How to apply for a daycare license: a step-by-step guide

Last updated 2026-07-09

What kind of daycare license do you actually need?

The license you need comes down to three things: how many children you'll care for at once, whether you work from your home or a separate building, and how your state defines each category. Get those three straight before you fill out a single form.

Most states draw a hard line at six children in care at one time. Stay below that number and many states let you run a licensed family home or a registered family home, which carries lighter rules than a group home or a center. Cross the line and everything tightens: more square footage per child, more staff, separate bathrooms, sometimes a commercial kitchen inspection.

Here's the basic landscape:

License Type	Typical Capacity	Who It Fits
Family child care home	1-6 children	One provider, home-based
Group family child care home	7-12 children	Two adults, home-based
Child care center	13+ children	Commercial or institutional space
Drop-in / part-time care	Varies by state	Check your state separately

Most states also keep an "exempt" category for relatives or neighbors caring for very small numbers. Exempt sounds easy. The catch is you lose access to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy payments, so plenty of providers get licensed even when the law doesn't force them to ^[1].

If you're thinking about part time daycare specifically, check whether your state has a part-time-only license tier before you start the full application. A few do, and it can save you steps.

Which state agency issues daycare licenses?

In most states, daycare licenses come from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Social Services, or a dedicated Office of Child Care. A handful of states split the job: the health department checks the physical space, human services reviews the program. You want to know which one owns your file before you call.

Child Care Aware of America publishes a directory of every state licensing agency ^[2]. That's the fastest place to start. On your state's page, hunt for the "family child care" or "child care center" licensing section, not the general business licensing pages. They're different animals.

Your county can add another layer. Some states let counties or cities enforce their own rules on top of state minimums. San Francisco, for example, has fire inspection requirements that go past California's state baseline. Call your county health department early. You don't want to finish a state application and then learn you missed a local fire clearance.

Care for school-age kids before or after school and your state may treat that as its own program type with its own rules. Describe your exact plan when you call. "Child care" is too vague to get you the right answer.

What are the steps to get a daycare license?

The sequence below applies in some form to every U.S. state, even though the names and order shift. Plan for 60 to 180 days from first contact to your license in hand ^[3].

Step 1: Attend a pre-licensing orientation. Most states require this before they'll take any paperwork. It's a two- to four-hour session, and many are online now, walking you through what the agency expects. Some states charge $0; others charge up to $75. Go even if you think you know the rules cold. Orientations often hand out state-specific forms you can't get anywhere else.

Step 2: Complete and submit the application. The application asks for your proposed capacity, the ages you'll serve, your physical address, business entity details, and emergency contacts. Attach proof you own or lease the space. Submit an incomplete application and it comes back to you, which resets your clock.

Step 3: Pass background checks. All 50 states require criminal background checks for providers, and in most states, for every adult living in a licensed family home ^[4]. Most states run an FBI fingerprint check plus a state repository check. Many add a child abuse and neglect registry search. Budget $20 to $50 per person and two to eight weeks for results.

Step 4: Get your space inspected. Your agency schedules at least one pre-licensure inspection. Many states also require separate fire and sanitation inspections before you open. Get the written inspection checklist from your agency before anyone shows up. The usual failure points: missing outlet covers, wrong or missing smoke detectors (carbon monoxide detectors are often required too), no posted evacuation plan, and too few hand-washing sinks.

Step 5: Complete required training. Most states require first aid and CPR certification before you open, plus a minimum number of pre-service training hours on child development, health, and safety. Federal CCDF regulations set the floor: states must require some pre-service training as a condition of licensure ^[1]. The hours themselves swing wide, from 10 to 40 depending on the state.

Step 6: Secure insurance. States don't all mandate insurance, but many require proof of general liability coverage before they issue a license. For home providers, your homeowner's policy almost certainly excludes business use, which is why home daycare insurance is a separate product you buy before you apply. Opening a center? Look at daycare liability insurance with at least $1 million per occurrence.

Step 7: Pay your fee and wait for your license. Licensing fees run from $25 in several rural states to over $300 for some center licenses ^[5]. Your license arrives by mail or through a state portal. It's tied to your specific address in almost every state, so if you move, you apply again.

How long does it take to get a daycare license?

Expect a minimum of 60 days and a realistic average of 90 to 120 days. The bottleneck is almost always background check processing, not the agency reading your paperwork.

States that use FBI channelers (private companies that process fingerprints for the FBI) often clear results in two to three weeks. States that mail cards to the FBI directly can take six to eight weeks. Backlogs spike after holidays or after budget cuts hit a licensing office, and there's not much you can do about that except apply early.

Child Care Aware of America's licensing study found the median time from application to initial license, across states that reported data, was about 90 days ^[3]. Nobody has perfectly clean national numbers here, because states count differently. Some start the clock at orientation, others at application submission.

You can move faster. Get fingerprints done the same week you attend orientation. Double-check your application for completeness before you submit. Schedule your fire and sanitation inspections yourself instead of waiting for your licensing agency to line them up. Run steps in parallel wherever they don't depend on each other. That habit alone can shave weeks off the total.

What does a daycare licensing inspection look for?

Inspectors work from a written checklist your state publishes. Get it before your inspection and walk your space with it in hand. Most checklists hit the same four categories.

Physical space. Minimum square footage per child (35 square feet of indoor usable space is common for centers; some states require 42 to 50 ^[6]). Outdoor play space (75 square feet per child is a common minimum). Fencing height. Safe surfacing under climbing equipment.

Health and sanitation. Hand-washing sinks at child height or with step stools kids can reach. A separate diaper-changing surface away from food prep. A refrigerator with a working thermometer. Written cleaning and sanitizing procedures. The CDC's childcare guidance shows what federal health recommendations look like ^[7].

Fire and emergency safety. Smoke detectors in every room where children sleep, with battery backup. Carbon monoxide detectors where required (most states, especially in homes with attached garages). Posted evacuation routes. Monthly fire drill logs, which some states want to see even before you open. A fire extinguisher with a current inspection tag.

Documentation. Emergency contact cards for each enrolled child. Immunization records or signed exemption forms. Written policies for illness exclusion, medication, and behavior guidance. Miss the paperwork and you'll fail the documentation section no matter how spotless the room is.

For a surface-by-surface look at the daycare cleaning routine that passes sanitation checks, that breakdown covers protocols and product lists.

How much does it cost to get a daycare license?

Costs split into two buckets: the application fee, and the money you spend getting your space compliant. The fee is the small part.

Application fees by state range from about $25 to over $300 ^[5]. Everything else costs more.

Background checks run $20 to $50 per adult, and a family home may have two to four adults who need them.

First aid and CPR training costs $50 to $150 per person, though some community colleges offer discounted versions for child care providers.

Safety gear (a fire extinguisher, smoke and CO detectors, outlet covers, cabinet locks, fencing repairs) runs $200 to $1,500 depending on how close your space already is to compliant.

Insurance for home daycare liability typically runs $400 to $1,500 a year. Center coverage costs more.

Pre-service training charges $10 to $25 per hour at many programs, though some states subsidize it through CCDF quality funds ^[1].

Center startups spend $10,000 to $50,000 on renovation, equipment, and licensing prep before they open, according to NAEYC's guidance on running a child care business ^[8]. Home providers can often get licensed for under $2,000 total if the space is already in decent shape.

For a wider look at what families pay once you're open, the daycare cost data helps you price against your market.

What background checks are required for a daycare license?

Every state requires criminal background checks. The exact checks vary by state, but federal CCDF rules have pushed everyone toward a multi-repository model since 2014 ^[4].

The CCDF background check rule, published in 2016, requires states to run a state criminal records check, a national FBI fingerprint check, a state child abuse and neglect registry check, and, for anyone who hasn't lived in the state for the last five years, an out-of-state check ^[4].

The regulation puts it plainly: the background check "must cover each staff member and other adults who have unsupervised access to children" ^[4].

For family home providers, that usually means every adult living in the home, not only the provider. Teenagers 18 and older typically get checked too. Some states drop that to 16.

Results go straight to your licensing agency, not to you. If something surfaces, the agency notifies you, and most states keep a disqualification list with some appeal process. Convictions tied to child abuse, sexual offenses, and violent crime are permanently disqualifying in every state.

Do home daycare providers need a separate business license?

Usually, yes. Your childcare license from the state and a general business license from your city or county are two separate documents. A few small towns skip the general business license entirely, but most municipalities require one.

You may also need a zoning variance or a conditional use permit, especially for a larger family daycare or a center in a residential area. Call your city's planning department before you sign a lease or remodel anything. Zoning has killed otherwise-complete daycare applications after months of work, and it's the hardest problem to unwind late.

As a sole proprietor you probably don't need a federal EIN, but get one anyway to keep personal and business money apart. Run as an LLC or corporation and you definitely need one. The IRS issues EINs for free at irs.gov ^[9].

For the full picture of how licensing, cost, and business setup fit together, Daycare costs, licensing, and rules: the complete 2026 guide pulls it all into one place.

What training is required before you can open a licensed daycare?

Training splits into two groups: pre-service requirements you finish before your license is issued, and ongoing annual hours you complete every year to keep it.

Common pre-service requirements:

• Pediatric first aid and CPR (required in all 50 states for at least the primary provider)
• Child development basics (some states accept an online course, others want a community college class)
• Health and safety topics: safe sleep for infants, prevention of shaken baby syndrome, recognizing and reporting child abuse, food safety
• Medication administration training, in some states

The National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations, run by Child Care Aware of America, tracks training requirements state by state ^[3]. Before you sign up for anything, confirm it's on your state's approved provider list. Some states only accept training from accredited institutions or their own trainer registry, and a class off that list won't count.

Ongoing annual requirements typically run 12 to 24 hours per year for licensed providers. Some states allow online hours for most of it; others require a share of it in person.

The ChildCareComp compliance toolkit can track which hours you've completed and when renewals come due, which earns its keep once you're managing staff.

What are common reasons daycare license applications get denied or delayed?

Incomplete paperwork is the single biggest delay. Licensing offices don't chase down missing items. They return your application and you restart the timeline.

The other usual suspects:

Failed background check. Even a decade-old misdemeanor can trigger a review. Know what's on your record before you apply. Some states let you request a preliminary review first.

Space fails inspection. Missing smoke detectors, weak fencing, no licensed kitchen if you're serving meals, or outdoor play space under the square-footage minimum. The fix is usually simple, but it adds four to six weeks for a re-inspection.

Zoning problems. Your address isn't zoned for the capacity you want, or a neighbor files an objection. This one is the slowest to solve.

Insurance gap. You submitted before your policy was bound, or the policy doesn't list the licensing agency as a certificate holder when your state requires it.

Training not finished. You're waiting on a CPR renewal or a training provider had a scheduling snag.

Get denied and you'll receive a written explanation and an appeals process. Document everything. Disagree with an inspector's judgment call on your space and you can usually request a second inspection or a supervisor review.

How do you renew a daycare license?

Most licenses run one or two years, with renewal applications due 60 to 90 days before expiration. Some states auto-renew pending an inspection; others want a full application again. Check which camp your state is in the first year, not the week before you expire.

At renewal, expect:

• Proof of current first aid and CPR certification
• Annual training hour documentation
• Updated background checks if your state runs them on a set cycle (usually every two to five years per adult)
• A renewal fee, typically close to the original application fee
• Possibly a renewal inspection, especially if you had compliance issues the prior period

Don't let your license lapse. Operating without a current license, even by accident, draws a heavier penalty than a late renewal. Most agencies will work with you on a short extension if you reach out before expiration, but you have to start that conversation. They won't call you.

Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your expiration date. Keep a folder with your current CPR card, training logs, and insurance certificate so the renewal packet isn't a last-minute scramble.

How do CCDF rules affect what states require for daycare licensing?

The Child Care and Development Fund is the main federal funding stream for child care subsidies. States have to meet federal CCDF requirements to draw down their share of roughly $8 billion in annual CCDF funding ^[1]. That money shapes your rules whether or not you ever take a subsidy child.

CCDF rules set a floor on what states require for licensing. The 2016 CCDF final rule made all states conduct annual announced and unannounced inspections of licensed providers, adopt the multi-repository background check system described above, and post inspection results publicly ^[1].

For you, the practical part: take children who receive CCDF subsidies (child care vouchers or certificates) and your inspections go on the public record, and your compliance affects your subsidy payment eligibility. A license in bad standing can get your subsidy payments suspended.

Want to accept subsidies? Contact your state's Child Care Resource and Referral agency, which runs the local CCDF payment system. Child Care Aware of America keeps a directory of these agencies ^[2].

Frequently asked questions

Can I watch kids in my home without a daycare license?

It depends on the number of children and your state's exemption rules. Most states let you care for one to two unrelated children without a license. Caring for more than two or three unrelated children without a license is illegal in most states and can bring fines or forced closure. Care for relatives only is exempt in most states. Check your state licensing agency's exemption list before you start.

How many children can a licensed home daycare watch?

For a licensed family child care home, most states cap enrollment at six children including your own kids under age 12. A group family child care license usually allows seven to twelve children with a second adult caregiver. These caps live in state regulation and may be lower for infants specifically. Your actual approved capacity gets written on your license.

Do I need a separate license for infants and toddlers?

Not a separate license, but infant care triggers stricter rules inside your license. Most states require lower ratios for infants (often 1 adult to 3 infants or fewer), more square footage per child in infant rooms, and specific safe sleep equipment like firm, flat sleep surfaces. Some states make you check a box on your application indicating you plan to serve infants so inspectors apply infant-specific standards.

How much does a daycare license cost?

State application fees alone run from about $25 to over $300 depending on state and license type. That fee is a small slice of total startup cost. Background checks add $20 to $50 per adult. Training, insurance, facility upgrades, and equipment mean most home providers spend $500 to $2,000 to get licensed, while centers commonly spend $10,000 to $50,000 before opening.

What happens if I operate a daycare without a license?

Running without a required license is illegal, and the penalties are real: fines from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per day of operation in some states, a court-ordered closure, and a permanent bar from getting licensed later. Your homeowner's insurance won't cover you either, since unlicensed business operation voids most policies. Licensing isn't just paperwork. It's your legal protection.

Can I lose my daycare license after I get it?

Yes. Licenses can be suspended or revoked for serious health and safety violations, a substantiated child abuse finding, operating above your licensed capacity, failing to keep required staff-to-child ratios, or repeated unresolved compliance issues across inspections. Many states use a corrective action plan before revoking, but willful or dangerous violations can bring immediate suspension. Your inspection history is public in most states under CCDF rules.

Does a daycare license transfer if I move to a new address?

No. A daycare license is tied to a specific address in every state. Move and you apply for a new license at the new address, which means a new inspection cycle and possibly new zoning review. Some states let you file a change-of-location application that carries over some documentation, but you can't operate at the new address under your old license. Start the new application well before your move date.

How many inspections will I have each year once I'm licensed?

Federal CCDF rules require states to conduct at least one annual announced and one unannounced inspection of licensed providers. Most states do at least two inspections per year; some higher-risk providers get more. New licensees often see more frequent visits in the first year. Your state may also respond to any complaint with an added unannounced inspection, typically within 24 to 72 hours.

Do daycare staff members need the same background checks as the owner?

Yes. Under CCDF requirements, background checks must cover every staff member and any other adult with unsupervised access to children, not only the license holder. That includes assistant teachers, kitchen staff, bus drivers, and in a home daycare, every adult who lives in the home. Each person must clear the check before working with or near children, and checks renew on the schedule your state sets.

What is a provisional or conditional daycare license?

Some states issue a provisional or conditional license while you finish a remaining requirement, most often a training course you're mid-way through or a facility fix you've agreed to complete by a set date. It lets you operate and earn income while wrapping up, but it has an expiration date and conditions attached. Miss your deadline and the provisional license can convert to a denial, so treat the conditions seriously.

Do I need a food handler's certificate to serve meals at my daycare?

Many states require at least one person in a licensed daycare to hold a food handler's or food safety manager's certificate if you serve meals to children. The rules are stricter for centers than for family homes. Even where your licensing agency doesn't require it, local health departments often do if you join the USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which reimburses food costs for qualifying providers ^[10].

Can I apply for a daycare license online?

Many states now offer online applications or at least downloadable forms through their licensing agency websites. Some still require in-person submission or a physical signature on certain forms. The pre-licensing orientation is online in roughly half of states now. Background check fingerprinting always requires an in-person visit to an approved location. Check your state's licensing agency website to see how much can be done remotely.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACF: Child Care and Development Fund Final Rule (2016): CCDF rules require states to conduct annual announced and unannounced inspections, multi-repository background checks, and public posting of inspection results; federal CCDF funding is approximately $8 billion annually.
2. Child Care Aware of America: State Licensing Agency Directory: Child Care Aware of America publishes a directory of every state child care licensing agency and child care resource and referral agencies.
3. Child Care Aware of America: Licensing Study and National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations: The median time from application to initial license across states was approximately 90 days; the database tracks training requirements state by state.
4. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR Part 98: CCDF Background Check Requirements: Federal CCDF regulations require state criminal records checks, national FBI fingerprint checks, child abuse and neglect registry checks, and out-of-state checks; must cover each staff member and other adults with unsupervised access to children.
5. National Association for Family Child Care: Licensing and Accreditation Resources: State application fees for daycare licenses range from approximately $25 to over $300 depending on state and license type.
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACF: Child Care Health and Safety: Minimum indoor usable space of 35 square feet per child is common for centers; some states require 42 to 50 square feet; 75 square feet per child is a common outdoor play space minimum.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Childcare Settings Health and Safety: CDC guidance on childcare sanitation covers hand-washing, diapering surfaces, food safety, and cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
8. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): Starting and Running a Child Care Business: Child care center startups commonly spend $10,000 to $50,000 on renovation, equipment, and licensing preparation before opening.
9. Internal Revenue Service: Employer Identification Number (EIN): The IRS issues Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) online at no cost.
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP): USDA's CACFP reimburses food costs for qualifying licensed daycare providers serving meals to children.