Minnesota Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Minnesota, based on Minn. Stat. 120A.22 (Compulsory Instruction); Minn. Stat. 120A.24 (Reporting and Assessment). Minnesota is classified as High regulation.
This is the general checklist for Non-Qualified Instructor with Testing Alternative, the most common of Minnesota's 2 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
File your Letter of Intent & instructional plan
Submit to superintendent of the resident school district. Deadline: By October 1 of the first school year after the child turns 7; within 15 days of withdrawing a child age 7 or older from public school; within 15 days of moving out of a district; by October 1 after establishing a new resident district. Conditions: Annual letter of intent by October 1 is required for children ages 7 to 16, and for 16- and 17-year-olds whose initial report was filed after age 16.
Deadline: By October 1 of the first school year after the child turns 7; within 15 days of withdrawing a child age 7 or older from public school; within 15 days of moving out of a district; by October 1 after establishing a new resident district
Send a withdrawal letter
If your child is currently enrolled in school, send a withdrawal letter to superintendent of the district in which the child resides. Conditions: Annual letter of intent by October 1 is required for children ages 7 to 16, and for 16- and 17-year-olds whose initial report was filed after age 16. The required withdrawal filing is the report to the superintendent of your resident district within 15 days of withdrawing a child age seven or older from public school (Minn. Stat. 120A.24, subd. 1(a)(2)). State law does not require a separate letter to the school. The statute requires the report to the resident district superintendent within 15 days of withdrawal from public school; it does not address a separate letter to the school.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Required subjects
basic communication skills including reading and writing, literature, fine arts, mathematics and science, social studies including history, geography, economics, government, and citizenship, health and physical education
Review instructional-time requirements
Check the cited source for the school-term or instructional-time rule that applies to your pathway.
Show your child's progress
Standardized test or Other approved method — annually. Minimum: Total battery score at or below the 30th percentile, or one grade level below, requires the parent to obtain additional evaluation (not a failing score). Conditions: Children taught by a nonpublic school, person or institution accredited by a recognized accrediting agency are exempt (120A.22, subd. 11(d)). Parent assessment of subjects the standardized test does not cover applies only to a parent instructor who is not a licensed teacher or supervised by one (120A.22, subd. 11(b)). Proof of testing must be kept and made available to the county attorney if a truancy or child-protection case is commenced or diverted; scores must be given to the public school if the child later enrolls full time (120A.24, subd. 2(b)-(c)).
More details
Conditions: Children taught by a nonpublic school, person or institution accredited by a recognized accrediting agency are exempt (120A.22, subd. 11(d)).
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by October 1. Conditions: Annual letter of intent by October 1 is required for children ages 7 to 16, and for 16- and 17-year-olds whose initial report was filed after age 16. Applies to children ages 7 through 16, and to children ages 16 through 17 for whom an initial report was filed after age 16 (subd. 1(b)).
Filing requirements
- What to file
- detailed plan
- Send to
- superintendent of the resident school district
- Deadline
- By October 1 of the first school year after the child turns 7; within 15 days of withdrawing a child age 7 or older from public school; within 15 days of moving out of a district; by October 1 after establishing a new resident district
- How often
- annual
Minn. Stat. 120A.24, Subd. 1
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓basic communication skills including reading and writing
- ✓literature
- ✓fine arts
- ✓mathematics and science
- ✓social studies including history, geography, economics, government, and citizenship
- ✓health and physical education
Minn. Stat. 120A.22, Subd. 9
Testing and assessment
- Children taught by a nonpublic school, person or institution accredited by a recognized accrediting agency are exempt (120A.22, subd. 11(d)).
- Accepted types
- Standardized test, Other approved method
- Frequency
- annually
- Minimum score
- Total battery score at or below the 30th percentile, or one grade level below, requires the parent to obtain additional evaluation (not a failing score)
See our full assessment guide for Minnesota for details.
Minn. Stat. 120A.24, Subd. 2
Other ways to homeschool in Minnesota
This checklist covers Non-Qualified Instructor with Testing Alternative, the most common pathway. Minnesota offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Qualified Instructor Pathway : You file a report with the superintendent of your resident school district by October 1 each year. Each year your child takes a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test that you and the superintendent agree on. You keep proof that testing happened rather than submitting the results. The person teaching holds a bachelor's degree or a Minnesota teaching license, is directly supervised by a licensed teacher, or teaches in an accredited or recognized school (Minn. Stat. 120A.22, subd. 10).
- •Non-Qualified Instructor with Testing Alternative(this checklist) : You file a report with the superintendent of your resident school district by October 1 each year and teach the subjects listed in Minn. Stat. 120A.22, subd. 9, including fine arts and health and physical education. Each year your child takes a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test that you and the superintendent agree on, and you assess any required subjects the test does not cover. You keep proof that testing happened rather than submitting the results. Any parent can teach under this pathway. If your child's total battery score is at or below the 30th percentile, or one grade level below, you get an additional evaluation to check for learning problems.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Minnesota
Get your personalized checklist
This is the general checklist for the most common pathway. The wizard customizes it for your family's specific situation, including grade, pathway, and IEP status.
Get your Minnesota checklistRequirements sourced from Minn. Stat. 120A.22 (Compulsory Instruction); Minn. Stat. 120A.24 (Reporting and Assessment). Last reviewed October 2026