How to Start Homeschooling in North Dakota

Required hours

About 700 hrs/year

School days

175 days/year

Required subjects

7 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

Standardized testing

Recordkeeping

Required

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. The notice is filed again each school year.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   North Dakota requires instruction in language arts, math, social studies, science, health, physical education, 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. For a parent without a diploma or GED who is being monitored, a basic composite score below the 50th percentile extends monitoring by at least a year (NDCC 15.1-23-06). For any tested child, a score below the 30th percentile leads to a multidisciplinary assessment and, if no disability is found, a remediation plan (15.1-23-11).

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 North Dakota printables

Three ready-to-use PDFs for North Dakota homeschoolers. No account needed.

Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

North Dakota sets days and a daily length that work out to roughly 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

The records North Dakota asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 700-hour goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• The records North Dakota asks you to keep
• Standardized testing
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• 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.
• How to Withdraw From School in North Dakota The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to North Dakota What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in North Dakota Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in North Dakota The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in North Dakota The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• North Dakota Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• North Dakota Test Results What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• Homeschool Testing in North Dakota What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.