Legal statusHomeschooling is legal in South Carolina, but families must choose one of the state's three recognized homeschool options and follow that option's rules.Compulsory age range5-17Notification requiredIt depends on the option. Option 1 requires approval from the local district board of trustees. Options 2 and 3 work through SCAIHS or a qualifying homeschool association rather than a simple statewide notice form.Who you notifyOption 1 families apply to the local school district board of trustees. Option 2 families enroll with the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Option 3 families enroll with a qualifying homeschool association with at least 50 members.Notification deadlineThe available sources do not show one single statewide filing deadline for every option. For sports under the equal-access law, written notice to the district superintendent must be given before the season begins.Required subjectsreading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, composition for grades 7-12, literature for grades 7-12Hours or days requiredAt least 180 instructional days are required under all three options. Under Option 1, the school day must be at least 4.5 hours, excluding lunch and recess.Record keepingRecordkeeping depends on the option. Option 1 requires a plan book or diary of subjects and activities, a portfolio of student work, a record of academic progress assessments, and semiannual progress reports with attendance and individualized assessments. Option 3 requires educational records that include similar materials. Even when not clearly required in the same way under Option 2, families should keep attendance, work samples, course records, and high school transcripts.Testing and evaluationIt depends on the option. Option 1 requires participation in the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment Program. The available sources do not identify a general statewide testing requirement for Options 2 and 3.Testing frequencyAnnual under Option 1. Not generally identified in the available sources for Options 2 and 3.Teacher qualificationsParents generally must have at least a high school diploma or GED. Under Option 1, the statute also contains older qualification language tied to a basic skills exam or a baccalaureate degree, but HSLDA says the basic skills exam was struck down by the South Carolina Supreme Court.Curriculum freedomModerate. Families can choose curriculum, but each lawful option must at least cover the required subjects, and Option 1 carries the most oversight.Umbrella school optionYes. Option 2 uses SCAIHS, and Option 3 uses a qualifying homeschool association with at least 50 members.Virtual school optionYes. Families may use online curriculum within their chosen homeschool option, but enrollment in a public virtual program is different from independent homeschooling.Special educationThe available HSLDA guidance says there are no extra homeschool requirements specifically for children with special needs. South Carolina reportedly treats homeschooled students with disabilities similarly to students with disabilities placed in private schools by their parents.High school diplomaParents usually manage the student's records and can generally issue a homeschool diploma and transcript when the family's high school program is complete.College admissionSouth Carolina colleges typically rely on homeschool transcripts and may also consider course descriptions, test scores, outside classes, and dual-credit work when available.Sports accessYes. South Carolina law generally allows eligible homeschool students to participate in interscholastic activities in their resident district if statutory conditions are met, including residence, notice to the superintendent before the season, and satisfaction of district eligibility standards other than attendance-based rules. The student must also have been homeschooled in compliance with South Carolina law for a full academic year before participating.Dual enrollmentThe available sources do not show one simple statewide dual-enrollment rule for all homeschoolers, so families should check college and district program requirements directly.NotesFirst-pass draft. South Carolina's official Department of Education page and state statute page were reachable, and the HSLDA article provided a clear practical summary of the three options. This entry intentionally avoids collapsing the three options into one single rule set. Option 1 is materially more burdensome than Options 2 and 3, so several fields are written as option-dependent.