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: October 1 of the school year, or within 15 days of withdrawal from school or moving into a new district.
Deadline: October 1 of the school year, or within 15 days of withdrawal from school or moving into a new district
Send a withdrawal letter
If your child is currently enrolled in school, send a withdrawal letter to child's current school.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Required subjects
reading and writing, literature, fine arts (including music and visual arts), mathematics and science, history, geography, and economics, government and citizenship (including U.S. Constitution), health and physical education
Show your child's progress
Standardized test or Teacher evaluation — annually. Minimum: scoring at or below 30th percentile triggers mandatory additional evaluation, not automatic failure.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by October 1.
Good news
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- detailed plan
- Send to
- superintendent of the resident school district
- Deadline
- October 1 of the school year, or within 15 days of withdrawal from school or moving into a new district
- How often
- annual
Minn. Stat. 120A.24, Subd. 1
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓reading and writing
- ✓literature
- ✓fine arts (including music and visual arts)
- ✓mathematics and science
- ✓history, geography, and economics
- ✓government and citizenship (including U.S. Constitution)
- ✓health and physical education
Minn. Stat. 120A.22, Subd. 9
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Qualified Instructor Pathway: null; Non-Qualified Instructor with Testing Alternative: "scoring at or below 30th percentile triggers mandatory additional evaluation, not automatic failure"
- Accepted types
- Standardized test, Teacher evaluation
- Frequency
- annually
- Minimum score
- scoring at or below 30th percentile triggers mandatory additional evaluation, not automatic failure
See our full assessment guide for Minnesota for details.
Minn. Stat. 120A.24, Subd. 2
What you don't need to worry about
No instructional time minimums
No minimum hours or days of instruction required.
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 detailed annual report with the superintendent by October 1 and submit annual standardized test results. The teaching parent must hold a bachelor's degree, a Minnesota teaching license, or teach under the supervision of a licensed teacher. Best for families where the teaching parent already has a college degree.
- •Non-Qualified Instructor with Testing Alternative(this checklist) : You file a detailed annual report with the superintendent by October 1, teach seven required subjects (including fine arts and health), and submit annual standardized test results. Any parent can teach regardless of education level, but your child must score at or above the 30th percentile on the test. This is the most commonly used pathway in Minnesota.
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). Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026