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Homeschooling in South Dakota

Homeschool rules in South Dakota, in plain English

In South Dakota, homeschooling is called alternative instruction. You file one Alternative Instruction Notification with the state Department of Education or your local school district within 30 days of starting, and you teach at least language arts and math, aiming for mastery of English. The state does not require tests, teacher certification, set hours or days, or yearly renewal, but you must file again if your child enrolls in a school or moves to another district.

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This explains each state's homeschool rules in plain English, from the state's own published sources. It isn't legal advice, and we aren't lawyers. Laws change and every family is different, so check with your state, your school district or a lawyer before you rely on it.

How much it asks
Some paperwork
School age
6 through 17 (children must attend until age 18 or graduation; kindergarten is required before age 7)
Time
No set number

Option 1

Alternative instruction at home (homeschool notice)

Families who teach their children at home themselves or with help. This is the route the state describes for homeschooling, and it needs only one notice per child.

  1. Before you startGood to know

    Know your resident school district

    Find the school district where you live. If your child is open-enrolled in a different district, know that one too. The notice asks for both.

  2. Within 30 days of starting home instructionPaperwork

    File the Alternative Instruction Notification

    Use the standard notification form from the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE). You can file online through the DOE or on a paper form, sent to the DOE or your local district. The form asks for your child's name, birthdate, resident district, open-enrolled district if any, and a parent or guardian signature. It is a notice, not a request for approval, and the district must consider it.

  3. OngoingWhat to teach

    Teach the required basic skills

    Give instruction in the basic skills of language arts and mathematics. The instruction must lead to a mastery of the English language. The law does not name other subjects, so you choose the rest.

  4. OngoingWho teaches

    Keep within the instructor limit

    No one may instruct more than 22 children. The instructor does not need a teaching certificate.

  5. Within 30 days of the changePaperwork

    File again after a change

    File a new notification if your child enrolls in a public or nonpublic school, or moves to a different school district.

  6. Before each season or course, as neededGood to know

    Ask about school activities and textbooks if you want them

    Your home district must allow your child to take part in its athletics, fine arts, and activities, under the same eligibility rules as enrolled students. Provide proof of age and a transcript of the previous semester when asked. The district must also loan nonsectarian textbooks free to children aged 5 to 19 who live in the district.

Option 2

Enrolled in a public or nonpublic school

Families who want a school to handle some or all of the instruction, including part-time enrollment in one or more public school classes while teaching at home.

  1. Before your child starts at the schoolGood to know

    Choose the school and enroll your child

    Enroll in a public school, or in a nonpublic school. Enrollment in a school counts as the schooling required by law, so no home instruction notice is needed while enrolled.

  2. Within 30 days of starting home instruction againPaperwork

    File a new notice if you leave the school to homeschool

    If your child later leaves the school and starts alternative instruction again, file a new Alternative Instruction Notification.

  3. Any time during the school yearGood to know

    Part-time enrollment

    A child receiving alternative instruction may enroll in one or more classes at the public school on a part-time basis. The rest of the education can stay at home.

Subjects to teach

  • Language arts (basic skills)
  • Mathematics (basic skills)

Tests and reviews

No state or nationally standardized testing is required for alternative instruction students. A 2021 law (Senate Bill 177) removed the old testing and results-reporting requirement. If your child takes part-time public school classes, school rules may differ.

Records to keep

  • Keep a copy of your Alternative Instruction Notification and any letters from the DOE or your district
  • Keep a record of your child's courses and grades; you will likely need a transcript you issue yourself for activities, dual credit, scholarships, and college applications

About time

South Dakota does not set a number of instruction days or hours for alternative instruction in the current statute text. Older guides mention an equivalent-time rule that the current law no longer contains.

Also good to know

  • Birth certificates and affidavits are not required with the notification, according to the DOE FAQ revised September 2024.
  • Dual credit: to enroll in the state's reduced-tuition dual credit program, you must have a notification on file and sign a memorandum of understanding with the DOE. Update your child's information the semester before eligibility, as the DOE explains.
  • Notifications are kept confidential by the district and the DOE.
  • Students aged 16 and 17 may be able to take a high school equivalency test through the state. The DOE FAQ says a child at least 16 may be approved to take the tests.
  • 2025 Senate Bill 71 changed the compulsory attendance wording and kept kindergarten before age 7. Check the DOE page for any later guidance on its other changes.
  • Public school districts must let homeschool students take part in athletics and activities. A student must meet the same eligibility rules as enrolled students.

What we couldn’t confirm

  • Whether the paper notification form must be notarized or signed by two witnesses. A 2021 bill text says so, but the DOE FAQ does not mention it.
  • Whether the U.S. Constitution must be taught to homeschool students. Some non-government sites say so, but I did not find that requirement in the statute text I read.
  • The withdrawal process for a 17-year-old under 2025 Senate Bill 71 and whether it is in effect. I did not confirm the final enacted text of that section.
  • Any instruction day or hour counts. Some non-government sites list numbers, but I found no official source for them, so none are given.
  • Any truancy rules that apply to homeschool families. The DOE FAQ covers this, but I could not read the full answer.
  • Special education services for homeschooled children. A non-government site says services are limited to children enrolled part-time, but I did not confirm this with an official source.
  • Whether an 'alternative instruction program' under a separate statute section is a different legal option. I did not confirm it with an official source.
  • Whether a state test requirement applies to students who take more than half their day in public school. Some non-government sites say so, but I did not confirm it.

From South Dakota’s own sources

Last checked against these sources on November 7, 2026. We check every state each week.

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Homeschooling in South Dakota

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