Homeschool benefits: Queen Anne's County Library
Queen Anne's County Library gives parents who homeschool a homeschool card that checks out up to 99 items at once, with some item restrictions. Library cards are free for Maryland residents: apply at the Centreville or Kent Island branch with a Maryland ID and proof of your address. Other options include transit fare savings.
Queen Anne's County Library homeschool educator card
Who qualifies
Homeschools a child
Teachers and parents who homeschool may apply for a teacher or homeschool card. The library does not list the homeschool proof it wants, so call your branch before you go.
Lives or works in Maryland
Cards are free for Maryland residents and for people who work in Queen Anne's County. Other nonresidents pay $30 a year.
Brings ID and an address
Show a valid Maryland driver's license, learner's permit, or ID card and proof of your current address. Printed checks or recently postmarked mail may be accepted on request.
What the card gives you
The limits come from Queen Anne's County Library's card page and its renewal page.
- Items out on a homeschool card
- Up to 99
- Renewals per item
- 3
- Card cost for Maryland residents
- Free
- Card cost for nonresidents
- $30 a year
- Standard card length
- 5 years
Some items cannot go on the 99-item card, and the library does not list which ones or the loan periods, so ask at the desk when you sign up.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Call your branch
Ask Centreville (410-758-0980) or Kent Island (410-643-8161) what homeschool proof the card needs, then gather your ID and proof of address.
- At the branch
Apply for the homeschool card
Staff set up the card at either branch, Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. or Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Each checkout
Let items auto-renew
The system renews items up to three times unless someone else has a hold, and emails you the new due date or a reminder.
- When things change
Keep the account current
Tell the library about a new name or address, and report a lost or stolen card right away.
What it includes
Included
- Up to 99 items checked out at once
- Automatic renewals
- Holds and online databases on your account
Not included
- Certain restricted items, which the library does not list
- Renewing an item another patron has on hold
- SOAR database cards, which go to Queen Anne's County public school students
The homeschool card raises how much you can borrow at once; your child can still have a separate juvenile card of their own.
Who to contact about the card
Staff at the Centreville and Kent Island branches issue cards and answer questions about borrowing limits and renewals.
410-758-0980 Branch phone numbers
Queen Anne's County Ride fare-free service
Who can ride
Rides a public route
County Ride serves the general public on its fixed routes. No pass, application, or proof of school enrollment is listed for riding.
Buckles up
Riders must wear seat belts, and a young child needs a car seat that you bring and install: County Ride does not provide or place car seats.
Door-to-door has its own rules
Door-to-door service is for seniors and people with disabilities who cannot use the fixed or deviated routes, and it needs at least two business days' notice.
What the free fare gives you
The terms come from County Ride's fare page, its rider rules, and the route schedule updated May 2026.
- Fare on fixed routes
- Free
- Weekday routes
- 4
- North route to Chestertown and Sudlersville
- Thursdays only
- Notice for a route deviation
- 2 hours
- Notice for door-to-door service
- 2 business days
- Office hours
- Mon-Fri, 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
The County Ride FAQ still says you pay for every trip with exact change, while the fare page says there is no fee, so call the office if a driver asks for a fare.
How to ride
- Before you ride
Pick a route and time
Check the County Ride route schedule PDF. Stops marked DO are drop-off only, so you cannot board there at that time.
- 2 hours ahead
Call for a deviation
If you need the bus to leave its route to pick you up, call 410-758-2357 at least two hours in advance.
- On the bus
Ride free
Board at a scheduled stop, buckle seat belts and car seats, and follow the rider rules: no eating or drinking, and headphones for music.
- Each new year
Confirm the fare policy
The free fare began as a 2023 pilot and has been renewed each year, so check the fare page before your first ride in 2027.
What it includes
Included
- Fixed-route rides on all four routes
- Route deviations called in two hours ahead
- Door-to-door rides for eligible seniors and riders with disabilities
Not included
- Weekend and holiday service
- Car seats
- Pets other than service animals
Who to contact about County Ride
The County Ride office in Centreville schedules deviations and door-to-door trips and answers questions about routes and fares.
spalmer@qac.org 410-758-2357 County Ride page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Maryland
You must submit the prescribed consent form to the local superintendent at least 15 days before starting. District-supervised families verify continuation before each school year and report status changes. A qualifying nonpublic supervisor reports continuing enrollment and status changes to the district.
Maryland sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide regular, thorough instruction of sufficient duration in English, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and PE. A qualifying nonpublic-supervised program must provide regular, thorough instruction in the usual public-school studies.
- Testing: State standardized testing is voluntary. District-supervised programs have portfolio reviews at semester ends, with no more than three reviews per school year.
- Records: For district supervision, keep instructional materials and work samples demonstrating required instruction; college report cards or transcripts may substitute for those courses. Qualifying nonpublic supervision follows COMAR’s separate requirements.
- Teachers: No state teaching credential required for the parent providing home instruction.
Read the Maryland homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Maryland
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschool parent get Queen Anne's County Library's homeschool card?
- Yes. The library lists parents who homeschool, along with teachers, as able to apply for a teacher or homeschool card.
- Can my child have a Queen Anne's County Library card too?
- Yes, a juvenile card for books and audio, or at 13 to 18 a young adult card that adds DVDs and video games. You and your child both sign.
- Can County Ride take us to Chesapeake College?
- Yes. The Easton route stops at Chesapeake College several times a day, between 7:45 a.m. and 3:50 p.m.
- Can we ride County Ride to Annapolis?
- Yes. The Annapolis route leaves the Kramer Center at 6:15 a.m., reaches Church Circle and the Annapolis Mall in the morning, and returns in the afternoon.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Books and library resources give your child something to explore. We turn their interests into coursework, so library discoveries can lead to deeper study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
Find benefits for your ZIP code