Homeschooling in Montana: what the state requires
Instruction by a parent of the parent's child, stepchild or ward in the parent's residence. Parents notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year, keep attendance records, meet the public-school minimum hours, and teach an organized course of study; the parent is solely responsible for curriculum, materials, schedule and evaluation.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Montana sources. Compulsory school age: From age 7 (if 7 before the first day of school in the school fiscal year) until the later of the child's 16th birthday or completion of the work of the 8th grade.
Home school (MCA 20-5-109)
Instruction by a parent of the parent's child, stepchild or ward in the parent's residence. Parents notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year, keep attendance records, meet the public-school minimum hours, and teach an organized course of study; the parent is solely responsible for curriculum, materials, schedule and evaluation.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Each school fiscal year (no specific date in statute). — Notify the county superintendent of schools of the county where the home school is located of the child's attendance at the home school, each school fiscal year. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | — Must provide an organized course of study that includes instruction in the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program under MCA 20-7-111, which delegates the program to the Board of Public Education's accreditation standards (ARM Title 10, Chapter 55). 20-7-111 also requires instruction about the United States constitution and the pledge of allegiance for public school pupils in grades 3 through 12. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. No testing requirement in MCA 20-5-109. |
| Records | Required. Maintain records on pupil attendance and make them available to the county superintendent on request. No retention period stated. |
| Teacher | No parent qualification requirement. |
| Other | MCA 20-5-111: subject to 20-5-109, the parent is solely responsible for the educational philosophy of the home school; selection of instructional materials, curriculum and textbooks; the time, place and method of instruction; and evaluation of the instruction. Before 2025, 20-5-109 required home schools to keep attendance and disease immunization records (USDE summary, 2013); as amended by Ch. 724, L. 2025, the home school subsection lists attendance records only. |
By grade
| kindergarten | 720 hours a year |
|---|---|
| Grade 1–3 | 720 hours a year |
| Grade 4–12 | 1080 hours a year |
Minimum aggregate hours per MCA 20-1-301: 360 hours half-time kindergarten; 720 hours full-time kindergarten; 720 hours grades 1 through 3; 1,080 hours grades 4 through 12 (1,050 may be sufficient for graduating seniors).
Subjects by grade: Must provide an organized course of study that includes instruction in the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program under MCA 20-7-111, which delegates the program to the Board of Public Education's accreditation standards (ARM Title 10, Chapter 55). 20-7-111 also requires instruction about the United States constitution and the pledge of allegiance for public school pupils in grades 3 through 12.
High school and graduation
No state graduation requirements for home schools in statute; parent issues any diploma.
Official sources:
- MCA 20-5-109 — Nonpublic and home school requirements
- MCA 20-5-102 — Compulsory enrollment and excuses
- MCA 20-1-301 — School fiscal year; minimum aggregate hours
- MCA 20-7-111 — Basic instructional program
- Flathead County Superintendent of Schools — Home School Information
- MCA 20-5-111 — Responsibilities and rights of parent who provides home school
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Non-Public Education — State Regulation of Private and Home Schools: Montana (June 5, 2013; pre-2025 law)
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: The specific program areas of the public-school basic instructional program (ARM Title 10, Chapter 55) could not be read: rules.mt.gov returns HTTP 405 and its search is script-only; OPI and Board of Public Education pages do not reproduce the list. So no subject list is given. Diploma issuer not stated in statute.
High school: the public-school diploma as a guide
Optional for homeschools in most states, but the credit plan most colleges and employers recognize, and a sound default for a homeschool transcript. Shown in the subject areas this site uses.
| English | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
| Science | 2.0 |
| Social Studies | 2.0 |
| Fine Arts Arts 1 | 1.0 |
| Physical Education & Health Health and physical education 1 | 1.0 |
| Career & Technical | 1.0 |
| Electives Other units (district-determined) 7 | 7.0 |
| Total | 20.0 |
|---|
ARM 10.55.905: 20 units of study, 13 of them in the listed areas; plus 1/2 unit of economics or financial literacy, which may be satisfied within social studies, mathematics, or career and technical education (requirements effective July 1, 2025). Districts set the remaining 7 units and may require more. Social studies confirmed on opi.mt.gov as '2 units of social studies (including a 1/2 unit of Civics or Government)'.
After graduation: what to plan for
Suggestions from Homeschool Corral, not state rules. Most families keep the college path open through 10th grade, then narrow.
- 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II, pre-calculus if they can), 3–4 science with 2 labs, 3–4 social studies, 2–3 years of one foreign language, 1 fine arts
- A one-paragraph description for every high-school course; the parent signs the transcript and diploma
- PSAT in 10th and 11th; SAT or ACT by spring of 11th; dual credit, AP or CLEP where it fits
- A log of activities, service and work from 9th grade; two adults who can recommend them
- A Scholarship Finder profile by 11th grade; FAFSA when it opens in the fall of 12th
- A diploma and transcript with 4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies; applied math every year
- Dual-credit career and technical courses in 11th–12th; OSHA 10 and first aid/CPR; a driver’s license
- Real projects and a part-time job logged as credits, with references; visit the union hall about pre-apprenticeships in 11th
- A parent-issued diploma and full transcript, signed and dated; recruiters ask for both
- Strong reading and arithmetic for the entrance test; a practice ASVAB in 11th
- Physical fitness as a logged course; service and leadership; for an academy or ROTC, the college list plus the SAT/ACT early
- The diploma and transcript anyway; personal finance and business basics as credits
- Work experience logged with hours and a reference from 10th grade; typing, spreadsheets, a clear email
- Keep the college path open: a foreign language and Algebra II cost little now
My Homeschool turns these into a checklist for each child, with the credits recorded in Transcripts counted against the plan.
No state-level OPI homeschool page was found; home school notices go to the county superintendent of schools. An earlier legislative committee summary described civics within a 3-unit social studies requirement, but OPI's 2026 guidance (citing ARM 10.55.905) lists 2 units of social studies; the OPI figure is used.
This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.
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