What are the homeschool requirements in South Dakota?

South Dakota requires a simple notice to South Dakota Department of Education or local school district by within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction. No standardized testing is required. 2 subjects must be taught.

What paperwork do I need to file in South Dakota?

You need to submit a simple notice to South Dakota Department of Education or local school district. The deadline is within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction.

What subjects are required for homeschooling in South Dakota?

South Dakota requires instruction in 2 subjects: language arts, mathematics.

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. 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/guardian signature

Ongoing

Required subjects

language arts, mathematics

Review instructional-time requirements

Check the cited source for the school-term or instructional-time rule that applies to your pathway.

Testing: what applies to you

State standardized achievement tests are not required for alternative instruction; optional testing and separate transfer-placement assessments remain possible.

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/guardian signature

Practical tip: The notification must be on the Department of Education's standard form. The Department's online system notifies your school district and the Department at the same time; a paper form is available if you cannot file online. The district and the Department must keep notifications confidential (SD DOE Alternative Instruction FAQ 1.1, 1.2).

SDCL 13-27-7; SDCL 13-27-8

Ongoing requirements

Required subjects

✓language arts
✓mathematics

Practical tip: Language arts and mathematics are the only subjects explicitly required. All instruction must lead to English language mastery. No person may instruct more than 22 children.

SDCL 13-27-3

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 checklist

Requirements sourced from SDCL Chapter 13-27 (Alternative Instruction, as amended by 2021 SB 177). Last reviewed October 2026