South Dakota Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in South Dakota, based on SDCL Chapter 13-27 (Alternative Instruction, as amended by 2021 SB 177). South Dakota is classified as Low regulation.
This is the general checklist for Alternative Instruction, the most common of South 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 Notice of Intent
Submit to South Dakota Department of Education or local school district. Deadline: within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction.
Deadline: within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction
More details
Include: child's name, child birthdate, resident district, open enrolled district, parent signature
Withdrawal letter recommended
A formal letter isn't required, but it is recommended if your child is enrolled in school. Send it to current school.
Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)
Ongoing
Required subjects
language arts (including reading and writing), mathematics
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 175 days/year.
Good news
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- simple notice
- Send to
- South Dakota Department of Education or local school district
- Deadline
- within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction
- How often
- one time
Your notice must include:
- •child's name
- •child birthdate
- •resident district
- •open enrolled district
- •parent signature
SDCL 13-27-7; SDCL 13-27-8
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓language arts (including reading and writing)
- ✓mathematics
What you don't need to worry about
No testing or assessment required
No standardized testing or assessments required under this pathway.
Other ways to homeschool in South Dakota
This checklist covers Alternative Instruction, the most common pathway. South Dakota offers 2 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:
- •Alternative Instruction(this checklist) : You file a one-time notification with the SD Department of Education or your local school district, teach language arts and math for at least 175 days, and that is all South Dakota requires. No testing, no curriculum approval, and no ongoing reporting. One of the simplest homeschool frameworks in the country.
- •Alternative Instruction Program : You operate under a more formalized alternative instruction program structure, with the same basic requirements — language arts, math, 175 days, and one-time notification. This pathway is designed for organized programs rather than individual families. Most families use the basic alternative instruction pathway instead.
Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for South 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 South Dakota checklistRequirements sourced from SDCL Chapter 13-27 (Alternative Instruction, as amended by 2021 SB 177). Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026