Legal statusHomeschooling is legal in Missouri, and most families can homeschool directly under the state's home school law without routine filing.Compulsory age range7-17Notification requiredNo. Missouri does not require a routine notice of intent for direct homeschooling in the available sources.Who you notifyNo routine filing is required. If your child is leaving public school, it is wise to notify the school so there is a clear withdrawal record.Notification deadlineNo statewide filing deadline for direct homeschooling.Required subjectsReading, Mathematics, Social studies, Language arts, ScienceHours or days requiredAt least 1,000 hours of instruction each school term. At least 600 of those hours must be in reading, math, social studies, language arts, or science, and 400 of those 600 hours must take place at the regular homeschool location. In the available HSLDA summary, Missouri's hour requirement no longer applies after a student turns 16.Record keepingFor children under 16, keep a plan book, diary, or similar record showing subjects taught and educational activities; samples of the child's work; and academic evaluations, or other written credible evidence that is equivalent. The HSLDA summary says families should always have at least two full years of records on hand, and high school records should be kept long term.Testing and evaluationNo statewide testing is required in the available sources, although academic evaluations are one of the record types families may keep for children under 16.Testing frequencyNot required statewide.Teacher qualificationsThe available sources do not describe a parent teaching license or degree requirement for direct homeschooling in Missouri.Curriculum freedomBroad. Missouri bars the state from dictating a statewide curriculum for home schools, but families still need to provide the required instruction hours and cover the core subjects.Umbrella school optionYes, but it is optional. Most families can homeschool directly under Missouri's home school law without joining an umbrella program.Virtual school optionThe raw sources do not describe a separate virtual-school homeschool pathway. Families may choose online materials privately, but public virtual enrollment would be a different arrangement from direct homeschooling.Special educationThe available sources reviewed here do not clearly explain a single statewide rule for special education services for independent homeschoolers.High school diplomaThe raw sources do not spell out a separate Missouri homeschool diploma process. Families homeschooling through high school should keep strong transcripts and other records.College admissionThe raw sources do not discuss college admission rules in detail. Clear transcripts, course descriptions, and other records are likely important for homeschool graduates.Sports accessThe available sources reviewed here do not clearly describe a simple statewide rule for public school sports access for homeschoolers.Dual enrollmentThe available sources reviewed here do not clearly describe one simple statewide dual-enrollment rule for independent homeschoolers, so families should confirm options with local schools or colleges.NotesFirst-pass draft. Verification quality is mixed: Missouri's statute page was readable and HSLDA's compliance summary was readable, but the Missouri DESE homeschool URL in the raw source file returned a 404 during capture, so the practical step-by-step wording relies heavily on HSLDA plus the statute. Missouri appears to have one main direct homeschool path in the available sources, but the statute's upper compulsory-attendance limit has district and credit-based nuance, so this entry uses a simplified parent-facing summary and the broken DESE link should get final QA before publication.