How to Start Homeschooling in North Dakota

Required hours

700 hrs/year

School days

175 days/year

Required subjects

9 subjects

Notice

Required

Testing / evaluation

Standardized testing

Recordkeeping

Recommended

Jump to the full North Dakota requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand North Dakota's homeschool law

   North Dakota has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must provide at least 4 hours per day over 175 school days, and you'll file notice with your local school district.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   To withdraw your child from public school in North Dakota, 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.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, North Dakota requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   North Dakota requires instruction in the following subjects: language arts, math, social studies, science, health, physical education, music, art, and computer science. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   North Dakota requires at least 4 hours of instruction per day over 175 school days, which works out to roughly 700 hours per year.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   North Dakota requires a standardized achievement test in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10, with results filed with the resident district superintendent (NDCC 15.1-23-09, -11). A child may be exempted if the parent files a philosophical, moral, or religious objection, or independently if the parent is licensed or approved to teach, holds a baccalaureate degree, or meets a national teacher-exam cutoff. A basic composite score below the 50th percentile triggers an additional year of progress monitoring; below the 30th percentile triggers a multidisciplinary assessment and a remediation plan.

7. 7

   Track your hours and keep records

   Log activities as they happen so hours, attendance, and subject coverage build up automatically. Homeschool Fox lets you log from your phone or by voice and generates a North Dakota-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

North Dakota requires 700 hours/year. Enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for North Dakota

Everything North Dakota expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 700-hour goal
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More North Dakota guides

• North Dakota Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in North Dakota Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in North Dakota What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.