California · leaving public school
How to withdraw your child from public school and homeschool in California
California asks a homeschooling family to file something. Here is what it is, who gets it, when it is due, and a letter you can fill in.
The short version
- The law California families homeschool under
- Private school affidavit (home school as a private school) (Cal. Educ. Code 33190 and 48222)
- What to file
- California has no separate home school law. Families commonly operate as a private school and file the annual Private School Affidavit (PSA) online with the California Department of Education, which says the affidavit is not a license or approval. The October 1 to 15 filing window comes from secondary excerpts, so confirm it with the California Department of Education.
- Send it to
- The private school affidavit is filed online with the California Department of Education. A withdrawal letter goes to the child's current school or district office, which has its own disenrollment procedure.
- When
- Cal. Educ. Code 33190 is reported to set an annual filing window of October 1 to 15, and the online PSA system is described as open August 1 to June 30. We could not confirm this on a primary page, so check the dates with the California Department of Education.
Official form: Private School Affidavit (online)
Step by step
Step 1. Know what California requires to start
California has no separate home school law. Families commonly operate as a private school and file the annual Private School Affidavit (PSA) online with the California Department of Education, which says the affidavit is not a license or approval. The October 1 to 15 filing window comes from secondary excerpts, so confirm it with the California Department of Education.
Less certain: the sources on this were thin or in conflict. Confirm with the state office before relying on it.
Step 2. Leave the school the right way
Per CDE guidance seen only in a search excerpt, a district follows its local disenrollment procedure when a parent asks to withdraw, and a district may not require proof of a filed PSA to begin disenrollment. The statute text on this was not read, so check with the district for its procedure.
Less certain: the sources on this were thin or in conflict. Confirm with the state office before relying on it.
Step 3. Watch the deadlines
Cal. Educ. Code 33190 is reported to set an annual filing window of October 1 to 15, and the online PSA system is described as open August 1 to June 30. We could not confirm this on a primary page, so check the dates with the California Department of Education.
Less certain: the sources on this were thin or in conflict. Confirm with the state office before relying on it.
Step 4. Ask for your child’s records
No California-specific records rule was verified. FERPA gives a parent the right to inspect and request a copy of the child's education records.
Step 5. If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan
No California-specific rule was verified. Federal rule 34 CFR 300.300(b)(4) lets a parent revoke consent to special education services in writing, and revocation ends those services.
Before you pull your child out
School ages and attendance in California
Search excerpts of Cal. Educ. Code 48200 give ages 6 to 18, and 48222 exempts a child in a private school, but the statute pages were not read. The consequence for a withdrawn child with no affidavit on record was not found in primary sources we read.
Less certain: the sources on this were thin or in conflict. Confirm with the state office before relying on it.
A letter you can fill in
Fill in the boxes and copy the letter. It is built from what we found above for California: it goes to your child's current school to withdraw, and the state filing described above is a separate step. Check it against the state office before you send it.
Everything you type stays in this page. It is never sent to us or saved. Put the recipient's name and address on the To line before you send it.
[today's date] To: The principal of my child's current school and the district office [name and address] Re: Withdrawal from school and home education, [child's full name] Dear Sir or Madam: I am the parent of [child's full name], born [date of birth], who is currently enrolled in grade [grade] at [name of current school]. Please accept this letter as notice that I am withdrawing my child from [name of current school], effective [start date]. I will be providing a home education program under Cal. Educ. Code 33190 and 48222. I am filing the California Private School Affidavit online with the California Department of Education. I also request a copy of my child's education records, including the cumulative file, attendance and any testing records. Please send them to the address below. Thank you. Sincerely, [your name] [your address]
Who to ask in California
California Department of Education, Private School Affidavit ([email protected]), last checked October 2026.
Sources we read
A plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice. Laws and forms change, so confirm the current rules with the state office before you send anything.
Once you have left, what do you teach?
Letters & Devotion is a Christian K-12 homeschool curriculum with lessons that are never timed. All 84 courses are readable in full with no account and no card, and the first 30 days are free.
$29 a month or $290 a year for every child. Cancel anytime, in one click.
Questions
Do I have to file anything to homeschool in California?
California has no separate home school law. Families commonly operate as a private school and file the annual Private School Affidavit (PSA) online with the California Department of Education, which says the affidavit is not a license or approval. The October 1 to 15 filing window comes from secondary excerpts, so confirm it with the California Department of Education.
Can I take my child out of public school in the middle of the year in California?
Per CDE guidance seen only in a search excerpt, a district follows its local disenrollment procedure when a parent asks to withdraw, and a district may not require proof of a filed PSA to begin disenrollment. The statute text on this was not read, so check with the district for its procedure.
Who do I send the letter to in California?
The private school affidavit is filed online with the California Department of Education. A withdrawal letter goes to the child's current school or district office, which has its own disenrollment procedure.
What does it cost?
This page and the letter are free. If you choose Letters & Devotion for lessons, it is $29 a month or $290 a year for every child, and the first 30 days are free with no card.
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