North Dakota homeschool requirements

To homeschool in North Dakota, file a Statement of Intent with your district, provide 175 days, and test in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. Parents without a HS diploma are monitored by a certified teacher for the first two years.

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

High regulation Notice required Instruction time set Testing or evaluation

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North Dakota homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice: RequiredWhere it goes: The superintendent of your child's school district of residence — or, if the district employs no superintendent, the county superintendent of schools for your county of residence (NDCC 15.1-23-02). The same pairing applies to the monitor's progress reports and to your child's test results. When: At least 5 days before you begin home education, or within 14 days of establishing your child's residence in a district, and once each year after that (NDCC 15.1-23-02). North Dakota law sets no calendar date for the annual re-filing; an individual district may ask for one anyway — West Fargo's home education page tells guardians to file by September 10 — so check what your own district asks.
Required subjects: No set list
Instruction time: 175 days · 4 hrs/day175 days, at least 4 hours/day (NDCC 15.1-23-04).
Testing or evaluation: Yes — grades 4, 6, 8, 10Testing in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10; the parent files the results with the superintendent (NDCC 15.1-23-11(1)). Exemption — any ONE of four grounds is enough on its own (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)): a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement tests, notified to the district; a teaching license or approval from the Education Standards and Practices Board; a baccalaureate degree; or a score at or above the cutoff of a national teacher examination. The objection does not depend on holding a degree or a license. File the notice and any supporting documentation at the same time as the Statement of Intent — state form SFN 16909 carries a checkbox for each of the four. If a child's basic composite score falls below the 30th percentile nationally, a multidisciplinary assessment team assesses the child for a learning problem; if the team finds no disability and the parent wants to continue, the parent must prepare a remediation plan with the advice and consent of a licensed teacher, pay for it, and file it with the superintendent, or may no longer supervise that child's home education (NDCC 15.1-23-11). A score below the 50th percentile is a separate rule that extends monitoring for a parent who is already monitored (NDCC 15.1-23-06); the Department of Public Instruction's home education page puts monitoring only on a parent who does not hold a diploma or GED, and the state form asks a diploma-holding parent nothing about monitoring.
Records: Yes — assessment results
Parent qualifications: Required
Compulsory attendance ages: 7–16North Dakota requires attendance between the ages of seven and sixteen, for the duration of each school year (NDCC 15.1-20-01(1)). Two things qualify that. A child of six who has been enrolled in public school must attend for the rest of that school year, and once withdrawn may not re-enroll until the following school year unless the family moves to another district (NDCC 15.1-20-01(2)). And the Department of Education's guidance tells families to file the Statement of Intent every school year for each child age seven or older, so the filing duty tracks these ages rather than the child's grade.
Ways to homeschool: Two pathways
Law: N.D.C.C. ch. 15.1-23
Official source: nd.gov ↗

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in North Dakota?

Yes. North Dakota requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: The superintendent of your child's school district of residence — or, if the district employs no superintendent, the county superintendent of schools for your county of residence (NDCC 15.1-23-02). The same pairing applies to the monitor's progress reports and to your child's test results. How: Statement of Intent, state form SFN 16909, filed for each child. It must be accompanied by a copy of the child's immunization record (or documentation of an exemption) and proof of the child's identity under NDCC 12-60-26 — a certified birth certificate is the usual document, but a certified transcript, records from a previous school, or other documentary evidence the district accepts will also do. The form also asks you to attach a copy of the diploma or GED you are relying on to supervise. When: At least 5 days before you begin home education, or within 14 days of establishing your child's residence in a district, and once each year after that (NDCC 15.1-23-02). North Dakota law sets no calendar date for the annual re-filing; an individual district may ask for one anyway — West Fargo's home education page tells guardians to file by September 10 — so check what your own district asks. A separate Statement of Intent is filed for each child, every school year, and you may begin home education five days after you file. The statement must be accompanied by proof of the child's identity and a copy of the child's immunization record (NDCC 15.1-23-02(2)); form SFN 16909 has a box for each.

What subjects does North Dakota require homeschoolers to teach?

North Dakota does not spell out a list of required subjects for homeschoolers. Instruction in all subjects required for North Dakota public schools (incorporated by reference; no separate enumerated list in the home-education chapter).

How many days or hours of instruction does North Dakota require?

North Dakota's rule: 175 days, at least 4 hours/day (NDCC 15.1-23-04).

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in North Dakota?

Yes. North Dakota requires a standardized test. How often: In the specified grades only. What is accepted: The district's standardized achievement test (a nationally-normed test if the parent requests), administered by a licensed teacher. Testing in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10; the parent files the results with the superintendent (NDCC 15.1-23-11(1)). Exemption — any ONE of four grounds is enough on its own (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)): a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement tests, notified to the district; a teaching license or approval from the Education Standards and Practices Board; a baccalaureate degree; or a score at or above the cutoff of a national teacher examination. The objection does not depend on holding a degree or a license. File the notice and any supporting documentation at the same time as the Statement of Intent — state form SFN 16909 carries a checkbox for each of the four. If a child's basic composite score falls below the 30th percentile nationally, a multidisciplinary assessment team assesses the child for a learning problem; if the team finds no disability and the parent wants to continue, the parent must prepare a remediation plan with the advice and consent of a licensed teacher, pay for it, and file it with the superintendent, or may no longer supervise that child's home education (NDCC 15.1-23-11). A score below the 50th percentile is a separate rule that extends monitoring for a parent who is already monitored (NDCC 15.1-23-06); the Department of Public Instruction's home education page puts monitoring only on a parent who does not hold a diploma or GED, and the state form asks a diploma-holding parent nothing about monitoring.

What records do I need to keep to homeschool in North Dakota?

North Dakota requires these records: annual records of courses taken, academic progress assessments, and standardized test results. How long, or where they go: Kept by the parent. Where monitoring applies, it is the monitor — not the parent and not the student — who reports the child's progress to the superintendent twice each school year (NDCC 15.1-23-07(3)). The parent's own record is an annual one: courses taken and the child's academic progress assessments, including any standardized achievement test results. That record goes to a school district only if the child transfers there and the district asks for it (NDCC 15.1-23-05). Filing test results is a separate duty of the parent's own: in each year a child is tested, the parent files the results with the superintendent (NDCC 15.1-23-11(1)).

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

Yes. North Dakota sets a qualification for the parent who teaches. A parent who holds a high school diploma or a GED may supervise home education on their own (NDCC 15.1-23-03). A parent without one may still supervise, but the home education is monitored for the first two years by a teacher licensed or approved by the Education Standards and Practices Board. The district assigns and pays for that monitor unless you tell the district that you will select and pay for your own (NDCC 15.1-23-07); form SFN 16909 has a box for each, and a parent who chooses their own monitor carries that cost. The monitor spends an average of an hour a week in contact with you and one child, plus half an hour a month for each additional child, and reports the child's progress to the superintendent twice each school year. Monitoring runs for those first two years. It is extended only when a child's basic composite test score comes in below the 50th percentile, and then for at least one more school year and until a score reaches the 50th percentile or above; if no test was required during those two years, the period may not be extended except by mutual consent of the parent and the monitor (NDCC 15.1-23-06). Once a parent has completed monitoring for one child, that parent is not monitored for the other children they home educate.

What ages does North Dakota's compulsory attendance law cover?

North Dakota's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 7 to age 16. North Dakota requires attendance between the ages of seven and sixteen, for the duration of each school year (NDCC 15.1-20-01(1)). Two things qualify that. A child of six who has been enrolled in public school must attend for the rest of that school year, and once withdrawn may not re-enroll until the following school year unless the family moves to another district (NDCC 15.1-20-01(2)). And the Department of Education's guidance tells families to file the Statement of Intent every school year for each child age seven or older, so the filing duty tracks these ages rather than the child's grade.

What are the ways to homeschool in North Dakota?

In North Dakota, families homeschool under one of two pathways: independent home education (Statement of Intent, state form SFN 16909, filed with the district or county superintendent under NDCC ch. 15.1-23) and enrollment in an approved nonpublic school (NDCC 15.1-20-02(1)(a)) — a separate exception to the attendance law rather than a home program: every classroom teacher must be licensed or approved by the Education Standards and Practices Board, staff have criminal-history background checks, the school teaches the curriculum required by NDCC ch. 15.1-21, runs a school year as long as the public school's, and is approved each year by the superintendent of public instruction. A child enrolled in one is not receiving home education and files no Statement of Intent.

Is homeschooling legal in North Dakota?

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in North Dakota, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in North Dakota, file a Statement of Intent with your district, provide 175 days, and test in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. Parents without a HS diploma are monitored by a certified teacher for the first two years.

How to get started in North Dakota

File a Statement of Intent

File the Statement of Intent (state form SFN 16909) for each child with the superintendent of your school district — or, if your district employs no superintendent, with your county superintendent of schools. File it at least five days before you begin home education, or within 14 days of establishing your child's residence in a district, and once each year after that; you may begin five days after you file. It goes in with a copy of your child's immunization record (or documentation of an exemption) and proof of your child's identity — a certified birth certificate is the usual document, though a certified transcript, records from a previous school, or other documentary evidence your district accepts will also do — and the form asks you to attach a copy of the diploma or GED you are relying on to supervise. State law sets no calendar date for the annual re-filing; an individual district may ask for one anyway — West Fargo's home education page tells guardians to file by September 10 — so check what your own district asks.

Official resource (nd.gov) →

Parent qualification and monitoring

A parent with a high school diploma or GED may supervise home education on their own. Without one you can still homeschool, but a teacher licensed or approved by the Education Standards and Practices Board monitors your home education for the first two years. Your district assigns and pays for that monitor unless you tell the district that you will select and pay for your own — the form has a box for each, and choosing your own means carrying the cost. The monitor spends an average of an hour a week in contact with you and one child, plus half an hour a month for each additional child, and files progress reports with the superintendent twice a year. Monitoring runs for those first two years. It is extended only when a child's basic composite test score comes in below the 50th percentile, and then for at least one more school year and until a score reaches the 50th percentile or above; if no test was required during those two years, it can be extended only by mutual agreement between you and the monitor. Once you have completed monitoring for one child, you are not monitored for the others you home educate.

Teach 175 days, four hours a day

Instruction must last at least four hours a day for at least 175 days a year and cover all the subjects required for North Dakota public schools. Logging each school day makes this easy to show.

Test in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10

In those grades your child takes the district's standardized achievement test (or a nationally normed test if you ask for one), given by a licensed teacher, and you file the results with the superintendent. Any one of four grounds is enough on its own to opt out: a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement tests, notified to the district; a teaching license or approval from the Education Standards and Practices Board; a baccalaureate degree; or a score at or above the cutoff of a national teacher examination. File the notice and any supporting documentation at the same time as the Statement of Intent — the form carries a checkbox for each. If a child's basic composite score falls below the 30th percentile nationally, a multidisciplinary assessment team assesses the child for a learning problem; if the team finds no disability, you may continue only by preparing a remediation plan with the advice and consent of a licensed teacher, paying for it, and filing it with the superintendent.

Keep a yearly record

Keep an annual record of the courses your child takes and their academic progress assessments, including any standardized test results. That record goes to a school district only if your child transfers there and the district asks for it. Filing test results is a separate duty of your own: in each year your child is tested, you file the results with the superintendent.

The approved nonpublic school route

North Dakota law recognizes another route, and it is not a home program: enrolling your child in an approved nonpublic school is a separate exception to the attendance law. Every classroom teacher there must be licensed or approved by the Education Standards and Practices Board, staff have criminal-history background checks, the school teaches the curriculum state law requires and runs a school year as long as the public school's, and the superintendent of public instruction approves it each year. A child enrolled in one is not receiving home education and files no Statement of Intent.

What Romeschool tracks for you: Attendance, assessment reminders.

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

Sources for North Dakota

Official source (nd.gov) ↗HSLDA's North Dakota summary ↗

Statute: N.D.C.C. ch. 15.1-23

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 North Dakota’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 North Dakota:

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