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ND

Medium regulation

Homeschool laws in North Dakota

North Dakota allows direct homeschooling, but families generally need to file a yearly statement of intent, meet parent qualification rules, teach the required subjects, and provide a minimum amount of instruction each year. The state also recognizes a private school option for parents who are state-certified teachers.

Last verified

2026-04-20

Compulsory age range

7-16

Quick-start checklist

What parents need to do first

This is the plain-English checklist a parent can follow to get started without reading a mountain of legal text.

  1. 1Confirm that the teaching parent meets North Dakota's qualification rules.
  2. 2If your child is enrolled in public school, withdraw them through the local school or district.
  3. 3File your statement of intent with the local district superintendent before you begin.
  4. 4Choose a curriculum that covers English language arts, math, social studies, science, physical education, and health.
  5. 5Plan a school calendar that meets the state's minimum daily and yearly instruction requirements.
  6. 6Keep organized records, especially attendance, course lists, work samples, and high school transcripts.

North Dakota homeschool law hub

These state-specific guides turn the core law summary into focused SEO pages for the questions parents search most: requirements, forms, records, testing, graduation, and support groups.

Requirements

Plain-English North Dakota homeschool requirements: notice, subjects, hours, testing, records, teacher qualifications, and source links.

Letter of intent

Find out whether North Dakota homeschool parents need a letter of intent, who receives it, timing, and what to include.

Recordkeeping

Plain-English guide to homeschool records in North Dakota: attendance, portfolios, grades, transcripts, and what parents should keep.

Graduation

How homeschool graduation works in North Dakota, including diplomas, transcripts, college admission, dual enrollment, and high-school records.

Testing

Plain-English North Dakota homeschool testing guide: whether tests or evaluations are required, how often, and what records to keep.

Co-ops & support groups

How to think about homeschool co-ops, umbrella schools, virtual options, sports access, and local support while homeschooling in North Dakota.

Popular North Dakota homeschool searches

These guides connect the state law checklist to the long-tail questions parents actually search: curriculum by grade, secular options, ADHD support, public-school comparisons, teacher qualifications, and testing.

Best 1st grade curriculum in North DakotaBest secular 4th grade curriculum in North DakotaHomeschooling a child with ADHD in North DakotaHomeschool vs public school in North DakotaCan you homeschool without a degree?Do homeschoolers need testing?

What to do next: choose curriculum after you understand the law

The legal checklist tells you what North Dakota expects. Curriculum is the next decision. Start with your child’s age, learning style, parent prep time, and whether you want faith-based, secular, online, workbook, or literature-rich materials.

New homeschoolers

Pick a simple open-and-go core for math and language arts first. Add science, history, and enrichment after your routine is stable.

Busy parents

Favor programs with clear lesson plans, independent student work, grading support, or online components if parent prep time is limited.

High school

Choose courses you can document with credits, grades, descriptions, labs where needed, and a transcript-friendly record from day one.

Curriculum recommendation links will only be added after official affiliate/tracking URLs are approved and verified. No placeholder affiliate links are used on this page.

Free printables

Download the homeschool starter kit

Print these before you start: a state startup checklist, letter-of-intent template, attendance tracker, and high-school transcript template.

View all downloads

New homeschool families

State homeschool startup checklist

A printable first-week checklist for choosing your pathway, handling notices or withdrawal, tracking deadlines, and setting up records.

Download PDF →

Notice or withdrawal paperwork

Homeschool letter of intent template

A parent-safe fill-in notice/withdrawal template with reminders to use official state forms when required.

Download PDF →

Recordkeeping

Homeschool attendance tracker

A simple school-year tracker for days, hours, holidays, field trips, and notes you can keep with your records.

Download PDF →

High school planning

Homeschool transcript template

A fill-in high-school transcript starter with course records, credit summary, and parent certification lines.

Download PDF →

These printables are general planning tools, not legal advice. Always verify the current rule on your state page and official source links before filing deadlines.

Full breakdown

Every field is designed to answer the real-world compliance questions parents ask first.

Legal status
Homeschooling is legal in North Dakota. Most families homeschool under the state's home education law, and state-certified teachers may also use a private school option.
Compulsory age range
7-16
Notification required
Yes. Families homeschooling under the home education law generally file a statement of intent each year.
Who you notify
The superintendent of the public school district where the child lives.
Notification deadline
Generally at least 14 days before starting homeschool, or within 14 days of moving into the district, and again each year if you continue homeschooling.
Required subjects
English language arts, Mathematics, Social studies, Science, Physical education, Health
Hours or days required
At least 4 hours of instruction each day for 175 days each year.
Record keeping
Keep copies of your statement of intent and basic school records such as attendance, courses taught, work samples, and high school transcripts when applicable.
Testing and evaluation
No routine statewide testing is generally required for families homeschooling under the home education law.
Testing frequency
Not generally required.
Teacher qualifications
The homeschooling parent generally must be the child's parent and have at least a high school diploma or GED. A state-certified teacher may also homeschool under the private school option.
Curriculum freedom
Families have meaningful day-to-day flexibility, but they still need to cover the required subjects and meet the state's notice and instructional-time rules.
Umbrella school option
North Dakota does not have a standard homeschool umbrella-school system built into its main home education law, though some families may use private school arrangements if they fit state rules.
Virtual school option
Yes. Families may use online curriculum, and public virtual options may exist, but public virtual enrollment is different from independent homeschooling.
Special education
Homeschooling a student with disabilities may involve extra planning, and access to public services can vary depending on district practices and enrollment status.
High school diploma
Parents can generally issue a homeschool diploma and transcript for a student who completes the family's high school program.
College admission
Colleges commonly review homeschool transcripts, course descriptions, test scores, and dual-enrollment records when available.
Sports access
Public school sports access is not clearly guaranteed statewide for independent homeschoolers, so participation usually depends on district and activity-association rules.
Dual enrollment
Yes. Homeschool students may be able to use dual-enrollment options, depending on local school and college policies.
Notes
First-pass draft generated from HSLDA and North Dakota statute sources. The official DPI homeschool page listed in the source inventory returned a 404 during review, so this entry leans more heavily on HSLDA plus the North Dakota Century Code and keeps some official-process details more cautious than usual.

From our sister site

Overwhelmed by curriculum choices?

Now that you know the laws, find the right curriculum. Take the free 5-minute quiz at The Curriculum Compass — matched to your child, your teaching style, and your family values.

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Official sources

Parent-friendly reminder

This page is designed to reduce confusion, not replace legal advice. If something changes or feels unclear, verify with your state Department of Education before making compliance decisions.

Want more homeschool guidance and encouragement? Follow Dani at @thedanicerrato.