Montana Homeschool Documents & Templates

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.

Must include names and ages of children, address where instruction will be provided, and signature of parent or guardian. The notification is not an application for approval — the county superintendent does not have authority to approve or deny homeschooling. OPI provides a suggested notification form on its website.

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

Status

Not required, but recommended to prevent truancy concerns

Send to

current school and county superintendent of schools

If child is currently enrolled in public or private school, parent should submit a written withdrawal letter to the school AND file homeschool notification with the county superintendent. No statutory waiting period between withdrawal and beginning home school.

Deadline

before the start of each school year

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

• ✓Attendance records

Records may be reviewed by the district.

Must maintain attendance records sufficient to demonstrate instructional day and hour requirements have been met. Records are subject to inspection by the county superintendent upon request, though in practice such inspections are very rare. Note: HB778 (signed May 2025) eliminated the immunization record requirement and building compliance requirement for homeschools.

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

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

• •
  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.
• •
  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