North Dakota Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in North Dakota, based on NDCC Chapter 15.1-23 (Home Education). North Dakota is classified as High regulation.
This is the general checklist for Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED), the most common of North Dakota'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 local public school district. Deadline: at least 5 days before the child begins home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a school district.
Deadline: at least 5 days before the child begins home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a school district
Send a withdrawal letter
If your child is currently enrolled in school, send a withdrawal letter to superintendent of the local public school district.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Confirm your qualification
This pathway requires a high school diploma or GED. Alternatives: GED.
Deadline: Before you start
Ongoing
Required subjects
English language arts (reading, composition, creative writing, grammar, spelling), mathematics, social studies (U.S. Constitution, U.S. history, geography, government), science, physical education, health (physiology, hygiene, disease control, nature and effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics), computer science and cybersecurity
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 700 hours/year, 175 days/year, 4 hours/day. You must track and document hours.
Show your child's progress
Standardized test — at specific grade levels. At grades: 4, 6, 8, 10. Minimum: 30th percentile composite score.
More details
Process: Below 30th percentile composite triggers multidisciplinary assessment and remediation plan per NDCC 15.1-23-12. Timeline: Remediation continues until child scores at/above 30th percentile composite or shows one year of academic progress. Consequence: Learning disability evaluation first; then certified teacher remediation plan
Keep basic records
You must maintain: attendance records, grades or evaluations. Records may be reviewed by the district.
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year by at least 5 days before the start of each school year, and annually thereafter.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- detailed plan
- Send to
- superintendent of the local public school district
- Deadline
- at least 5 days before the child begins home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a school district
- How often
- annual
NDCC 15.1-23-02
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓English language arts (reading, composition, creative writing, grammar, spelling)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓social studies (U.S. Constitution, U.S. history, geography, government)
- ✓science
- ✓physical education
- ✓health (physiology, hygiene, disease control, nature and effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics)
- ✓computer science and cybersecurity
NDCC 15.1-23-04; NDCC 15.1-21-01
Instructional time
- Days per year:
- 175
- Hours per year:
- 700
- Hours per day:
- 4
NDCC 15.1-23-04
Testing and assessment
Varies by pathway. Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED): []; Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED): undefined
- Accepted types
- Standardized test
- Frequency
- at specific grade levels
- At grades
- 4, 6, 8, 10
- Minimum score
- 30th percentile composite score
If scores fall short:
- Process: Below 30th percentile composite triggers multidisciplinary assessment and remediation plan per NDCC 15.1-23-12
- Timeline: Remediation continues until child scores at/above 30th percentile composite or shows one year of academic progress
- Consequence: Learning disability evaluation first; then certified teacher remediation plan
See our full assessment guide for North Dakota for details.
NDCC 15.1-23-09; NDCC 15.1-23-10; NDCC 15.1-23-11
Recordkeeping
- ✓Attendance records
- ✓Grades or evaluations
Records may be reviewed by the district.
NDCC 15.1-23-05
Reporting
Varies by pathway. Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED): null; Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED): "local school district superintendent (submitted by the certified teacher monitor)"
- Annual renewal
- Required by at least 5 days before the start of each school year, and annually thereafter
NDCC 15.1-23-02
Instructor qualifications
Varies by pathway. Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED): true; Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED): false
The instructor must have a high school diploma or GED.
Alternatives: GED
Documentation of qualifications is required.
NDCC 15.1-23-03
Other ways to homeschool in North Dakota
This checklist covers Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED), the most common pathway. North Dakota offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED)(this checklist) : You file a statement of intent with your local superintendent and teach at home with no monitoring required. You must hold a high school diploma or GED, provide 175 days of instruction at 4 hours per day, teach required subjects, and have your child tested at grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. Parents with a bachelor's degree, teaching license, or qualifying score on a national teacher exam are exempt from the testing requirement. The most common pathway in North Dakota.
- •Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED) : For parents without a high school diploma or GED. You file a statement of intent with your local superintendent and teach at home while a certified teacher monitors your program. The monitor is assigned by the school district, visits at least twice per year with an average of one hour per week of contact, and submits reports to the superintendent. Same subject, instructional time, and testing requirements as the standard pathway. After two satisfactory years of monitoring, monitoring ends — unless your child scores below the 50th percentile, in which case monitoring continues until the child reaches the 50th percentile.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for North Dakota
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 North Dakota checklistRequirements sourced from NDCC Chapter 15.1-23 (Home Education). Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026