Homeschooling in Montana? Here’s your plan.

Homeschooling in Montana is governed by MCA 20-5-109. You notify the county superintendent of schools in the county where your home school is located (not the local school district superintendent) in each school fiscal year, which runs July 1 to June 30. The statute sets no specific date for the notice.

You provide at least the minimum aggregate hours of instruction under MCA 20-1-301: 720 hours for grades 1 through 3 and 1,080 hours for grades 4 through 12 (kindergarten is 360 hours half-time or 720 hours full-time). Montana sets hours, not a number of days. You also provide an organized course of study that includes the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program under MCA 20-7-111. Confirm the current subject list with the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI).

You keep attendance records and make them available to the county superintendent on request. No testing is required, and no portfolio, progress reports, or test scores are submitted. Under MCA 20-5-111, the parent is responsible for the educational philosophy, curriculum, instructional methods, and evaluation of the home school.

Most families homeschool as a home school under MCA 20-5-109(2). The nonpublic (private) school option under MCA 20-5-109(1) is a different set of rules: a nonpublic school keeps attendance and immunization records available to the county superintendent, provides the minimum aggregate hours, is housed in a building that meets local health and safety rules, and teaches the subjects required of public schools. Section 20-5-109(1) does not include a notice or testing requirement for nonpublic schools; the annual notice applies only to home schools.

File with the county superintendent. Montana's notification goes to the county superintendent of schools, not the local school district superintendent. Contact information is available through the OPI website.

Notify every school fiscal year. The notice is required in each school fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). The statute does not set a specific date. Filing when you begin homeschooling, and again early in each later school fiscal year, keeps you covered.

No immunization records for home schools. MCA 20-5-109 (as amended in 2025) requires immunization records and building compliance only for nonpublic schools, not home schools.

Withdrawal process. Montana law does not require a withdrawal letter. If your child is currently enrolled, file your homeschool notification with the county superintendent, and you may let the school know your child is leaving.

Extracurriculars. Under MCA 20-5-112, a student in a home school that meets MCA 20-5-109 may not be barred from public school extracurricular activities solely because of enrollment status or attendance hours. Students follow the same standards and rules as full-time students.

Dual enrollment. The Montana University System's One-Two-Free program may let your student take college courses. Contact the institution or your resident school district for details.

High school credentials. Montana has no state homeschool diploma. A parent-issued diploma or certificate of completion is recognized, and the GED or HiSET is available as an alternative credential.