Minnesota Homeschool Laws and Requirements

Homeschooling is legal in Minnesota, and the rhythm is annual. A first year family files a full report with the local superintendent by October 1, and later years use a letter of intent to continue by that same date. Minnesota names required subject areas, gives instructors several qualification options, and requires an annual nationally norm referenced standardized test. Most of what you produce stays at home.

Last Reviewed: August 14, 2026. Reviewed by the Modern Homeschools Editorial Team. Next scheduled review: August 14, 2027.

Minnesota Homeschool Requirements at a Glance

Submitted Each Year Versus Kept at Home

This is the distinction that saves Minnesota families the most confusion.

Submitted to the superintendent. In your first year, a full report giving the name, birth date, and address of the child, the name of each instructor, and evidence of compliance with the instructor qualification requirement. In later years, a letter of intent to continue providing instruction. Both are due by October 1.

Submitted twice, on the same October 1 date. Immunization documentation. Under section 121A.15, the parent submits the required immunization statements to the superintendent by October 1 of the first year of homeschooling in Minnesota, and again in the grade 7 year. The statute also permits exemptions: a statement signed by a physician that an immunization is medically contraindicated or that adequate immunity has been confirmed, or a notarized statement from the parent or guardian based on conscientiously held beliefs. Whichever applies to your family, the documentation goes to the superintendent on that same schedule.

Kept at home. Documentation that the required subjects are being taught, proof that the annual standardized tests were administered, class schedules, copies of instructional materials, and a description of how you assess achievement. These are not mailed anywhere on a schedule. The statute contemplates them being made available to a county attorney if a case is ever commenced, which is rare, but it is the reason the records exist.

How to Start Homeschooling in Minnesota

1. File the full report by October 1. Send it to the superintendent of the district where your child resides, with the child's name, birth date, and address, the instructors' names, and evidence that the instructor qualification is met.
2. Send your immunization documentation with it. The required statements, or your permitted exemption documentation, are due to the superintendent by that same October 1 in your first homeschooling year, and again in grade 7.
3. Pick your qualification option. Most parents rely on conducting home instruction with assessment, but a license, direct supervision by a licensed teacher, or a baccalaureate degree also satisfies the requirement.
4. Plan the five subject areas. Communication skills with literature and fine arts, mathematics and science, social studies, and health and physical education.
5. Schedule the annual test. A nationally norm referenced standardized achievement examination each year, unless the accreditation exemption applies to your situation.
6. File the letter of intent in following years. Same October 1 date, shorter document.

Testing, Attendance, and Record Keeping

The annual test is the one recurring academic requirement. Children in the compulsory age range are assessed each year with a nationally norm referenced standardized achievement examination, and a child receiving instruction from an accredited nonpublic school, person, or institution is exempt from that subdivision.

Test results are not filed with the state as a matter of course. The law asks that you keep proof the tests were administered, alongside documentation that the required subjects are being taught.

Minnesota sets no day or hour count, so there is no attendance register to keep for the state. Your class schedule, materials, and assessment description serve that role instead. If you move, contact the new superintendent, since the annual filing follows the district where your child resides.

Official Minnesota Homeschool Resources

• Minnesota Department of Education, Home School Education
• Minnesota Statutes 120A.24, reporting
• Minnesota Statutes 120A.22, compulsory instruction
• Minnesota Statutes 121A.15, immunizations for school children

Modern Homeschools provides educational information to help families understand and navigate homeschooling requirements. Because requirements may change, families should confirm current details with the official state sources linked within this guide.