North Dakota Homeschool Laws

Your child must attend school between the ages of 7 and 16. The requirement does not apply after your child has completed high school. A multidisciplinary team may also excuse a child with a disability for whom attendance is “inexpedient or impracticable” (HSLDA: Compulsory School Age in North Dakota).

North Dakota has two options: (1) home education supervised by a parent under N.D.C.C. chapter 15.1-23, or (2) a private school taught by a North Dakota certified teacher, who must also undergo a criminal history record check (HSLDA: How to Comply with North Dakota’s Homeschool Law, April 1, 2025).

Yes, under home education. In grades 4, 6, 8, and 10, a child takes the standardized achievement test used by the district, or a nationally normed test if the parent requests it. An individual licensed or approved to teach by the Education Standards and Practices Board administers it, in the child’s learning environment or, on request, in a public school. The parent files the results with the superintendent (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-09 and 15.1-23-11; chapter text).

Exemptions: the test is not required if the parent notifies the district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized tests, or if the parent is licensed or approved to teach, holds a baccalaureate degree, or met the cutoff score on a national teacher examination. File the notice with the annual statement of intent (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-09). HSLDA explains that a basic composite score below the 30th percentile triggers a disability assessment and, if no disability is found, a remediation plan with a certified teacher (HSLDA; N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-12).

A parent supervising home education must include instruction in the subjects required by law to be taught to public school students (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-04). HSLDA lists them as follows (HSLDA):

Elementary and middle school:

• English language arts, including reading, composition, creative writing, English grammar, and spelling
• Mathematics
• Social studies, including the United States Constitution, United States history, geography, and government, and, in the 4th and 8th grades, North Dakota studies
• Science, including agriculture
• Physical education
• Health, including physiology, hygiene, disease control, and the nature and effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics

High school:

• English language arts (literature, composition, and speech)
• Mathematics
• Science (including biology and chemistry or physical science)
• Social studies (U.S. history, civics, economics, and concepts of personal finance)
• Physical education
• Foreign languages or fine arts or career and technical education

Yes. File a statement of intent with the superintendent of your district of residence (or the county superintendent if the district has none) at least five days before you begin home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a district, and once each year after that (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-02).

The statement must include the child’s name, address, date of birth, and grade level; the name, address, and qualifications of the supervising parent; any public school courses the child will take and the district offering them; and any extracurricular activities and the district or approved nonpublic school offering them. Attach a copy of the child’s immunization record and proof of identity. Also file any testing exemption notice at the same time (N.D.C.C. chapter 15.1-23; HSLDA). HSLDA recommends certified mail with return receipt.

If a licensed psychologist has found that your child has a developmental disability, HSLDA notes additional filings: the diagnosis, a services plan, and progress reports on or before November 1, February 1, and May 1 (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-14 and 15.1-23-15; HSLDA).

Instruction must last at least four hours each day for a minimum of 175 days each year (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-04). A parent must also keep an annual record of the courses the child has taken and the child’s academic progress assessments, including standardized test results. If the child transfers to a public school district, furnish the record on request (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-05).

None (HSLDA: North Dakota Homeschool Laws).

The supervising parent must hold a high school diploma or GED, or be monitored by a licensed or approved teacher for the first two years. Monitoring continues for at least one more school year if the child’s basic composite test score is below the 50th percentile, and until the child scores at or above it (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-03, 15.1-23-06, and 15.1-23-07). Under the private school option, you must be a North Dakota certified teacher (HSLDA).

Yes. A child receiving home education may participate in extracurricular activities under the auspices of the school district of residence or an approved nonpublic school (if its administrator permits). The child meets the same participation standards as full-time students. After the parent picks a school in the statement of intent, the child is subject to the North Dakota High School Activities Association transfer rules (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-16; HSLDA: Public School Access for Homeschoolers in North Dakota). Public schools may also allow home education students to take classes and receive state funds for the time attended (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-19).

Yes. The statement of intent must be accompanied by a copy of the child’s immunization record (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-02). The North Dakota Department of Health’s certificate of immunization form may be used (HSLDA).

Parents who supervise home education must include in the statement the qualifications that let them supervise. Costs: if the child takes the district’s test, the district pays for the test and its administration. If the parent picks a different nationally normed test, the parent pays for the test (N.D.C.C. 15.1-23-10). See the full chapter at ndlegis.gov.

• North Dakota Century Code chapter 15.1-23, Home Education (PDF)
• HSLDA: North Dakota Homeschool Laws, How to Comply with North Dakota’s Homeschool Law (April 1, 2025), Compulsory School Age in North Dakota, and Public School Access for Homeschoolers in North Dakota (February 9, 2026)

Last reviewed: November 11, 2026