Homeschool laws by state / Iowa

Homeschool Laws & Requirements in Iowa

Every requirement below is verified against Iowa's actual statutes and links to the official text. Last verified: 2026-08-09 — re-checked weekly against primary sources.

What Iowa requires

Notice / filing	None — no notice or registration required
Days / hours	No day or hour minimum is set by law.
Subjects	No subject list is written into the law.
Testing / evaluation	None required
Records	No portfolio submission is required by law — but keeping records protects you.

Citations: Iowa Code ch. 299A; parent-CPI and IPI have no notice, testing or day/hour count (the 148-day / 37-per-quarter figure defines the LICENSED-practitioner CPI only). IPI per Iowa Code §299A.1(2)(b), as amended by 2026 HF 2754 Div. XIII, eff. 2026-05-12: no cap on unrelated students, tuition and fees allowed; teaches math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies in all grade levels; reports on written request

What Iowa law does NOT require

Most websites won't say this plainly, so we will — because knowing what the law doesn't ask of you matters as much as knowing what it does:

No notice, registration, or filing with the state is required to homeschool.
No minimum number of school days or instructional hours is set by law.
No standardized testing or annual evaluation is required.
No specific list of required subjects is written into the law.
No portfolio submission to officials is required.

Moving to or from Iowa

Moving INTO Iowa	Nothing required (parent-CPI filings are optional). § 299A.3
Moving OUT of Iowa	No exit filing is required. Iowa Code § 299A.3

Recent change in Iowa

Iowa expanded Independent Private Instruction in May 2026 — the four-student cap and no-tuition rule were removed. An IPI now teaches math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies in all grade levels, and reports only on written request. Family homeschooling under parent-provided instruction is unchanged — still no notice, no testing, no day count. Tap View the law to read the amended text. (Verified 2026-08-09.)

Families using SpeedyRecord were notified of this change in the app.

Read the law yourself

Iowa Code § 299A.1 (CPI & IPI)
Iowa Code § 299A.3 (CPI by parent)
HSLDA - Iowa
Summary provided by HSLDA, an independent homeschool advocacy organization not affiliated with SpeedyRecord. Summaries can lag or paraphrase — the official text above is always the authority.

Keep Iowa's records without thinking about Iowa's rules

SpeedyRecord tracks all of this for you — log your day by talking, and attendance, hours, subjects, and Iowa's paperwork take care of themselves. If the law above ever changes, the app tells you.

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Other states: Indiana · Kansas · Kentucky · All states

SpeedyRecord is a recordkeeping tool, not a law firm, and this page is not legal advice. We verify these requirements against Iowa's statutes and link the official text so you can read the law yourself; laws change, and the "last verified" date above tells you when we last checked. For legal questions about your family's specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney. © MyAiGuidanceCounselor LLC · Privacy · Terms · Compliance disclaimer