Minnesota homeschool requirements
Track your Minnesota homeschool requirements without spreadsheets
Homeschool Fox helps you understand Minnesota's requirements, log activities, track progress, and generate records when you need them.
Minnesota at a glance
Verified June 2026- Required hours
- No state minimum
- Required subjects
- 13 subjects
- Notice
- Required
- Testing / evaluation
- Standardized testing
- Recordkeeping
- Recommended
Jump to the full Minnesota requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.
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Calculate your homeschool pace
Minnesota doesn't mandate a minimum. Use 900 hours/year as a general guide to stay on pace.
Leave at 0 if you haven't started tracking yet.
Add your school year end date to see your pace.
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What Homeschool Fox tracks for Minnesota
Everything Minnesota expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Required hours or days
- Required subjects & core hours
- Daily activity logs
- Attendance records
- Notes & portfolio records
- Printable PDF reports
- High school transcripts
- State-specific progress tracking
See it work
Log a homeschool day in seconds
Type or speak what you did in plain English. Homeschool Fox sorts it into subjects, adds up the time, and updates your Minnesota progress automatically.
You write
Homeschool Fox logs
- Reading 45 min
- Math 30 min
- History / Social Studies 20 min
Today's total
1 hr 35 min
Your Minnesota requirements, in plain English
Tap any item for the details.
Notice requirements
Required
Required hours
Flexible
Required subjects
13 subjects
Testing / evaluation
Required
Recordkeeping & portfolio
Recommended
Withdrawing from public school
Letter + notice
Full guide
Homeschooling in Minnesota: the complete guide
Homeschool families in Minnesota operate with broad freedom, with the main formality being an annual or one-time notice filed with the appropriate office. Compulsory attendance in Minnesota covers children ages 7-17, which means a homeschool program needs to be in place for any child in that range.
Minnesota is one of the rare states where the schedule is entirely up to the family. Some households lean into year-round learning at a relaxed pace; others keep a traditional September-through-May calendar. A personal target of around 900 hours a year gives parents a useful anchor without any legal pressure.
Notice filing is the gateway for Minnesota homeschool families: a short document submitted to your local school district sets the record straight for the year ahead. Most districts accept a straightforward letter listing each student, their grade level, and a brief statement of intent.
Assessment in Minnesota takes the form of standardized testing annually. It's more of a pulse-check on how learning is landing than a pass/fail exam.
The required subjects in Minnesota (reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, health, and physical education) form the backbone of each year's plan, with real freedom in how deeply or creatively each is taught. Tracking Minnesota compliance doesn't have to mean spreadsheets and reminder alarms. Homeschool Fox turns everyday logs into the year-end reports evaluators and districts expect.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
You must notify your local school district of your intent to homeschool.
Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft a Minnesota-ready letter.
Deeper guides: how to write a notice of intent to homeschool covers the language admins look for, and when and where to file your notice of intent covers state-by-state deadlines and recipients.
Generate your notice of intentWithdrawing from public school
File your initial report with the superintendent by October 1 (or within 15 days of withdrawing mid-year), naming the child and the required subjects and showing the instructor's qualifications, and notify the current school so attendance reflects the change. Keep a copy. Each following year you file a brief letter of intent to continue.
For the play-by-play, how to withdraw your child from public school walks through the conversation, the timing, and the paperwork. What to send the district when you pull your child covers exactly what the letter should and shouldn't say.
Assessment requirements
Assessment is required
- Type:
- Standardized testing
- Frequency:
- Annually
Standardized testing for homeschoolers walks through which test to choose, where to register, and how to prep.
Portfolio & records
Portfolio not required
Under Minn. Stat. 120A.22, families keep documentation showing each required subject is being taught: class schedules, instructional materials, and how you measure the child's progress. Records come out only if a child re-enrolls in public school or a county attorney opens a case.
Required subjects
Minnesota requires instruction in the following subjects.
Looking for curriculum?
Browse our curriculum directory to find the right fit for your family, then track your hours with Homeschool Fox to stay compliant with Minnesota's requirements.
Tax credits & deductions
Minnesota gives homeschool families two stackable tax mechanisms — the K-12 Education Credit (Minn. Stat. 290.0674) and the K-12 Education Subtraction (Minn. Stat. 290.01 subd. 19b). Both are homeschool-eligible.
The Credit is income-tested and refundable, paying up to $1,500 per child for qualifying expenses (curriculum, instructional materials, tutoring, music lessons, computer hardware/software, and certain extracurriculars). Phase-out begins around $33,500 of household income.
The Subtraction has no income limit. It reduces Minnesota taxable income by up to $1,625 per child in grades K-6 and up to $2,500 per child in grades 7-12 for the same categories of expenses. Most homeschool families qualify for the Subtraction even if they income out of the Credit. Claim both on Schedule M1ED — they stack on the same expenses up to each program's caps. Keep receipts for at least three and a half years.
Deeper guides: homeschool tax credits and deductions by state for 2026 covers every state with a credit, and are homeschool expenses tax-deductible — an honest breakdown covers the boundaries on what counts and which gimmicks to avoid.
Tax laws change. Check your Minnesota Department of Revenue page (or talk to a CPA) before filing — the figures above reflect our last verified review (June 2026).
Additional notes
Annual standardized test required. Report card to superintendent annually.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to notify anyone to homeschool in Minnesota?
How many hours do I need to homeschool in Minnesota?
Does Minnesota require testing for homeschoolers?
Do I need to keep a portfolio in Minnesota?
What subjects must I teach in Minnesota?
Nearby states
View all statesWant the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
Free Minnesota printables
Two ready-to-use PDFs for Minnesota homeschoolers. No account needed.
Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.
Reviewed and sourced
Last verified: June 2026. We review Minnesota's requirements against official sources and update this page when the rules change.
Sources
Homeschool Fox is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. We turn public homeschool requirements into practical tracking tools for families. Always confirm details with your state or a qualified advisor.
More Minnesota guides
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