EDUCATION · NATIONAL DOCUMENT TRACKER
Released-Time Religious Instruction: State Laws & District Trackers
Released time lets students leave their regular school schedule for privately provided religious instruction under applicable law and local procedures. State rules differ. A release policy does not prove that LifeWise—or any other provider—is operating in a district.
50-state research register · 11 sourced legal summaries
39 states remain explicitly unclassified in this first edition. These coverage counts describe our research, not how many states permit or require released time. Indiana and Iowa were reviewed October 8; other entries retain their earlier source baselines.
Find your state, then your district
Indiana law, credit and district policies
Required release, separate elementary/secondary limits, optional credit and provider safeguards. Compare 15 research records and four detailed trackers.
Mt. Vernon · West Lafayette · MSD Washington Township · West Central
Iowa law and district implementation
One-to-five-hour release, facility rules, remedies and 15 research records with four detailed trackers.
Mid-Prairie · East Mills · Chariton · Osage
Ohio law and district policies
January 2026 law, credit and scheduling differences, 15 research records and four local trackers.
Texas SB 1049
One-to-five-hour law, January 2026 policy deadline and eight-district comparison.
North Carolina
2026 law, one-to-four-hour framework, district policy status and four local trackers.
Bedford County / Shelbyville
Existing LifeWise listing, Tennessee law and school-board records. Program-status research retains its October 6 cutoff.
Wake County · Cumberland County / Fayetteville · Edenton-Chowan · Bladen County / Bladenboro
Can students leave school for religious instruction?
In some states, schools must excuse a qualifying request; elsewhere, statutes expressly permit local approval. The applicable conditions can include parental permission, private transportation, attendance reporting, time limits and missed-work requirements. There is no single nationwide weekly allowance or credit rule.
Is released time the same as LifeWise? No. Released time is a legal and scheduling arrangement. LifeWise is one provider; Bladen’s documented local program identifies a different organization. Provider enrollment, permission to leave school and actual attendance are separate facts.
Does approval require participation? A law or board policy governing release is not evidence that every student attends, that a district endorses a curriculum, or that an announced program opened. Our district pages identify those boundaries.
50-state law and research-status table
Use the search box or status filter, then open a row’s rule details. All 50 states appear; only 11 receive sourced legal summaries. “Review pending” means this edition has not completed a reliable state-specific classification. It does not mean prohibited, generally permitted, or no statute.
50 entries
| State | Classification | Law / source vintage | Time allowance | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Alaska | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Arizona | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Arkansas | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| California | Expressly permitted | Education Code §46014; local board discretion | No more than 4 days per school month for statutory attendance treatment | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Written parent/guardian consent and district resolution/rules. Travel / work: Student must still attend the minimum school day; transport not specified in this section. Credit: Not specified in reviewed section. Public resources: Instruction away from school property. Full funding analysis not completed. |
| Colorado | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Connecticut | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Delaware | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Florida | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Georgia | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Hawaii | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Idaho | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Illinois | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Indiana | Required under conditions | IC §20-33-2-19; official 2026 Code reviewed October 8, 2026 | Elementary: up to 120 min/week; secondary: time for 1 elective course/week | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Parent written notice valid for school year; provider attendance records. Travel / work: Principal and provider coordinate least-disruptive timing; confirm local travel plan. Credit: Up to 2 elective credits under board policy and statutory safeguards. Public resources: Public funds prohibited; secondary credit safeguards include screening and liability insurance. |
| Iowa | Required under conditions | Iowa Code 2026 §299.1D; 2025 Acts chapters 143 and 159 | 1–5 hours per week | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Notification by parent/custodian or emancipated student; provider records. Travel / work: Provider, parent/custodian or student; missed work must be made up. Credit: Not specified in reviewed section. Public resources: No school spending except de minimis notification/attendance costs; property use possible under §297.9. |
| Kansas | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Kentucky | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Louisiana | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Maine | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Maryland | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Massachusetts | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Michigan | Expressly permitted | MCL §380.1561(3)(d); MDE excerpt reviewed | Up to 2 class hours per week | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Written parent/guardian request. Travel / work: Attendance exception for offsite instruction; transport not specified in subsection. Credit: Not specified in reviewed subsection. Public resources: Instruction outside public school buildings; broader fiscal rules not reviewed. Excerpt vintage: 2022. |
| Minnesota | Expressly permitted | §120A.22 subd.12(a)(3); official 2025 code | Up to 3 hours per week | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Parent/guardian application; board may approve. Travel / work: Transport not specified in reviewed clause. Credit: Not specified in reviewed clause. Public resources: Outside public school buildings; no public expense. Clause also covers Tribal spiritual/cultural instruction. |
| Mississippi | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Missouri | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Montana | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Nebraska | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Nevada | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| New Hampshire | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| New Jersey | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| New Mexico | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| New York | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| North Carolina | Required under conditions | G.S. 115C-407.45; July 7, 2026; 2026–27 implementation | 1–4 hours per calendar week | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Signed standard parent/guardian form; parent supplies daily attendance documentation. Travel / work: Parent arranges travel; missed schoolwork must be made up. Credit: No credit entitlement in this section. Public resources: No State/local funds except de minimis administration; school-property exception for neutral facility-use policies. |
| North Dakota | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Ohio | Required under conditions | ORC §3313.6022; effective January 19, 2026 | At least 1 period/week. Default maximum: 2 periods/week in elementary/middle school; high school time equivalent to 2 credit units/week. Board policy may specify otherwise. | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Written parent consent; provider records attendance. Travel / work: Provider/parent/guardian/student, including disability access. No release from core courses. Credit: Board may award up to 2 high-school units using secular criteria. Public resources: Off school-district property; no public funding/personnel for instruction; private provider assumes liability. See full statute for scheduling exceptions. |
| Oklahoma | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Oregon | Expressly permitted | ORS §339.420; official 2025 edition | Elementary: up to 2 hours/week; secondary: up to 5 | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Application by parent/guardian or student who has reached majority. Travel / work: Transport and missed-work rules not specified in this subsection. Credit: Not specified in reviewed section. Public resources: No facility/funding conclusion drawn from this short provision; chapter flags 2026 changes. |
| Pennsylvania | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Rhode Island | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| South Carolina | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| South Dakota | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Tennessee · Bedford anchor | Required under conditions | TCA §49-2-130; 2025 chapter 401 amendments | Conditional parent right: up to 1 hour/day; board-policy provision: 1 class period/day | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Written consent; provider certification and other conditions must be satisfied. Travel / work: Private transport normally; LEA transport requires provider reimbursement. Protect tested subjects. Credit: Up to 1 elective unit per course under qualifying board policy. Public resources: Off campus; private funding; provider liability and statutory screening/certification. |
| Texas | Required under conditions | Education Code §25.0875; effective September 1, 2025 | 1–5 hours per week | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Written parent consent; provider keeps attendance. Travel / work: Provider, parent or student; includes disability access. Student responsible for missed work. Credit: Not specified in reviewed section. Public resources: No district spending except de minimis costs; neutral equal-access community-use property exception. |
| Utah | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Vermont | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Virginia | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Washington | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| West Virginia | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
| Wisconsin | Required under conditions | §118.155; 2025 statutory text reviewed | 60–180 minutes per week; board sets periods | Consent, travel, credit & public resourcesConsent: Written parent/guardian permission; instructor reports attendance monthly. Travel / work: Parent or sponsoring organization responsible for transport. Credit: Not specified in reviewed section. Public resources: Outside school; district released from liability under statutory conditions. |
| Wyoming | Review pending | Not classified in this edition. | No state-specific legal conclusion published. | Consent, travel, time, credit and public-resource rules await primary-source review. |
No matching entries. Clear the search or choose another status.
Download the dated state register (CSV) · Download standardized national research records (JSON)
How to read the classifications
- Required under conditions: the cited provision creates a school/board duty or a qualifying parent-request right. Conditions and scope still matter.
- Expressly permitted: the cited statute authorizes release or provides an attendance exception. It does not necessarily compel approval.
- Review pending: the legal position is unclassified here. We do not fill gaps with an assumption about all 50 states.
“Generally permitted” and “no specific statute located” are reserved for future entries supported by an adequate legal-source review. A federal constitutional decision alone is not enough to assign those labels state by state. Dates identify the version reviewed; older excerpts are disclosed, and absence of a rule in a cited subsection is not proof that no other rule exists.
Major recent changes to check first
- Indiana, current 2026 Code: required release, elementary 120-minute limit, secondary one-elective time limit and conditional credit. Indiana law and district comparison.
- North Carolina, 2026: a required local-policy framework for 2026–27, followed by a one-to-four-hour weekly clarification. Enacted amendment.
- Texas, 2025–26: SB 1049 took effect September 1, 2025; policies were due January 1, 2026. Official summary · Texas district tracker.
- Ohio, January 19, 2026: use the current §3313.6022 version, including default time limits that local policy may change and optional credit. Ohio statewide and district tracker · Current code.
- Iowa: new §299.1D appears in the 2026 code with a one-to-five-hour conditional excuse requirement. Official code.
- Tennessee: the 2025 enactment adds provider-screening and certification safeguards. Public Chapter 401.
Constitutional and court context
In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court upheld the off-campus arrangement before it, involving parental requests and no public financing of the religious instruction. In McCollum v. Board of Education (1948), it invalidated the different arrangement involving religious instruction in public-school classrooms and public-school machinery. Read the Zorach opinion and McCollum opinion.
These cases do not establish that every modern provider arrangement is lawful or that every state must offer identical release terms. Facility access, coercion, public support and implementation require their own analysis. The statutory facility-use exceptions identified in North Carolina, Texas and Iowa should not be flattened into either a universal ban or universal permission.
How operating status is verified
Evidence sequence: enacted law → adopted board policy → school procedure → provider arrangement → documented activity. A petition is an organizing signal. An agenda proves an item was scheduled, not its outcome. A first reading is not final adoption. A launch announcement is not attendance evidence.
Bladenboro Middle has an official school activity report; the other new district pages use narrower policy or announced-launch labels. Bedford’s provider-reported pre-enrollment listing remains explicitly attributed. There is no nationwide provider-participation count in this edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is released-time religious instruction legal in every state?
Zorach upheld a particular off-campus arrangement. It does not resolve every state-law or local implementation question. Check the dated state source and district policy; unreviewed states remain unclassified here. Source
Who provides transportation?
Rules differ by state. North Carolina places responsibility for arranging travel on the parent or guardian. Other state provisions identify providers or families and may have limited exceptions. Source
Can students earn academic credit?
Some statutes allow conditional elective credit. Ohio is one example. North Carolina’s reviewed release statute does not create a credit entitlement. A provider’s course is not automatically credit-bearing. Source
Does a LifeWise petition mean a school participates?
No. This tracker requires separate evidence of local policy and actual activity. Announced launch dates remain distinct from verified operation. Source
Source and document library
Page research baseline: October 8, 2026. Source type and document vintage are shown below. A provider statement, agenda and final adopted policy establish different facts.
- North Carolina SL 2026-41, §7.54
Enacted law. Creates G.S. 115C-407.45; effective July 7, 2026, applying in 2026–27.
- North Carolina SL 2026-61, §3.11
Enacted amendment. Revises the weekly allowance to at least one and no more than four hours.
- NC DPI legislative update, July 31, 2026
State education agency. Legislative implementation context and released-time correction.
- Texas SB 1049, enrolled; Education Code §25.0875
Enacted law. Effective September 1, 2025; local policy deadline January 1, 2026.
- Texas SB 1049 official bill summary
Legislature. Enactment and effective-date confirmation.
- Ohio Revised Code §3313.6022
Current official code. Version effective January 19, 2026.
- Indiana State Board of Accounts, June 2025 School Bulletin
State agency legal update. Historical July 1, 2025 enactment summary; reconciled against official 2026 §20-33-2-19 on October 8.
- Indiana Code §20-33-2-19, official 2026 text
Current official statute. Rendered official 2026 Code inspected October 8, 2026; latest listed amendment P.L.194-2025, SEC.4.
- Iowa Code 2026 §299.1D
Current official code. New section created and amended in the 2025 Acts.
- Tennessee Public Chapter 401 (2025)
Enacted law. Provider screening and certification requirements; read with §49-2-130.
- Tennessee Code §49-2-130, 2025 text
Statute reproduced by Justia. Distinguishes board-policy release and the conditional parent-request right.
- California Education Code §46014
Statute reproduced by Justia. Local discretion, minimum school day and four-day monthly condition.
- Michigan MDE copy of MCL §380.1561
State agency statutory excerpt. Religious-instruction attendance exception; excerpt rendered in 2022, not a complete 2026 amendment audit.
- Minnesota Statutes §120A.22, subd. 12
Official 2025 code. Religious and Tribal instruction exemption; board may approve.
- Oregon Revised Statutes §339.420
Official 2025 edition. Chapter flags 2026 session changes; cited subsection remains dated as shown.
- Wisconsin Statutes §118.155, 2025 text
Statute reproduced by Justia. Written permission, 60–180 minutes weekly, private transportation.
- Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952)
Supreme Court opinion / Library of Congress. Upheld the off-campus arrangement presented in that case.
- McCollum v. Board of Education, 333 U.S. 203 (1948)
Supreme Court opinion / Justia. Invalidated the public-school religious-instruction arrangement presented in that case.
Update log and next records
October 8, 2026 — Phase 12 Indiana expansion. Added Indiana law, four district trackers, the 15-district register and normalized provider-screening fields. Existing state research dates are preserved.
Added the Iowa flagship, four district trackers and standardized research downloads. Other state evidence retains its recorded baseline.
Next review: new enacted amendments, final local policies, implementation procedures and corroborated launch outcomes. Updates require a dated source and a stated change. No automatic monitoring schedule is active. Submit a documented correction · Editorial standards.
Explore the released-time network
National district policy database and comparison tool
National laws and research register · Indiana law and district status · Iowa law and district status · Ohio law and district status · North Carolina law and district status · Texas SB 1049 and district status · Bedford County, Tennessee
Wake County · Cumberland County / Fayetteville · Edenton-Chowan · Bladen County / Bladenboro · Texarkana ISD · Plano ISD · Houston ISD · Westerville · Upper Arlington · Hilliard · Twinsburg · Mid-Prairie · East Mills · Chariton · Osage · Mt. Vernon · West Lafayette · MSD Washington Township · West Central