Montana homeschool requirements
To homeschool in Montana, file an annual Notice of Intent with your county superintendent, provide the required hours, and keep attendance records. No testing. Instruction is required from age 7 until the later of the child's 16th birthday or the completion of 8th grade (MCA § 20-5-102).
Last reviewed June 5, 2026 · corrected September 19, 2026 · Sources below
Montana homeschool requirements at a glance
- Notice
- RequiredWhere it goes: County superintendent of schools. When: Annually, before the first day of public school each fiscal year (Jul 1–Jun 30).
- Required subjects
- English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/History, Health and Physical Education, Arts, Career and Technical Education
- Instruction time
- 720–1,080 hours by grade720 hours/year for grades 1–3; 1,080 hours/year for grades 4–12. Maintain attendance records.
- Testing or evaluation
- NoNo state testing policy for homeschools; parents are solely responsible for evaluation.
- Records
- Yes — attendance
- Parent qualifications
- Not required
- Compulsory attendance ages
- 7–16
- Ways to homeschool
- Independent (annual NOI to county superintendent)
- Law
- Mont. Code Ann. § 20-5-109; § 20-5-111
- Official source
- opi.mt.gov ↗
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Montana?
Yes. Montana requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: County superintendent of schools. How: Written notification (no mandated form; a letter is acceptable; no notarization). When: Annually, before the first day of public school each fiscal year (Jul 1–Jun 30). Parents have full discretion over philosophy, curriculum, materials, time, place, and method.
What subjects does Montana require homeschoolers to teach?
Montana requires instruction in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies/History, Health and Physical Education, Arts, and Career and Technical Education. MCA § 20-5-109(2)(d) asks for an organized course of study covering the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program under § 20-7-111. Section 20-7-111 names no subjects itself — it leaves that program to the Board of Public Education's accreditation standards (ARM Title 10, chapter 55), whose program areas also include technology integration, computer science, world languages and library media. Nobody reviews or approves your course of study: under MCA § 20-5-111 the parent alone chooses the materials, curriculum, textbooks, time, place, method and evaluation.
How many days or hours of instruction does Montana require?
Montana's rule: 720 hours/year for grades 1–3; 1,080 hours/year for grades 4–12. Maintain attendance records.
Is standardized testing required to homeschool in Montana?
No. Montana does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. No state testing policy for homeschools; parents are solely responsible for evaluation.
What records do I need to keep to homeschool in Montana?
Montana requires these records: attendance records. How long, or where they go: Available to the county superintendent on request. Attendance records are the only records a home school must keep, and they are shown to the county superintendent on request rather than submitted (MCA § 20-5-109(2)(b)). The immunization records many guides still list were removed for home schools by HB 778 (Ch. 724, L. 2025); that duty now sits in § 20-5-109(1)(a), which applies to nonpublic schools.
Do parents need a teaching certificate or other qualification to homeschool in Montana?
No. Montana does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents.
What ages does Montana's compulsory attendance law cover?
Montana's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 7 to age 16.
What are the ways to homeschool in Montana?
In Montana, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (annual NOI to county superintendent).
Is homeschooling legal in Montana?
Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Montana, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in Montana, file an annual Notice of Intent with your county superintendent, provide the required hours, and keep attendance records. No testing. Instruction is required from age 7 until the later of the child's 16th birthday or the completion of 8th grade (MCA § 20-5-102).
How to get started in Montana
Sources for Montana
Every requirement above comes from our review of Montana’s rules, checked against these sources on June 5, 2026 and corrected on September 19, 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.
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