year-end record check or test. Confirm with your association.
Sources · Last reviewed 2026-07
Take the South Carolina checklist with you
The same phases and tasks as a one-page PDF you can print, plus the app that tracks them for you.