Montana Homeschool Law: MCA 20-5-109

Not yet verified at a primary source. DiplomaPath has not independently verified Montana’s homeschool requirements against the statute text or the state’s own published guidance as of September 2026. The requirements described on this page may be incomplete or out of date.

Before you rely on any deadline, filing, or testing requirement here, confirm current law with the HSLDA Montana page and Montana’s state education agency. When this page has been checked against a primary source, this notice will be replaced with a verified date and a link to the statute.

Two free things before you read on. The sample transcript PDF is yours either way, no email needed, and the transcript checklist walks through what to include, line by line.

Montana authorizes home schools under MCA 20-5-109 and 20-5-111. Families notify the county superintendent (not the local district) each school fiscal year, before the first day of public school. Montana does not require standardized testing. Parents must maintain attendance records, but only provide them if requested; there is no curriculum submission requirement.

Instructional hours: Montana requires 720 hours/year for grades 1–3 (and full-day kindergarten) and 1,080 hours/year for grades 4–12.

Comparing Montana with another state, or planning a move? See our guide to homeschool graduation requirements by state.

Montana’s 20-Unit Public-School Benchmark

Montana homeschoolers aren’t bound to the public-school credit structure. Under ARM 10.55.905 (effective 2025, first applying to the Class of 2026), public schools require 20 units total.

Subject AreaCourses / NotesCredits
English Language Arts4.0
Mathematics2.0
Science2.0
Social Studies2.0
Health Enhancement0.5 credit each of two years1.0
Arts1.0
Career & Technical Education1.0
Financial Literacy/Economics + Civics/GovernmentNew for Class of 2026+, 0.5 credit each1.0
ElectivesRemaining coursework6.0
TotalARM 10.55.905 benchmark, not a homeschool mandate20.0
DiplomaPath tip: Set the Montana 20-unit model, or your own custom targets, in DiplomaPath’s Requirements tracker — earned vs. planned progress updates automatically per subject.

Required Transcript Elements

Use this checklist when building your Montana homeschool transcript:

  • Student information
    Full legal name, date of birth, address
  • Home school name
    The name of your home program
  • Courses organized by year
    Group by grade (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) or academic year
  • Grades and grade points
    Letter grade and numeric grade point value; include your grading scale
  • Credits per course
    Full-year course = 1.0 credit; semester course = 0.5 credit (Carnegie Unit)
  • Cumulative GPA, weighted and unweighted
    Include the scale (e.g., A = 4.0; Honors +0.5; AP/dual-enrollment +1.0)
  • Total credits earned
  • Graduation date
  • Parent signature and title
    Sign as “Administrator” or “Supervisor” of your home program

GPA Calculation

GPA is calculated the same way in every state: multiply each course’s grade points by its credit value, sum all products, and divide by total credits. The standard 4.0 scale applies to most courses. Honors courses typically add 0.5 points; AP and dual-enrollment courses add 1.0 point for a weighted GPA.

Always report both weighted and unweighted GPA on your transcript, clearly labeled. Include your complete grading scale (e.g., A = 93–100 = 4.0) so admissions reviewers understand exactly how grades were assigned.

Want to calculate GPA automatically? Use our free Homeschool GPA Calculator, enter courses and grades and get weighted and unweighted GPA instantly.

Common Mistakes

  • 1
    Notifying the local district instead of the county superintendent
    Montana’s notice goes to the county superintendent, not your local school district. Confirm you have the right office before filing.
  • 2
    Missing the new financial literacy/civics requirement
    Starting with the Class of 2026, Montana added a 0.5-credit financial literacy/economics requirement and a 0.5-credit civics/government requirement to its benchmark. Factor these in if you’re using the state model as your target.
  • 3
    Not keeping attendance records on hand
    Even though you don’t submit attendance records proactively, you must provide them if requested. Keep hours logged as you go.

Generate a Complete Montana Transcript Automatically

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