How to Homeschool in North Dakota (2026 Guide)

The Path · Getting Started

From decision to day one in five clear moves.

№ 01

01

Confirm your qualification path.

A high school diploma or GED is all North Dakota asks of a supervising parent. Don't have one? You can still homeschool - the law pairs you with an ND-licensed teacher as a monitor for the first two years (about an hour a week for one child), and the requirement lifts permanently once you've completed it for one child.

Two ways in

Standard: parent holds a HS diploma or GED
Monitored: licensed-teacher monitor, first two years
Monitor reports progress twice a year
Complete it once - it never repeats for siblings

02

File your Statement of Intent.

Submit form SFN 16909 to your district superintendent (or county superintendent) at least 5 days before you begin - or within 14 days of moving into a new district - and once each year after that. This is notification, not an application: nobody approves or denies it.

The statement includes

Each child's name, address, birth date & grade
Your name, address & qualifications
Public school courses or extracurriculars you plan to use
Attached: immunization record & proof of identity
Testing opt-out notice, if you're claiming one

03

Plan the year: 4 hours, 175 days.

Cover the subjects required of public school students - English language arts, math, science, social studies (including the U.S. Constitution and North Dakota studies), PE, and health - for at least four hours a day across 175 days. The clock and calendar are the law's only structure; curriculum and methods are entirely yours.

Useful anchors

ND content standards (benchmarks, not mandates)
Co-ops and NDHSA support groups
Library, museum & 4-H programming
Public school courses a la carte - the law invites it

04

Keep the annual record.

N.D.C.C. § 15.1-23-05 asks for one organized file per child per year: the courses taken and the assessments of academic progress, including any standardized test results. If your child ever transfers to a public school, this record is what you hand over - and in grades 9-12 it becomes the backbone of a diploma application.

Your annual file

Course list for the year
Progress assessments & any test results
Work samples (recommended)
Grades 9-12: course descriptions for the transcript

05

Handle the testing years - or opt out.

In grades 4, 6, 8, and 10, your child takes a standardized achievement test - the district's own (district pays) or a nationally normed one you choose (you pay) - administered by an ND-licensed teacher, at home or at the public school. Results go to the superintendent. Or skip it entirely: file the opt-out with your statement of intent if you object on philosophical, moral, or religious grounds, or hold a teaching license, bachelor's degree, or qualifying teacher-exam score.

Know the thresholds

Test in the child's learning environment or the public school
Below the 30th percentile: multidisciplinary assessment, then a remediation plan
Opt-out paperwork rides along with the statement of intent
Results filed with the district or county superintendent

The Law · North Dakota

Pick the track that matches your paperwork

№ 02

Home education is governed by N.D.C.C. chapter 15.1-23, a purpose-built statute that defines the parent as supervisor of the program - choosing materials, philosophy, and methods. The chapter sets a short list of duties (annual statement of intent, 4 hours x 175 days, records, testing in four grades) and grants real benefits in return, including extracurricular access and a statutory diploma route.

Option 01

Standard Home Education

Best for the typical family: a parent with a high school diploma or GED supervising the program start to finish.

File the statement of intent 5 days ahead, then annually
Teach required subjects 4 hours a day, 175 days a year
Test in grades 4, 6, 8, 10 - or file the opt-out
Keep an annual record of courses and progress
Governed by N.D.C.C. § 15.1-23-02 to -05

Option 02

The Monitored Path

Best for parents without a diploma or GED - same freedoms, plus a licensed-teacher monitor for the first two years.

All the standard filing, subjects & time rules apply
An ND-licensed teacher monitors - about 1 hour/week for one child
The district assigns and pays the monitor unless you choose your own
Monitoring ends after two years, and never repeats for other children
Governed by N.D.C.C. §§ 15.1-23-06 and -07

Requirements · Curriculum

Six subject areas, taught your way.

№ 03

Section 15.1-23-04 points home educators at the subjects required of public school students - the six areas below. North Dakota prescribes no curriculum, no textbook list, and no methodology; it asks that the instruction happen at least four hours a day, 175 days a year, with the rest of the design left to you.

01

English language arts

Reading, composition, creative writing, grammar, and spelling across the grades.

02

Mathematics

Arithmetic through algebra and geometry, built to your child's pace.

03

Science

Observation and inquiry - life, physical, and earth science, prairie field trips included.

04

Social studies

U.S. history, geography, government, the U.S. Constitution, and North Dakota studies.

05

Physical education

Movement and fitness - and district extracurriculars are open under § 15.1-23-16.

06

Health

Nutrition, safety, and well-being, woven into the week however suits your family.

5

Days of notice

File the Statement of Intent at least five days before home education begins - then once a year after that.

175

Days of instruction

Per year, at a minimum of four hours each day, covering the public-school subject areas.

4

Testing checkpoints

Grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 - district test or nationally normed alternative, with a written opt-out available.

30

Percentile threshold

A composite below the 30th percentile triggers a learning-problem assessment and a remediation plan - not an end to homeschooling.

Questions · Answered Honestly

The questions on every kitchen-table shortlist

№ 04

Do I need a teaching degree to homeschool in North Dakota?

No. A high school diploma or GED fully qualifies you to supervise home education. If you have neither, you can still homeschool - the law adds a licensed-teacher monitor for your first two years (about an hour a week for one child), after which the requirement is satisfied for good, including for your other children.

Can I withdraw my child from public school mid-year?

Yes. File your Statement of Intent with the district (or county) superintendent at least five days before home education begins, then withdraw your child in writing. The five-day clock is the only timing rule - there's no requirement to wait for a semester break, and the same form simply gets refiled each year you continue.

Does the superintendent approve or deny my homeschool?

No. The Statement of Intent is notification, not an application - the superintendent receives it and reports filing counts to the state. There is no curriculum review, no home visit, and no approval step. The law even shields districts from liability for accepting your statement as correct, which underscores its role: a record, not a gate.

What if my child scores low on a required test?

A basic composite below the 30th percentile triggers an assessment by a multidisciplinary team to check for a potential learning problem. If no disability is found and you continue homeschooling, you file a remediation plan written with the advice and consent of a licensed teacher, and it stays in place until your child scores at or above the 30th percentile or shows a year's progress. It's a support mechanism with teeth - but it is not an automatic end to home education.

Can we skip standardized testing altogether?

Yes, many families do. File a notice with your annual statement of intent stating either a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized testing, or that you (the supervising parent) hold an ND teaching license, a bachelor's degree, or a qualifying score on a national teacher exam. With that filed, the grades 4-6-8-10 testing requirement does not apply.

Can my homeschooler join school sports and activities?

Yes. N.D.C.C. § 15.1-23-16 gives home-educated students access to extracurriculars through the resident district - or through an approved nonpublic school that permits it - under the same eligibility standards as enrolled students. List the activities in your statement of intent; once you pick your school, NDHSAA transfer rules apply just as they would to any student.

Who issues the high school diploma?

Not the parent - North Dakota is unusual here. Under § 15.1-23-17, your district of residence, an approved nonpublic high school, or the ND Center for Distance Education issues the diploma, based on documentation you submit: course descriptions, objectives, and a grades 9-12 transcript, or completion of at least 22 units of the required curriculum offerings. Keep strong high school records and the diploma route stays open; colleges also routinely admit on a parent-built transcript plus ACT scores.

Does North Dakota have an ESA or homeschool funding?

Not currently. The 2025 legislature took up five ESA bills and passed one - HB 1540 - which the governor vetoed; the override failed and the remaining bills died. No ESA, voucher, or homeschool funding program exists as of 2026, though the issue is expected back. Check current legislation before budgeting around it.

Resources · North Dakota

Trail markers for Peace Garden State families

№ 05

Official · State

ND Department of Public Instruction

The state's home education page - the Statement of Intent form (SFN 16909), the law's text, supervision guidance, and FAQs.

Visit NDDPI

Community · Statewide

North Dakota Homeschool Association (NDHSA)

The state's homeschool organization - filing walk-throughs, testing and opt-out guidance, a yearly convention, and local support groups.

Visit NDHSA

Legal · National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of North Dakota's chapter 15.1-23, form templates, and member legal help if filings ever get complicated.

Read the Law

The North Dakota Getting Started Kit

Chapter 15.1-23, ready to file.

The North Dakota Getting Started Kit converts the statute's checklist into finished paperwork - the filing, the logs, and the records that keep testing years and diploma season painless.

Statement of Intent prep sheet - every element N.D.C.C. § 15.1-23-02 requires (child info, your qualifications, courses, extracurriculars) plus the immunization and identity attachments, organized before you touch SFN 16909.
Testing opt-out notice template - the exemption letter filed alongside your statement of intent, with the qualifying grounds spelled out.
175-day / 4-hour log - attendance and hours tracking matched exactly to § 15.1-23-04's instructional-time standard.
Annual course & progress record - the per-child file § 15.1-23-05 requires, ready to hand a district on transfer.
Diploma documentation pack - course descriptions, objectives, and a grades 9-12 transcript formatted for a § 15.1-23-17 diploma application.

Instant Digital Download

$29

One-time purchase · Yours forever

Get the North Dakota Kit

Secure checkout · Instant delivery by email