The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Oklahoma. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Oklahoma.

Homeschooling is a right guaranteed by the Constitution of Oklahoma, and by state statute. Oklahoma has placed very few legal restrictions on homeschooling, and as a result it is very easy to meet the state requirements. Parents can provide for their child any kind of education they choose.

The age and schooling certificate shall not be approved until the parent or guardian of such child shall present a school attendance certificate as hereinafter prescribed. A duplicate of such age and schooling certificate shall be filled out and sent by the school officer, before whom the same is made, to the Commissioner of Labor. The blank forms for school attendance certificate and for the age and schooling certificate shall be supplied to the principal, headmaster, or equivalent administrative officer of the school or to one of the child's parents if the child is being schooled at home by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction as hereinafter indicated. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE. .................. (Name of School). .................. (City and County). ....................... (Date). This certifies that ................ (name of child) can read and write and that according to the records of this school and in my belief is now ............. (number of years and months) old, and has attended school during the full school term of the preceding year. .................. (Name of parent or guardian). .................. (Residence). ................. (Signature of teacher). AGE AND SCHOOLING CERTIFICATE. This certifies that I am .............. (father, mother or guardian) of ........... (name of child) s.s.# ..............., and that he (or she) was born at ............. (town or city), .......... (county), .............. (state or country), on the ........ (day, month and year of birth), and is now ............... (number of years and months old). ..................................... (Signature of parent or guardian). .......................... (Date). .................... (City or town or county). Personally appeared before me the above-mentioned ............ (name of person signing), and made oath that the foregoing certificate is true to the best of his (or her) knowledge and belief. I hereby approve the foregoing certificate of ............. (name of child), height ............. (feet and inches), weight ........... (pounds), complexion ........... (fair or dark), hair ............. (color), eyes .......... (color), having no sufficient reason to doubt that he (or she) is of the age therein certified. OWNER OF CERTIFICATE. This certificate belongs to ............. (name of child), and is to be surrendered to him (or her) whenever he (or she) leaves the service of the employer holding the same, but if not claimed by said child within thirty days after leaving said service, shall be sent to the Commissioner of Labor. .................................., (Signature of officer, with name of city, town or county, and date.)

The age and schooling certificate shall be approved by the principal, headmaster, or equivalent administrative officer of the school which the child attends or should be attending or by one of the child's parents if the child is being schooled at home, who shall, for the purpose of this article, be empowered to administer an oath. The principal, headmaster, or equivalent administrative officer of the school which the child attends or should be attending or by one of the child's parents if the child is being schooled at home, shall approve such certificate only upon the application in person of the child desiring employment accompanied by its parents, guardian or custodian, and after having received, examined and approved documentary evidence of age, showing that the child is fourteen (14) years of age, or over, which evidence shall consist of one of the following named proofs of age, duly attested, and the proof accepted shall be specified in the certificate issued to the child; the proof specified in subdivision (a) shall be required first, but if this is not available then one of the proofs specified in the succeeding subdivisions shall be required and in the order designated until the age of the child be established, as follows: (a) A birth certificate or transcript thereof issued by a registrar of vital statistics or other officer charged with the duty of recording births which certificate or transcript thereof shall be prima facie evidence of the age of the child. (b) A certificate of baptism or transcript thereof, showing the date of birth and place of baptism of the child. (c) A passport showing the age of the child; or a certificate of arrival in the United States, issued by the United States immigration officer and showing the age of the child; or a life insurance policy at least one (1) year old showing the age of the child or other credible evidence as may be approved by the Commissioner. Every employment certificate shall be signed, in the presence of the officer issuing the same by the child in whose name it is issued.

A. It shall be unlawful for a parent, guardian, or other person having custody of a child who is over the age of five (5) years, and under the age of eighteen (18) years, to neglect or refuse to cause or compel such child to attend and comply with the rules of some public, private or other school, unless other means of education are provided for the full term the schools of the district are in session or the child is excused as provided in this section. One-half (1/2) day of kindergarten shall be required of all children five (5) years of age or older unless the child is excused from kindergarten attendance as provided in this section. A child who is five (5) years of age shall be excused from kindergarten attendance until the next school year after the child is six (6) years of age if a parent, guardian, or other person having custody of the child notifies the superintendent of the district where the child is a resident by certified mail prior to enrollment in kindergarten, or at any time during the first school year that the child is required to attend kindergarten pursuant to this section, of election to withhold the child from kindergarten until the next school year after the child is six (6) years of age. A kindergarten program shall be directed toward developmentally appropriate objectives for such children. The program shall require that any teacher employed on and after January 1, 1993, to teach a kindergarten program within the public school system shall be certified in early childhood education. All teachers hired to teach a kindergarten program within the public school system prior to January 1, 1993, shall be required to obtain certification in early childhood education on or before the 1996-97 school year in order to continue to teach a kindergarten program. B. It shall be unlawful for any child who is over the age of sixteen (16) years and under the age of eighteen (18) years, and who has not finished four (4) years of high school work, to neglect or refuse to attend and comply with the rules of some public, private or other school, or receive an education by other means for the full term the schools of the district are in session. Provided, that this section shall not apply: 1. If any such child is prevented from attending school by reason of mental or physical disability, to be determined by the board of education of the district upon a certificate of the school physician or public health physician, or, if no such physician is available, a duly licensed and practicing physician; 2. If any such child is excused from attendance at school, due to an emergency, by the principal teacher of the school in which such child is enrolled, at the request of the parent, guardian, custodian or other person having control of such child; 3. If any such child who has attained his or her sixteenth birthday is excused from attending school by written, joint agreement between: a. the school administrator of the school district where the child attends school, and b. the parent, guardian or custodian of the child. Provided, further, that no child shall be excused from attending school by such joint agreement between a school administrator and the parent, guardian or custodian of the child unless and until it has been determined that such action is for the best interest of the child and/or the community, and that said child shall thereafter be under the supervision of the parent, guardian or custodian until the child has reached the age of eighteen (18) years; or 4. If any such child is excused pursuant to subsection C of this section. C. A school district shall excuse a student from attending school for the purpose of observing religious holy days if before the absence, the parent, guardian, or person having custody or control of the student submits a written request for the excused absence. The school district shall excuse a student pursuant to this subsection for the days on which the religious holy days are observed and for the days on which the student must travel to and from the site where the student will observe the holy days. D. It shall be the duty of the attendance officer to enforce the provisions of this section. Any parent, guardian, custodian, child or other person violating any of the provisions of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Dollars ($5.00) nor more than Twenty- five Dollars ($25.00) for the first offense, not less than Ten Dollars ($10.00) nor more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for the second offense, and not less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each subsequent offense. Each day the child remains out of school after the oral and documented or written warning has been given to the parent, guardian, custodian, child or other person or the child has been ordered to school by the juvenile court may constitute a separate offense. At the trial of any person charged with violating the provisions of this section, the attendance records of the child or ward may be presented in court by any authorized employee of the school district.

The Legislature shall provide for the compulsory attendance at some public or other school, unless other means of education are provided, of all the children in the State who are sound in mind and body, between the ages of eight and sixteen years, for at least three months in each year.

A. The Department of Public Safety shall deny a license, restricted license, or instruction permit for the operation of a motor vehicle to any person under eighteen (18) years of age who does not, at the time of application, present documentation that such person: 1. a. is a student enrolled in a public or private secondary school, including any area vocational-technical school, of this state or any other state, b. has received a diploma or certificate of completion issued to the person from a secondary school of this state or any other state, c. is enrolled and making satisfactory progress in a program leading to a Certificate of High School Equivalency issued by the State Department of Education, or has obtained such certificate, d. is excused from such requirement pursuant to a lawful excuse as defined in subsection G of this section or due to circumstances beyond the control of the person, or e. is excused from such requirement pursuant to subsection C of this section; and 2. Has successfully passed the criterion-referenced reading test required for all eighth grade students or an alternative reading proficiency test approved by the State Department of Education pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of this act demonstrating reading proficiency at the eighth-grade reading level, unless such student is excused from such requirement pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of this act. Provided, during the summer months when school is not in regular session, as established by the school district pursuant to Section 1- 109 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, persons under eighteen (18) years of age may satisfy the documentation requirement of this subsection by providing a notarized written statement from the parent, custodial parent or legal guardian of the child to the Department of Public Safety that the child completed the immediately previous school year and is enrolled or intends to enroll for the immediately subsequent school year. The documentation shall be signed by the parent, custodial parent or legal guardian. B. 1. A student under eighteen (18) years of age who is receiving education by other means, including education at home pursuant to Section 4 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution, shall satisfy the documentation requirement of paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section by providing a written statement from the parent, custodial parent, or legal guardian of the student to the Department of Public Safety attesting that the child is receiving instruction by other means pursuant to Section 4 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution. The documentation shall be signed by the parent, custodial parent, or legal guardian. 2. Any person who falsifies the information required in such documentation, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. C. 1. A student under eighteen (18) years of age, who does not meet the requirements of subparagraphs a through c of paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section or the requirements of subsection B of this section, may retain or be issued a driver license if: a. the student is employed at least twenty-four (24) hours per week, and b. the student's employer verifies such employment on a form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety. 2. Any student who has retained or been issued a driver license pursuant to this subsection who leaves such employment shall have fifteen (15) days from the date of termination of employment to provide verification of employment from a new employer. 3. Any employer who falsifies a verification of employment shall be subject to an administrative fine of not more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00), to be assessed by the Department of Public Safety. D. 1. School district attendance officers, upon request, shall provide a documentation of enrollment status form, established and approved by the Department of Public Safety, to any student under eighteen (18) years of age who is properly enrolled in a school for which the attendance officer is responsible, for presentation to the Department of Public Safety upon application for or reinstatement of an instruction permit, restricted license, or license to operate a motor vehicle. 2. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, whenever a student over fourteen (14) years of age and under eighteen (18) years of age withdraws from school, the attendance officer shall notify the Department of Public Safety of such withdrawal through a documentation of enrollment status form. 3. Within fifteen (15) working days of the receipt of such notice, the Department of Public Safety shall provide written notice to the student, by first class, postage prepaid mail, that the student's license will be canceled, or the driver license application of the student will be denied thirty (30) days following the date the notice to the student was sent, unless documentation of compliance with the provisions of this section is received by the Department of Public Safety before such time. After the thirty-day period, the Department of Public Safety shall cancel the driving privileges of the student. E. When the withdrawal from school of a student is: 1. Due to circumstances beyond the control of the student; 2. Pursuant to any lawful excuse; or 3. For the purpose of transfer to another school, including education at home pursuant to Section 4 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution, as confirmed in writing by a parent, custodial parent, or legal guardian of the student, no notice as required by subsection D of this section shall be sent to the Department of Public Safety, or, if sent, such notice shall be disregarded by the Department of Public Safety. If the student is applying for a license, restricted license, or instruction permit, the attendance officer shall provide the student with documentation to present to the Department of Public Safety to excuse the student from the requirements of this section. F. Every school district shall, upon request, provide documentation of reading proficiency for any student enrolled in such school district by certifying passage of a reading examination pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of this act. G. As used in this section: 1. "Withdrawal" means more than ten (10) consecutive days, or parts of days, of unexcused absences or fifteen (15) days, or parts of days, total unexcused absences during a single semester; 2. "Lawful excuse" means absence from school pursuant to any valid physical or mental illness or pursuant to any legal excuse as provided in Section 10-105 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes; provided, however, the meaning of such term shall not include marriage; 3. "Circumstances beyond the control of the person" shall not include marriage, suspension or expulsion from school, or imprisonment in a jail, penitentiary or other correctional institution; 4. "Documentation of enrollment status form" means the document established and approved by the Department of Public Safety to substantiate information concerning a student's eligibility to apply for or to retain a license or permit to drive. Such documentation shall not include any information which is considered an education record pursuant to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C., Sections 1232g through 1232i, unless compliance is made with the restrictions regarding disclosure of the information; and 5. "Documentation of reading proficiency" means information provided by a school authorized by subsection B of Section 3 of this act to certify a student's eligibility to apply for a license or permit based on passage of a reading proficiency test approved by the State Department of Education, or pursuant to the alternative documentation criteria provided in subsection C of Section 3 of this act. Such documentation shall not include any information which is considered an education record pursuant to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C., Sections 1232g through 1232i, unless compliance is made with the restrictions regarding disclosure of the information. H. The provisions of this section shall be inapplicable with respect to any minor upon whom rights of majority have been conferred pursuant to Sections 91 through 94 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes. I. The Department of Public Safety shall establish and approve documentation forms and certificates required by this section for use by school districts to comply with the provisions of this section. Upon establishment and approval of such forms and certificates, the Department of Public Safety shall notify each school district and the State Board of Education of the content thereof.

A. Courses of instruction approved by the State Board of Education for use in school years prior to 1993-94 shall be those courses that are necessary to ensure: 1. The teaching of the necessary basic skills of learning and communication, including reading, English, writing, the use of numbers and science; and 2. The teaching of citizenship in the United States, in the State of Oklahoma, and in other countries, through the study of the United States Constitution, the amendments thereto, and the ideals, history, and government of the United States, other countries of the world, and the State of Oklahoma and through the study of the principles of democracy as they apply in the lives of citizens. In study of the United States Constitution, a written copy of the document itself shall be utilized. The public school districts of this state shall ensure that each child enrolled therein is provided with adequate instruction in the basic skills as set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection. Each local board of education shall annually evaluate the district's curriculum in order to determine whether each child in the district is receiving adequate basic skill instruction as set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection. The evaluation process shall provide for parental involvement. Effective July 1, 1990, each district shall submit its annual evaluation of the district's curriculum to the State Board of Education. The State Board shall make this information available to the Oklahoma Curriculum Committee and, beginning with the 1996-97 school year, shall utilize such information in its periodic evaluation of curriculum. B. Courses approved by the State Board of Education for instruction of pupils in the public schools of the state for use in school years prior to 1993-94 may include courses that are approved by a local board of education and are necessary to ensure: 1. The teaching of health through the study of proper diet, the effects of alcoholic beverages, narcotics and other substances on the human system and through the study of such other subjects as will promote healthful living and help to establish proper health habits in the lives of school children; 2. The teaching of safety through training in the driving and operation of motor vehicles and such other devices of transportation as may be desirable and other aspects of safety which will promote the reduction of accidents and encourage habits of safe living among school children; 3. The teaching of physical education to all physically able students during the entire school year from first through sixth grade, through physical education, a weekly minimum of seventy-five (75) minutes per student, exclusive of recess activity, supervised play, intramurals, interschool athletics or other extracurricular activities; provided, any student participating as a member of any school athletic team shall be excused from physical education classes; provided further, that certified physical education instructors shall not be required to administer the programs required for grades one through six. An elective program of instructional physical education designed to provide a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) minutes per week per student shall be provided for all students in the seventh grade through the twelfth grade. The State Board of Education shall prescribe qualifications for physical education instructors. Provided, however, that the State Department of Education shall be empowered to exempt all or a portion of this requirement if an undue hardship would result to the school district. Provided, further, that any student who has exceptional talent in music may, with the approval of the superintendent of schools in independent districts or in elementary districts, substitute a course in music for the above-required physical education course; 4. The teaching of the conservation of natural resources of the state and the nation that are necessary and desirable to sustain life and contribute to the comfort and welfare of the people now living and those who will live here in the future, such as soil, water, forests, minerals, oils, gas, all forms of wildlife, both plant and animal, and such other natural resources as may be considered desirable to study; 5. The teaching of vocational education, by the study of the various aspects of agriculture, through courses and farm youth organizations, such as FFA and 4-H clubs, homemaking and home economics, trades and industries, distributive education, mechanical and industrial arts and such other aspects of vocational education as will promote occupational competence among school children and adults as potential and actual citizens of the state and nation; and 6. The teaching of such other aspects of human living and citizenship as will achieve the legitimate objectives and purposes of public education.

Find the laws pertaining to home education for all 50 states and U.S. territories.

A. An attendance officer, any school administrator, or designee of the school administrator who is employed by the school, or any peace officer may, except for children being home schooled pursuant to Section 10-105 of the Oklahoma Statutes, temporarily detain and assume temporary custody of any child subject to compulsory full-time education, during hours in which school is actually in session, who is found away from the home of such child and who is absent from school without lawful excuse within the school district that such attendance officer, peace officer or school official serves, if said school district has previously approved the temporary detention and custody pursuant to this section. B. Any person temporarily detaining and assuming temporary custody of a child pursuant to this section shall immediately deliver the child either to the parent, guardian, or other person having control or custody of the child, or to the school from which the child is absent without valid excuse, or to a nonsecure youth service or community center servicing the school district. C. The temporary custody or detention provided by this section shall be utilized as a means of reforming and returning the truant students to school and shall not be used as a pretext for investigating criminal matters. The temporary custody or detention herein provided is a severely limited type of detention and is not justified unless there are specific facts causing an attendance officer or other authorized person to reasonably suspect that a truancy violation is occurring and that the person the officer intends to detain is a truant.

In Pierce v. Society of the Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "the fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments of this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the creature of the state."

An Attorney General's Opinion, No. 73-129, was issued in response to four questions submitted by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In it, the Constitution, the Statutes, and several court cases were quoted to answer the Superintendent's questions.