State Requirements
Homeschooling in Minnesota
Minnesota has light but formal homeschool requirements with no mandated hour or day minimums, and you'll file notice with your local school district.
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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, math, literature, fine arts, science, history, geography, and health) 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.
At a glance
Ages 7-17
Compulsory attendance
Flexible requirements
Minnesota does not mandate specific hours or days.
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
To withdraw your child from public school in Minnesota, send a written withdrawal letter to the principal or registrar, then file a notice of intent with your local school district so the transition is on record before instruction begins. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.
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.
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 (May 2026).
Additional notes
Annual standardized test required. Report card to superintendent annually.
Calculate your Minnesota hours
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
Enter an end date to see your targets
Target
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hours per day
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hours per week
Prefer a full-page version? Open the standalone hours calculator.
Sources
Verified May 2026
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.
What we track
Stay compliant in Minnesota without spreadsheets
Log activities by voice or text and Homeschool Fox rolls them up against Minnesota's requirements automatically. Free for 14 days.
- Instruction hours per student
- Attendance days logged
- Subject coverage (core & non-core)
- Activity log (text, voice, AI-parsed)
- Portfolios & PDF year-end reports
- Transcripts with GPA & credits
- Test scores & evaluations
- Notice of intent & withdrawal letters
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