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. Conditions: If the district does not employ a superintendent, file with the county superintendent of schools for the child's county of residence (NDCC 15.1-23-02).
Deadline: at least 5 days before the child begins home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a school district
Confirm your qualification
This pathway requires a high school diploma or GED. Alternatives: General educational development (GED) diploma.
Deadline: Before you start
Ongoing
Required subjects
English language arts (reading, composition, creative writing, English grammar, spelling), mathematics, social studies (U.S. Constitution, U.S. history, geography, government, and North Dakota studies in grades 4 and 8), science (including agriculture), physical education, health (physiology, hygiene, disease control, nature and effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics), computer science (including cybersecurity)
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 700 hours/year, 175 days/year, 4 hours/day.
Show your child's progress
Standardized test — at specific grade levels. At grades: 4, 6, 8, 10. Minimum: 30th percentile composite score. Conditions: Testing is not required if, when filing the statement of intent, the parent notifies the school district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement tests, or documents that the parent is licensed or approved to teach by the education standards and practices board, holds a baccalaureate degree, or has met the cutoff score of a national teacher examination (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)). Not a pass/fail score: a basic composite below the 30th percentile triggers a multidisciplinary assessment and, if the child is not disabled, a remediation plan (NDCC 15.1-23-11, 15.1-23-12).
More details
Conditions: Testing is not required if, when filing the statement of intent, the parent notifies the school district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement tests, or documents that the parent is licensed or approved to teach by the education standards and practices board, holds a baccalaureate degree, or has met the cutoff score of a national teacher examination (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)).. Process: Below the 30th percentile composite, a multidisciplinary assessment team evaluates the child for a learning problem. If the child is not disabled, the parent files a remediation plan prepared with a licensed or approved teacher's advice and consent (NDCC 15.1-23-11, 15.1-23-12).. Timeline: Remediation continues until child scores at/above 30th percentile composite or shows one year of academic progress. Consequence: Below the 30th percentile: a multidisciplinary assessment team evaluates the child for a learning problem. If the child is not disabled, the parent files a remediation plan prepared with a licensed teacher's advice and consent; failing to file it ends home education.
Keep basic records
You must maintain: grades or evaluations. Records may be reviewed by the district. Conditions: Records must be furnished on request only if the child transfers to a public school district (NDCC 15.1-23-05).
Renew each year
You must renew your homeschool notice each year. Conditions: If the district does not employ a superintendent, file with the county superintendent of schools for the child's county of residence (NDCC 15.1-23-02).
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, English grammar, spelling)
- ✓mathematics
- ✓social studies (U.S. Constitution, U.S. history, geography, government, and North Dakota studies in grades 4 and 8)
- ✓science (including agriculture)
- ✓physical education
- ✓health (physiology, hygiene, disease control, nature and effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics)
- ✓computer science (including 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
- Testing is not required if, when filing the statement of intent, the parent notifies the school district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement tests, or documents that the parent is licensed or approved to teach by the education standards and practices board, holds a baccalaureate degree, or has met the cutoff score of a national teacher examination (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)).
- 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 the 30th percentile composite, a multidisciplinary assessment team evaluates the child for a learning problem. If the child is not disabled, the parent files a remediation plan prepared with a licensed or approved teacher's advice and consent (NDCC 15.1-23-11, 15.1-23-12).
- Timeline: Remediation continues until child scores at/above 30th percentile composite or shows one year of academic progress
- Consequence: Below the 30th percentile: a multidisciplinary assessment team evaluates the child for a learning problem. If the child is not disabled, the parent files a remediation plan prepared with a licensed teacher's advice and consent; failing to file it ends home education.
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
- ✓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): "school district superintendent (or the county superintendent if the district does not employ one), reported by the monitor"
- Annual renewal
- Required
NDCC 15.1-23-02
Instructor qualifications
Varies by pathway. Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED): null; Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED): false
The instructor must have a high school diploma or GED.
Alternatives: General educational development (GED) diploma
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) : For parents with a high school diploma or GED (NDCC 15.1-23-03). You file a statement of intent with your superintendent and teach at home with no monitoring. Provide at least 4 hours of instruction a day for at least 175 days, teach the required subjects, and have your child take a standardized achievement test at grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. Testing does not apply if you notify your district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized tests, or if you are licensed or approved to teach, hold a bachelor's degree, or passed a national teacher examination (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)).
- •Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED) : For parents without a high school diploma or GED. You file a statement of intent with your superintendent and teach at home while a licensed or approved teacher monitors your program for the first two years (NDCC 15.1-23-06). The school district assigns and pays the monitor unless you notify the district that you will select and pay for one yourself. For one child, the monitor spends an average of one hour per week in contact with your child and you, and reports your child's progress to the superintendent twice each school year (NDCC 15.1-23-07). Same subject, instructional time, and testing requirements as the standard pathway. If your child scores below the 50th percentile composite, monitoring continues for at least one more school year and until the child scores at or above 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). Last reviewed October 2026