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
One-time filing per child. Once notification is filed, no additional filing is required unless the child enrolls in public or nonpublic school, moves to a different school district, or begins/stops dual credit participation. South Dakota DOE provides a standard notification form and online notification system. Notification is informational only — no authority to approve or deny.
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)
More details
If the child is currently enrolled, formally withdraw and file the alternative instruction notification simultaneously with or before the withdrawal. Keep copies of all correspondence. No statutory waiting period between filing notification and beginning instruction.
Ongoing
Required subjects
language arts (including reading and writing), mathematics
More details
Language arts and mathematics are the minimum explicitly required by SDCL 13-27-3. The person providing instruction may not instruct more than 22 children.
Meet instructional time requirements
Minimum: 175 days/year.
More details
Must provide instruction for at least the equivalent number of days as the local public school district's calendar (typically 175 days minimum). The 'equivalent time' language allows flexibility in daily scheduling.
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
One-time filing per child. Once notification is filed, no additional filing is required unless the child enrolls in public or nonpublic school, moves to a different school district, or begins/stops dual credit participation. South Dakota DOE provides a standard notification form and online notification system. Notification is informational only — no authority to approve or deny.
SDCL 13-27-7; SDCL 13-27-8
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓language arts (including reading and writing)
- ✓mathematics
Language arts and mathematics are the minimum explicitly required by SDCL 13-27-3. The person providing instruction may not instruct more than 22 children.
SDCL 13-27-3
Instructional time
- Days per year:
- 175
Must provide instruction for at least the equivalent number of days as the local public school district's calendar (typically 175 days minimum). The 'equivalent time' language allows flexibility in daily scheduling.
SDCL 13-27-3.1
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
Related guides
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