North Dakota requires an annual statement of intent to your district, core subjects with minimum hours, and standardized testing at certain grade checkpoints, with exemptions available to some families.
Homeschooling is legal in North Dakota, and the state has moved from being one of the strictest in the nation decades ago to a manageable moderate today. The backbone is an annual statement of intent filed with your local school district superintendent before you begin each year — check the current filing window when you start.
Ongoing expectations: the supervising parent holds at least a high school diploma or GED, you provide at least four hours of instruction across at least 175 days, you cover the required subjects, and your child takes a standardized achievement test at certain grade-level checkpoints — commonly cited as grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 — unless your family qualifies for an exemption.
File a statement of intent with your district superintendent each year before instruction begins, including student information and the supervising parent's qualifications. Confirm the current lead time required when you file.
Teach English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health/physical education for at least four hours a day across at least 175 days per year — a lighter daily load than it sounds once you subtract public school's transitions and waiting time.
Standardized achievement testing applies at grade checkpoints — commonly cited as grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. Some families qualify for exemptions based on parent qualifications or philosophical objection; verify the current exemption rules with the state before assuming one applies. If a score falls below the set threshold, the response is a remediation plan, not the end of your homeschool.
Keep an annual record of courses taken and your child's academic progress, including any test results. These records travel with your child if they later enroll in school.
Contact your district superintendent's office for the statement of intent form and this year's filing timeline.
File the statement before beginning instruction, attaching documentation of your diploma or GED.
Plan a schedule that comfortably meets four hours across 175 days — most homeschool routines already do.
Note which checkpoint grades apply to your children and whether an exemption might fit your family.
Choose a curriculum that keeps a clean progress record and builds tested skills steadily — Cullinan Academy documents every lesson and adapts math and reading to your child's true level, which is precisely what checkpoint tests measure.
Whatever North Dakota asks for — attendance, subject coverage, progress evidence, transcripts — Cullinan Academy tracks it automatically as your kids learn: verified mastery records, time-on-task, printable transcripts with GPA, and state report templates. No spreadsheet required.
No — testing applies at certain grade checkpoints (commonly cited as grades 4, 6, 8, and 10), not annually, and some families qualify for exemptions.
Scores below the state threshold lead to a remediation plan to address weak areas. It's a support mechanism, not a shutdown of your homeschool.
At least a high school diploma or GED for the supervising parent. Higher credentials can affect testing exemption eligibility.
Every year, with your local district superintendent, before instruction begins. Put it on your annual calendar alongside your curriculum planning.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes, and districts sometimes apply it differently. Verify current requirements with your state's department of education or a local homeschool association before filing anything. Content last reviewed 2026-07.