Homeschooling in California: Complete Guide for 2026 (PSA, PSP, Charter)

California is the most complex US state for homeschool law, but the complexity creates options. Three legal pathways exist, and choosing the right one for your family is the most important decision you make in your first year.

This guide explains all three paths, names which Waldorf homeschool families typically choose, and walks through what to do once you have decided. We link to the California state requirements page for the structured legal reference and focus this article on the practical decision.

How to file a PSA to homeschool in California

The Private School Affidavit (PSA) is how most California families homeschool on their own. Your home becomes a small private school, and you file one affidavit a year with the California Department of Education (CDE).

1. Choose a name for your school. Any name works. The CDE asks you to leave out "School" and "The".
2. File the affidavit online on the CDE's PSA filing system. It's free, and you can't save it halfway, so have your address, grades and enrollment numbers ready before you start.
3. File in the window. The legal filing period is October 1 to 15. If you start at another time of year, the system is open from August 1 to June 30, so you can file when you begin.
4. Keep three records at home: an attendance register that marks every absence of half a day or more, the courses of study you offer, and the name, address and qualifications of each teacher (usually you).
5. Teach in English and cover the branches of study the public schools teach. How you teach them, and with which curriculum, is yours.
6. File again each school year. You don't report to your school district. If you're withdrawing a child, the district only checks that your affidavit was filed.

How California homeschool law works

California does not have a homeschool statute as such. Instead, it has a private-school statute (California Education Code Section 33190, requiring an annual affidavit) and a compulsory-attendance exemption (Section 48222, which exempts children attending private schools from public-school attendance). The combination is what permits homeschooling: you establish your home as a private school under Section 33190, and your child is exempt from public-school attendance under Section 48222.

This legal architecture explains why California's homeschool community talks in terms of "private schools" and "PSAs" and "PSPs" rather than the terms used in most states. There is no California-specific homeschool law. There are private-school laws that California families have used for half a century to homeschool, with court cases (most notably the 2008 Jonathan L. v. Superior Court case) confirming the practice.

The three paths reflect three different ways to satisfy the private-school framework:

• PSA: You are the private school. You file the affidavit yourself.
• PSP: You enroll in a private school that exists to support homeschoolers. The school files the affidavit on your behalf.
• Charter ISP: You are enrolled in a public charter school that runs an Independent Study program. The charter school is your school of record.

Path 1: The Private School Affidavit (PSA)

The PSA is the do-it-yourself path and the one most longtime California homeschool advocates recommend for families confident in handling the work themselves.

How it works:

1. Between October 1 and 15 each year, file the Private School Affidavit online via the California Department of Education's PSA portal. If you start homeschooling at another time of year, the system is open from August 1 to June 30, so you can file when you begin.
2. The affidavit asks for the name of your private school (you choose; the CDE asks you to leave out "School" and "The") and your home address. It also asks for the grades you offer, how many students are in each grade, and who keeps the records and where.
3. Click submit. You are now operating a registered private school in California.
4. Maintain three records at home: an attendance register that marks every absence of half a day or more, the courses of study you offer, and the name, address and educational qualifications of each teacher. The state does not collect them, but California Education Code requires them to exist.
5. Repeat each October.

What you owe the state: the annual affidavit, the three records, and instruction in English in the branches of study the public schools teach (Education Code sections 51210 for grades 1 to 6 and 51220 for grades 7 to 12). No standardized testing, no portfolio review, no curriculum approval, no reporting to your district.

What you owe yourself: the actual education. With no external benchmark, you set your own pacing, choose your own curriculum, and assess progress on your own terms. For Waldorf families this is ideal because the curriculum has its own internal logic and you do not need to map to public-school grade-level standards.

Cost: Free.

Best for: Families confident in self-directing the program, aligned with a curriculum that has internal pacing (Waldorf, classical, Charlotte Mason all qualify), and not seeking financial support from the state.

Path 2: The Private Satellite Program (PSP)

A PSP is a registered private school that exists to serve homeschool families. Some are large statewide programs. Some are small Waldorf-specific or pedagogy-specific umbrellas. Some are local cooperatives that share the umbrella structure. (Note: charter Independent Study programs like Sky Mountain are a different category; see Path 3 below.)

How it works:

1. You enroll your child in the PSP, which registers them as a student of the PSP's private school.
2. The PSP files the affidavit on your behalf and maintains the records.
3. You pay tuition (annually or monthly, typically $300 to $2,500 per child per year).
4. You may receive: a Statement of Enrollment (useful for various administrative purposes), assistance with transcripts and high-school graduation, optional classes and field trips, a community of other homeschool families, sometimes loaner curriculum or library access.
5. The PSP may have internal requirements: end-of-year portfolio submission, attendance reporting, course enrollment confirmation. These vary widely by PSP.

What you gain: community, administrative simplicity, often a credentialed person who signs off on transcripts at high-school completion.

What you give up: tuition cost, sometimes some autonomy (if the PSP has its own pacing or curriculum requirements).

Best for: Waldorf families who want a community of similar-method homeschoolers, families wanting transcript and graduation support, families who prefer not to handle the affidavit and records themselves.

Waldorf-specific PSPs: several exist in California, often associated with Waldorf schools or with Waldorf homeschool networks. Worth searching specifically for one in your region rather than enrolling in a general PSP.

Path 3: Public Charter School Independent Study (ISP)

The Charter ISP is the funding-rich path, and the most fundamentally different from PSA or PSP.

What it actually is: public school enrollment. Your child is enrolled in a public charter school that operates an Independent Study program. The child is a public-school student. The state funds the school at approximately $2,000 to $3,000 per student per year, and the charter passes a portion of that to the family in the form of vendor credits, instructional materials, and approved-curriculum purchases.

How it works:

1. Apply to a Charter ISP (lottery admission is common for popular programs).
2. Once enrolled, your child is assigned a credentialed teacher of record (the Educational Specialist or similar role). You meet with the ES every 4 to 6 weeks to review work samples and plan ahead.
3. You receive vendor credits to spend on curriculum, supplies, classes, and educational services from the charter's approved-vendor list.
4. Your child takes the state standardized test (CAASPP) annually starting in grade 3.
5. The teacher of record signs off on credit completion, and at high school graduation issues a state-recognized diploma.

What you gain: approximately $2,000 to $3,000 per child per year in spending power, professional educational support, a state-recognized diploma path.

What you give up: religious curriculum (cannot be purchased with public funds), some autonomy (the teacher of record reviews and approves choices), mandatory testing, and the legal status of homeschool (your child is in public school).

The Waldorf complication: Waldorf festivals, the Christian story content in the early grades, and the spiritual-pedagogical foundation in Steiner's writings can create gray-area conflicts with the religious-content restriction on charter funds. Some Waldorf-aligned vendors are approved by some charters; others are not. Some charters have homeschool ESs who specialize in Waldorf-friendly approaches; others apply the religious restriction strictly. Research the specific charter and ES before enrolling.

Withdrawing from a public school in California

California requires careful sequencing if you are pulling your child out of a public school mid-year:

1. Decide your path first (PSA, PSP, or Charter ISP).
2. If PSA or PSP: file the affidavit (or have your PSP file it) before submitting the withdrawal letter. The school district treats the affidavit as evidence that the child is in a private school. Without it, you can be flagged for truancy.
3. If Charter ISP: enroll in the charter, then submit the public-school withdrawal letter. Inter-district transfer paperwork handles the change of enrollment.
4. Submit a withdrawal letter to the public school's principal or registrar, citing transfer to a private school (or charter, as applicable).
5. Keep copies of the affidavit confirmation and the withdrawal letter together in your records.

Without this sequence, the public school may report your child as truant, which can lead to a Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) referral. The fix is straightforward (provide the affidavit) but creates anxiety for families who didn't know about the order of operations.

Funding and tax considerations

California does not offer an ESA, voucher, or direct homeschool-funding program. PSA and PSP families self-fund. Charter ISP families receive public-school funding through the charter, but that funding comes with the constraints described above.

The California Homeschool Tax Credit has been proposed in legislative sessions but not enacted as of 2026. Federal 529 plans can be used for qualified K-12 expenses up to $10,000 per year per beneficiary, which is a meaningful tax-advantaged way to fund California homeschool costs.

University admission for California homeschoolers

UC and CSU systems both admit homeschool applicants. The standard route:

• a-g coursework: UC and CSU require coursework in seven subject areas (a through g). Homeschool students document this on a parent-issued transcript. Some PSPs maintain WASC accreditation, which simplifies the process by providing an accredited transcript.
• SAT or ACT: UC and CSU have made test scores optional for some admissions cycles, but homeschool applicants often submit them anyway as external validation.
• Letters of recommendation: from coaches, employers, community leaders, or co-op teachers.
• Personal Statement / Personal Insight Questions for UC.

Community college admission is straightforward: any California resident 18 or over (or with parent consent under 18) can enroll. Many homeschool families dual-enroll their high-schoolers at community college during grades 11 and 12, which both demonstrates academic capability and earns transferable college credits.

What to do once you have chosen your path

1. Open the California state requirements page for the structured legal reference and current deadlines.
2. Pick your path: PSA (free, max freedom), PSP (community, paid tuition), or Charter ISP (funded, public-school enrollment).
3. For PSA: file the affidavit between October 1 and 15. Set a calendar reminder.
4. For PSP: research Waldorf-friendly PSPs in your region. Enroll. Confirm the PSP files the affidavit.
5. For Charter ISP: apply during the charter's enrollment window (often January to March for the following year). Lotteries are common.
6. Withdraw from any current public school in the correct order (affidavit first, then withdrawal letter).
7. Set up your record system: attendance log, curriculum list, work samples. California does not collect these but Education Code requires them to exist.
8. Connect with a local network: HSC, CHN, regional Waldorf homeschool groups.

Related reading

• Homeschooling laws by US state: complete guide
• Easiest US states to homeschool in 2026
• How do I start Waldorf homeschooling?
• Is there a Waldorf homeschool curriculum?
• How much does Waldorf homeschooling cost?