Montana homeschool checklist for this year

Answer two questions and get the year's deadlines with their dates, the notice, testing and records, each linked to the law. Print it or tick it off here.

This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and Montana's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.

Deadlines, forms and amounts checked on October 29, 2026 against the sources linked on this page.

Montana homeschool checklist, school year

Things to do, with their deadlines

Each school fiscal year (July 1 to June 30); no date is set
Notify the county superintendent of schools of your child's attendance at your home school.
Source: MCA 20-5-109 Nonpublic and home school requirements (Montana Legislature)

Need the letter? Fill in the Montana letter of intent and print it.

All year

All year
Keep count of the hours. A home school must provide the same minimum aggregate hours of pupil instruction as public schools: 720 hours for grades 1 through 3 and 1,080 hours for grades 4 through 12 in a school fiscal year. 1,050 aggregate hours may be enough for graduating seniors. The law sets hours, not a number of days.
Source: MCA 20-1-301 School fiscal year (Montana Legislature); MCA 20-5-109 Nonpublic and home school requirements (Montana Legislature)
All year
A home school must maintain records on pupil attendance and make them available to the county superintendent on request. The home school section does not require immunization records (that is listed only for nonpublic schools).
Source: MCA 20-5-109 Nonpublic and home school requirements (Montana Legislature)

Good habits (not in the law)

Keep a copy of everything you send, and of any acknowledgement you get back, with the date.
Start simple records on day one: the days you teach, the books you read and a few samples of work in each subject. They help if you move, return to school or apply to college.

Dates shown are the next time each deadline comes round from today. Your ticks and answers stay in this browser; nothing is sent.

Where this comes from

MCA 20-5-102 Compulsory enrollment and excuses (Montana Legislature) (the law)
MCA 20-5-109 Nonpublic and home school requirements (Montana Legislature) (the law)
MCA 20-1-301 School fiscal year (Montana Legislature) (the law)
MCA 20-7-111 Instruction in public schools (Montana Legislature) (the law)
MCA 20-7-1704 Use of education savings account (Montana Legislature) (the law)
Office of Public Instruction: Education Savings Account (state agency)
Montana Code Annotated 20-7-1703 (ESA definitions) (the law)

Checked on October 29, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and forms change; confirm a date with your school district or the state agency before you rely on it. For legal advice, ask a lawyer licensed in Montana; homeschool legal-help organizations and your state's homeschool groups can also point you to help. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.