What documents do I need to homeschool in Montana?

Montana requires a simple notice sent to county superintendent of schools (NOT the local school district superintendent).

Who do I send my homeschool notice to in Montana?

Send your simple notice to county superintendent of schools (NOT the local school district superintendent). The deadline is before the start of the school year, or whenever homeschooling begins if starting mid-year.

Montana Homeschool Documents & Templates

Every document you need to homeschool legally in Montana, based on MCA 20-5-109 (Home Schools).

These are general templates for Home School Under MCA 20-5-109, the most common of Montana's 2 pathways. Our free wizard generates personalized documents with your name, address, and district filled in.

What documents do you need?

Notice of Intent

Required. Send to county superintendent of schools (NOT the local school district superintendent) by before the start of the school year, or whenever homeschooling begins if starting mid-year

Annual Renewal

Required by before the start of each school year

Notice of Intent

What to file: simple notice
Send to: county superintendent of schools (NOT the local school district superintendent)
Deadline: before the start of the school year, or whenever homeschooling begins if starting mid-year
How often: annual
Free-form letter accepted?: Yes. You can write your own letter instead of using an official form.

Practical tip: OPI's suggested notification form asks for names and ages of children, address, and parent signature, but these content items are not specified in MCA 20-5-109. Using the OPI form is recommended but not legally required.

MCA 20-5-109 (annual notification to county superintendent)

If withdrawing from school

Status: Not required, but recommended to prevent truancy concerns
Send to: current school and county superintendent of schools

Practical tip: If your child is currently enrolled in public or private school, submit a written withdrawal letter to the school AND file homeschool notification with the county superintendent.

Annual Renewal

Deadline: before the start of each school year

MCA 20-5-109 (annual notification to county superintendent)

Recordkeeping requirements

Varies by pathway. Home School Under MCA 20-5-109: true; Non-Public (Private) School: false

✓Attendance records

Records may be reviewed by the district.

Practical tip: In practice, county superintendent inspections of homeschool attendance records are very rare.

MCA 20-5-109 (attendance records; inspection by county superintendent)

Other ways to homeschool in Montana

This page covers Home School Under MCA 20-5-109. Montana offers 2 different ways to homeschool, and each may require different documents:

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Home School Under MCA 20-5-109(this page): You notify your county superintendent annually before the school year starts, teach seven required subjects, and provide 180 days of instruction (720 hours for grades 1-3, 1,080 hours for grades 4-12). No testing required, and while attendance records must be maintained, they are rarely inspected in practice.
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Non-Public (Private) School: You operate as a non-public (private) school, filing an annual report with the county superintendent. Montana private schools are relatively unregulated — same subject and instructional time requirements apply, but with less individual oversight. Some families form small group schools or co-ops under this pathway.

Our wizard helps you choose the right one and generates the correct documents. Compare all pathways for Montana

Get your personalized documents

These are general templates. The wizard generates documents with your name, address, and district already filled in, ready to download and send.

Get your Montana documents

Requirements sourced from MCA 20-5-109 (Home Schools). Verified against primary legal sources. Last verified: March 2026