Romeschool

South Dakota homeschool requirements

To homeschool in South Dakota, file a one-time Alternative Instruction notification with either the state Department of Education or your local school district. Teach language arts and math; no testing (SB 177 of 2021 removed the prior testing requirement).

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

Minimal regulation Notice required
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South Dakota homeschool requirements at a glance

Notice
RequiredWhere it goes: Either the South Dakota Department of Education or your local school district — SDCL 13-27-3 lets you file with whichever you choose. The office that receives the form signs or stamps it and gives you that copy as your proof of notification (SDCL 13-27-7), and the Department's standard form directs that office to send a copy to the other one. When: Within 30 days after alternative instruction first begins — one time per child, not every year (SDCL 13-27-7). File again within 30 days if the child enrolls in a public or nonpublic school or moves to a different school district. The Department's form and its Alternative Instruction page also ask for an updated notification within 30 days if the child open enrolls in another district, stops receiving alternative instruction, moves out of state, or the child's details need correcting.
Required subjects
English/Language Arts, Mathematics
Instruction time
NoneSDCL 13-27-1 asks that a child regularly receive alternative instruction until age 18, but neither it nor SDCL 13-27-3 sets a school term, a school day, or an attendance record — 13-27-3 requires only language arts and mathematics, instruction leading to mastery of English, and no more than 22 students per instructor. Until July 1, 2021 the law did tie home instruction to the public-school calendar; SB 177 struck the words 'for an equivalent period of time, as in the public schools' from 13-27-3, along with the department's power to inspect an alternative instruction program's attendance records. The 437.5 / 875 / 962.5-hour figures still widely quoted for South Dakota come from SDCL 13-26-1, which tells a local school board how long a term to run in its own district; they bind schools, not home instruction.
Testing or evaluation
NoPre-2021 law required testing in grades 2, 4, 8, 11. SB 177 (2021) eliminated all testing requirements — none is currently mandated.
Records
No
Parent qualifications
Not required
Compulsory attendance ages
5–18South Dakota measures age on September 1: SDCL 13-27-1 reaches a child who is at least five by the first day of September, and every child must attend kindergarten before age seven. The duty runs until the child turns eighteen, graduates, or is excused — a child who has completed the eighth grade may be excused on religious grounds under SDCL 13-27-1.1. Since July 1, 2025 a child may also withdraw at seventeen with a parent's written consent (SDCL 13-27-1.3); that section is written around a school district's records, so ask your district how it applies to a child in alternative instruction. Some homeschool guides still give the starting age as six; the section's own words and the Department of Education's current FAQ both begin at five.
Ways to homeschool
Independent (one-time Alternative Instruction Notification to the SD Department of Education or the local school district)
Law
SDCL §§ 13-27-3 and 13-27-7 (SB 177, 2021)
Official source
doe.sd.gov ↗

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

Yes. South Dakota requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: Either the South Dakota Department of Education or your local school district — SDCL 13-27-3 lets you file with whichever you choose. The office that receives the form signs or stamps it and gives you that copy as your proof of notification (SDCL 13-27-7), and the Department's standard form directs that office to send a copy to the other one. How: Alternative Instruction Notification on the state's standard form, one per child. The Department's online system notifies the district and the Department at the same time; a paper form can be mailed to the Department of Education in Pierre or handed in at the school district's main office — send both sides, because the attestations and your signature are on the back. When: Within 30 days after alternative instruction first begins — one time per child, not every year (SDCL 13-27-7). File again within 30 days if the child enrolls in a public or nonpublic school or moves to a different school district. The Department's form and its Alternative Instruction page also ask for an updated notification within 30 days if the child open enrolls in another district, stops receiving alternative instruction, moves out of state, or the child's details need correcting. Before July 1, 2021 a South Dakota family applied to the local school board for a public-school exemption certificate and renewed it every year. SB 177 (2021) made the notification one-time and removed the approval step — the Department's FAQ says no school board action is needed to finalize it. What SB 177 did not do is move the filing from the district to the state: SDCL 13-27-3 has read 'either the Department of Education or the local district' ever since.

What subjects does South Dakota require homeschoolers to teach?

South Dakota requires instruction in English/Language Arts and Mathematics. SDCL 13-27-3 requires the basic skills of language arts and mathematics leading to mastery of English. (Some sources add U.S. Constitution; broader subjects are recommended, not required.)

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

None. South Dakota does not set a minimum number of instructional days or hours for homeschoolers. SDCL 13-27-1 asks that a child regularly receive alternative instruction until age 18, but neither it nor SDCL 13-27-3 sets a school term, a school day, or an attendance record — 13-27-3 requires only language arts and mathematics, instruction leading to mastery of English, and no more than 22 students per instructor. Until July 1, 2021 the law did tie home instruction to the public-school calendar; SB 177 struck the words 'for an equivalent period of time, as in the public schools' from 13-27-3, along with the department's power to inspect an alternative instruction program's attendance records. The 437.5 / 875 / 962.5-hour figures still widely quoted for South Dakota come from SDCL 13-26-1, which tells a local school board how long a term to run in its own district; they bind schools, not home instruction.

Is standardized testing required to homeschool in South Dakota?

No. South Dakota does not require standardized testing for homeschooled students. Pre-2021 law required testing in grades 2, 4, 8, 11. SB 177 (2021) eliminated all testing requirements — none is currently mandated.

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

South Dakota does not require homeschooling families to keep specific records. South Dakota requires no records of the home program itself. The Department of Education's FAQ recommends keeping a detailed academic record, including attendance and grades, and says a parent-issued transcript is required to take part in school activities, to enroll in the state's reduced-tuition dual credit program, and for admission to a public school or a college later on.

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

No. South Dakota does not set a general qualification for homeschooling parents. No certification required (an instructor may not teach more than 22 students).

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

South Dakota's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 5 to age 18. South Dakota measures age on September 1: SDCL 13-27-1 reaches a child who is at least five by the first day of September, and every child must attend kindergarten before age seven. The duty runs until the child turns eighteen, graduates, or is excused — a child who has completed the eighth grade may be excused on religious grounds under SDCL 13-27-1.1. Since July 1, 2025 a child may also withdraw at seventeen with a parent's written consent (SDCL 13-27-1.3); that section is written around a school district's records, so ask your district how it applies to a child in alternative instruction. Some homeschool guides still give the starting age as six; the section's own words and the Department of Education's current FAQ both begin at five.

What are the ways to homeschool in South Dakota?

In South Dakota, families homeschool under this pathway: independent (one-time Alternative Instruction Notification to the SD Department of Education or the local school district).

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in South Dakota, as it is in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To homeschool in South Dakota, file a one-time Alternative Instruction notification with either the state Department of Education or your local school district. Teach language arts and math; no testing (SB 177 of 2021 removed the prior testing requirement).

How to get started in South Dakota

1
File a one-time notification within 30 days
SDCL 13-27-3 lets you file the Alternative Instruction Notification with either the South Dakota Department of Education or your local school district — whichever you prefer. It is due within 30 days after alternative instruction begins (SDCL 13-27-7), one form per child, and you don't file it again each year. The state's online system notifies the Department and the district at the same time; a paper form can be mailed to the Department of Education in Pierre or handed in at your school district's main office — send both sides, because the attestations and your signature are on the back. The office that receives it signs or stamps it and gives you that copy as your proof of notification. No school board approval is involved: the yearly exemption certificate families applied for before July 1, 2021 is gone, and the Department's FAQ says no school board action is needed to finalize your notification.
Official resource (doe.sd.gov) →
2
Update it within 30 days of a change
File an updated notification within 30 days if your child enrolls in a public or nonpublic school, or if you move to a different school district (SDCL 13-27-7). The Department's form and its Alternative Instruction page also ask for an update within 30 days if your child open enrolls in another district, stops receiving alternative instruction, moves out of state, or the child's details need correcting.
3
Know the ages the law covers
South Dakota measures age on September 1: SDCL 13-27-1 reaches a child who is at least five by that date, and the same section says every child must attend kindergarten before age seven. The duty runs until your child turns eighteen, graduates, or is excused — a child who has completed the eighth grade may be excused on religious grounds (SDCL 13-27-1.1), and since July 1, 2025 a child may withdraw at seventeen with a parent's written consent (SDCL 13-27-1.3); that section is written around a school district's records, so ask your district how it applies to a child in alternative instruction. Some homeschool guides still give the starting age as six; the section's own words and the Department of Education's current FAQ both begin at five. Your child's age never sets your filing date — the 30-day clock runs from the day instruction begins.
4
Teach language arts and math
The law requires the basic skills of language arts and mathematics, taught so as to lead to mastery of the English language. Other subjects are recommended but not required.
5
No minimum days or hours
South Dakota sets no school term, no school day, and no attendance record for home instruction. SB 177 struck the old 'equivalent period of time, as in the public schools' language on July 1, 2021, along with the department's power to inspect attendance records. The 437.5 / 875 / 962.5-hour figures still widely quoted for South Dakota come from SDCL 13-26-1, which tells a local school board how long a term to run in its own district — they bind schools, not home instruction. The law does still ask that your child regularly receive instruction (SDCL 13-27-1); it simply sets no count.
6
No testing required
South Dakota removed its homeschool testing requirement in 2021 (SB 177). No test or evaluation is required.
7
Know who may teach
No teaching certificate is required. One person may not instruct more than 22 students.
8
Keep records for yourself, and a transcript
South Dakota requires no records of the home program itself. The Department of Education's FAQ recommends keeping a detailed academic record, including attendance and grades, and says a parent-issued transcript is required to take part in school activities, to enroll in the state's reduced-tuition dual credit program, and for admission to a public school or a college later on.
What Romeschool tracks for you: Activity log and transcript.

Sources for South Dakota

Official source (doe.sd.gov) ↗HSLDA's South Dakota summary ↗
Statute: SDCL §§ 13-27-3 and 13-27-7 (SB 177, 2021)
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 South 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.

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