Montana Homeschool Laws and Requirements
What Montana requires, in plain English — and a free way to track it without spreadsheets. Log activities, watch your pace, and generate records when you need them.
The short answer
Montana has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must provide at least 720 hours of instruction per year, and you'll file notice with your county school superintendent.
Montana at a glance
Verified September 2026- Required hours
- 720 hrs/year, 1,080 in grades 4-12
- Required subjects
- 7 subjects
- Notice
- Required each year
- Testing / evaluation
- Not required
- Recordkeeping
- Required
Jump to the full Montana requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.
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Montana requires 720 hours/year. Enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.
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What Homeschool Fox tracks for Montana
The records Montana asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Hours toward your 720-hour goal
- Required subjects
- The records Montana asks you to keep
- Daily activity logs
- Printable PDF reports
- Progress tracking
- High school transcripts
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 Montana 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 Montana requirements, in plain English
Tap any item for the details.
Notice requirements
Required
Required hours
720 hrs/yr
Required subjects
7 subjects
Testing / evaluation
Not required
Recordkeeping & portfolio
Records required
Withdrawing from public school
Letter + notice
Full guide
Homeschooling in Montana: the complete guide
If you're homeschooling in Montana, you're working inside a moderately regulated framework with enough structure to keep the state informed but plenty of room to build a family-shaped program. Compulsory attendance in Montana covers children ages 7-16. The homeschool rules can start or stop at different ages, and the requirements below say when.
A Montana homeschool year is defined by a single headline number: 720 hours of instruction. Whether those hours happen at the kitchen table, in a co-op, on a nature walk, or through a structured curriculum is entirely up to the family.
Notice filing is the gateway for Montana homeschool families: a short document submitted to your county school superintendent sets the record straight for the year ahead. Check what Montana asks the notice to contain before you send it. The contents are set by the state rather than by local preference, and the withdrawal section below names the form Montana expects.
The required subjects in Montana (english language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, health, arts, and career education) form the backbone of each year's plan, with real freedom in how deeply or creatively each is taught. Homeschool Fox was built to make the bookkeeping side of Montana homeschooling invisible. Log the day in plain English or by voice, and the hours, attendance, and subject coverage add up on their own, ready to print whenever you need them.
Notice requirements
Notice is required
Yes, Montana requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your county school superintendent. The notice is filed again each school year.
Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft your Montana filing, then check the withdrawal section below for the form or affidavit Montana expects it on.
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
Montana requires annual notification to the county superintendent each school year (July 1 to June 30). For a child leaving public school, file the notice and notify the current school so attendance reflects the change. Keep a copy, and maintain attendance records — since HB 778 (2025) a home school no longer provides immunization records to the county.
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 not required
Montana does not require standardized testing or formal assessment.
Portfolio & records
Portfolio not required
Montana requires no portfolio of work, but MCA 20-5-109(2)(b) does require a home school to "maintain records on pupil attendance and make the records available to the county superintendent on request", so the attendance log is a duty rather than a suggestion. HB 778 (2025) removed the immunization records a home school used to keep.
Required subjects
Montana requires instruction in the following subjects.
Looking for curriculum?
Browse our curriculum directory to find the right fit for your family, then log the year in Homeschool Fox.
Additional notes
Annual notification to county superintendent required each school fiscal year (July 1-June 30). 720 hours required for grades 1-3; 1,080 hours required for grades 4-12. Keep attendance records available to the county superintendent on request; HB 778 (2025) removed the immunization-record requirement for home schools.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to notify anyone to homeschool in Montana?
How many hours do I need to homeschool in Montana?
Does Montana require testing for homeschoolers?
Do I need to keep a portfolio in Montana?
What subjects must I teach in Montana?
Nearby states
View all statesHow Montana compares
Nine rules side by side with the states families move between most, and what changes in each direction.
- Montana vs Idaho (3 rules differ)
- Montana vs North Dakota (4 rules differ)
- Montana vs South Dakota (5 rules differ)
- Montana vs Wyoming (4 rules differ)
Want the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.
Free Montana printables
Two ready-to-use PDFs for Montana homeschoolers. No account needed.
Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.
Get notified when Montana changes its rules
We track Montana's statute and department pages and email you when the requirements move. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Montana last verified September 25, 2026.
Reviewed and sourced
Last verified: September 2026. We review Montana's requirements against official sources and update this page when the rules change.
Our monitor last confirmed the source pages were live on Sep 28, 2026.
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 Montana guides
Montana in context: one of 19 states that require hours or days · one of 36 states that require notice · one of 31 states that name required subjects.
- How to Start Homeschooling in Montana A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
- Homeschooling High School in Montana Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
- Record Keeping in Montana What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
- How to Withdraw From School in Montana The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
- Moving to Montana What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
- Public School Sports in Montana Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
- Homeschool Hours Required in Montana The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
- Required Subjects in Montana The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
- Montana Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
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