Minnesota homeschool requirements

To homeschool in Minnesota, register with your resident district superintendent by October 1, teach the required subjects, and give an annual nationally normed standardized test that you and the superintendent agree on. You keep the results — they are not filed with the district as a matter of course, only if the district asks for them.

Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 23, 2026 · Sources below

Moderate regulation Notice required Testing or evaluation

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Minnesota homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice: RequiredWhere it goes: Resident district superintendent. When: By October 1 each year. Also within 15 days of withdrawing a child from public school after age 7, within 15 days of moving out of a district, and by October 1 after a new resident district is established.
Required subjects: Reading, Writing, Literature, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Economics, Civics/Government, Health, Physical Education
Instruction time: NoneNo minimum hours or days specified.
Testing or evaluation: Yes — annualEvery child aged 7 through 16 who is not enrolled in a public school takes a nationally normed standardized achievement test each year — the requirement runs on age, not grade (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 11(a)). That subdivision adds a second group, a child 'ages 16 through 17' for whom the first report was filed after the child turned 16; every 16-year-old is already covered by the first group, whatever year you first reported. The Department of Education's guidance draws no such line: its Homeschool Questions and Answers, updated 22 May 2026, tells families to test 'each student between the ages of 7-17'. Where a 17-year-old has not graduated, the statute's wording and the Department's guidance do not plainly agree, and the safe course is to test. You and the superintendent agree on the specific test, how it is given and where. You keep the results: the Department's guidance is that they 'do not have to be submitted to the district, unless requested'. What the statute requires you to keep is proof that the test was administered, together with class schedules, copies of your materials and a description of how you assess the child (Minn. Stat. 120A.24 subd. 2(a)); the Department adds that the results and scores be kept with that documentation. Scores go to a public school if the child later enrolls there full time, and the documentation goes to the county attorney if a case is commenced (subd. 2(b), (c)). Additional evaluation is required if the total battery score is at or below the 30th percentile or one grade level below children of the same age — either one triggers it. If you are not a licensed teacher and are not supervised by one, you must also assess any required subject the test does not cover (subd. 11(b)). A homeschool accredited by a recognized agency is exempt from the testing requirement.
Records: Yes — plan, assessment results
Parent qualifications: Required
Compulsory attendance ages: 7–17Minnesota requires instruction for every child between 7 and 17 years of age unless the child has graduated (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 5). The home-school duties are written to a narrower age: the yearly letter of intent and the annual test are stated for children 'ages seven through 16', plus a child 'ages 16 through 17' whose first report was filed after the child turned 16 (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 11(a); 120A.24 subd. 1(b)) — so every 16-year-old is covered whatever year you first reported. The Department of Education's guidance draws no such line and puts both reporting and testing at ages 7 through 17, so expect the district to ask for both for a 17-year-old who has not graduated.
Ways to homeschool: Independent (annual registration/letter to district superintendent)
Law: Minn. Stat. §§ 120A.22, 120A.24, 121A.15
Official source: education.mn.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Resident district superintendent. How: Initial registration form the first year — and a new one after you move — then a letter of intent to continue each year. When: By October 1 each year. Also within 15 days of withdrawing a child from public school after age 7, within 15 days of moving out of a district, and by October 1 after a new resident district is established. The initial registration lists the child's name, birth date and address, the name of each instructor, the annual test you intend to use, and evidence that the instructor meets one of the qualification options. Attach immunization records for each student — or a notarized statement of conscientiously held beliefs — and send them again in the grade 7 year; the Department's own form treats that as seventh grade and/or age 12 (Minn. Stat. 121A.15 subds. 3 and 8).

What subjects does Minnesota require homeschoolers to teach?

Minnesota requires instruction in Reading, Writing, Literature, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Economics, Civics/Government, Health, and Physical Education. Per Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 9; instruction in English.

How many days or hours of instruction does Minnesota require?

None. Minnesota does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. No minimum hours or days specified.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota requires a standardized test. How often: Annual. What is accepted: Nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test agreed on with the superintendent. Every child aged 7 through 16 who is not enrolled in a public school takes a nationally normed standardized achievement test each year — the requirement runs on age, not grade (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 11(a)). That subdivision adds a second group, a child 'ages 16 through 17' for whom the first report was filed after the child turned 16; every 16-year-old is already covered by the first group, whatever year you first reported. The Department of Education's guidance draws no such line: its Homeschool Questions and Answers, updated 22 May 2026, tells families to test 'each student between the ages of 7-17'. Where a 17-year-old has not graduated, the statute's wording and the Department's guidance do not plainly agree, and the safe course is to test. You and the superintendent agree on the specific test, how it is given and where. You keep the results: the Department's guidance is that they 'do not have to be submitted to the district, unless requested'. What the statute requires you to keep is proof that the test was administered, together with class schedules, copies of your materials and a description of how you assess the child (Minn. Stat. 120A.24 subd. 2(a)); the Department adds that the results and scores be kept with that documentation. Scores go to a public school if the child later enrolls there full time, and the documentation goes to the county attorney if a case is commenced (subd. 2(b), (c)). Additional evaluation is required if the total battery score is at or below the 30th percentile or one grade level below children of the same age — either one triggers it. If you are not a licensed teacher and are not supervised by one, you must also assess any required subject the test does not cover (subd. 11(b)). A homeschool accredited by a recognized agency is exempt from the testing requirement.

What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Minnesota?

Minnesota requires these records: class schedules, copies of instructional materials, descriptions of assessment methods, and annual test results. How long, or where they go: Kept with your homeschool records, and produced to an enrolling public school or a county attorney when asked. Accredited homeschools are exempt from the documentation requirements.

Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. The instructor must meet one of the five options in Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 10: hold a valid Minnesota teaching license for the field and grade taught; be directly supervised by someone who holds one; teach in a school accredited by a recognized agency; hold a bachelor's degree; or be the parent of a child who is assessed under subdivision 11. That last option is how most homeschooling parents qualify. The teacher-competency-examination option that older guides still list was removed from the statute in 2023 and no longer exists.

What ages does Minnesota's compulsory attendance law cover?

Minnesota's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 7 to age 17. Minnesota requires instruction for every child between 7 and 17 years of age unless the child has graduated (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 5). The home-school duties are written to a narrower age: the yearly letter of intent and the annual test are stated for children 'ages seven through 16', plus a child 'ages 16 through 17' whose first report was filed after the child turned 16 (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 11(a); 120A.24 subd. 1(b)) — so every 16-year-old is covered whatever year you first reported. The Department of Education's guidance draws no such line and puts both reporting and testing at ages 7 through 17, so expect the district to ask for both for a 17-year-old who has not graduated.

What are the ways to homeschool in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (annual registration/letter to district superintendent).

Is homeschooling legal in Minnesota?

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Minnesota, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Minnesota, register with your resident district superintendent by October 1, teach the required subjects, and give an annual nationally normed standardized test that you and the superintendent agree on. You keep the results — they are not filed with the district as a matter of course, only if the district asks for them.

How to get started in Minnesota

Send an initial registration to your district superintendent

The first year, send it by October 1. A registration is also due within 15 days of withdrawing your child from public school after age 7, within 15 days of moving out of a district, and by October 1 after a new resident district is established — a move means a new registration, not just the yearly letter. It lists your child's name, birth date and address, the name of each instructor, the annual test you intend to use, and evidence that the instructor meets one of the qualification options.

Official resource (education.mn.gov) →

Send immunization records with it

The registration also carries immunization records for each student, or a notarized statement of conscientiously held beliefs. You send them again in the grade 7 year — the Department's own form treats that as seventh grade and/or age 12 (Minn. Stat. 121A.15 subds. 3 and 8).

Send a letter of intent to continue each year

After the first year, send the superintendent a letter of intent to continue homeschooling by October 1 each year. The statute writes this letter for the same ages as the annual test, but the Department of Education's guidance puts reporting at ages 7 through 17, so expect the district to ask for it for a 17-year-old who has not graduated.

Teach the required subjects

Reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, economics, government and citizenship, health, and physical education. Instruction must be in English.

Give a standardized test every year

The statute puts the annual nationally normed standardized achievement test on every child aged 7 through 16 who is not enrolled in a public school, plus a child aged 16 through 17 whose first report was filed after the child turned 16 (Minn. Stat. 120A.22 subd. 11(a)). The Department of Education's guidance draws no such line — it tells families to test each student between the ages of 7 and 17 — so if your 17-year-old has not graduated, the safe course is to test. You and the superintendent agree on the test, how it is given and where. You keep the results: the Department's guidance is that they do not have to be submitted to the district unless it asks. An additional evaluation is required if the total battery score is at or below the 30th percentile or one grade level below children of the same age — either one on its own triggers it. If you are not a licensed teacher and are not supervised by one, you must also assess any required subject the test does not cover. A homeschool accredited by a recognized agency is exempt from the testing requirement.

Meet an instructor qualification

Each instructor must meet one of five options: a valid Minnesota teaching license for the field and grade taught; direct supervision by someone who holds one; teaching in a school accredited by a recognized agency; a bachelor's degree; or being the parent of a child who is assessed under the annual-testing subdivision — which is how most homeschooling parents qualify. The teacher-competency examination that older guides still list was removed from the statute in 2023.

Keep your records ready

Keep class schedules, copies of your instructional materials, a description of how you assess your child's work, and proof that the annual test was administered; the Department adds that you keep the results and scores with them. They stay with your homeschool records. Your child's test scores go to a public school if your child later enrolls there full time, and the documentation goes to the county attorney if a case is commenced. A homeschool accredited by a recognized agency is exempt from these documentation requirements.

What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance, assessment reminders, filing reminders.

Generate your Minnesota Notice of Intent →Minnesota funding & ESAs Find field trips in Minnesota

Sources for Minnesota

Official source (education.mn.gov) ↗HSLDA's Minnesota summary ↗

Statute: Minn. Stat. §§ 120A.22, 120A.24, 121A.15

Last reviewed: June 5, 2026

Corrected: September 23, 2026, after re-reading the official source for what changed

Every requirement above comes from our review of Minnesota’s rules, checked against these sources on June 5, 2026 and corrected on September 23, 2026 after re-reading the official source for what changed. Homeschool law changes, and a state can amend its rules between our reviews — read the official source before you file anything or rely on a date here. How we review state requirements.

Nearby states

States that share a border with Minnesota:

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