State licensing reference · verified 21 October 2026
A licensing path, not a pile of PDFs.
Pick your state and get the order of steps, the exact forms, the fees, the background checks, the training hours and the space rules for a home child care license. Then print the packet and take it with you.
Reference only, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm with the licensing agency before you apply or renew. This page describes what the linked official sources say as of the verification date. It is not a determination that a home will be licensed.
The paths
Pick a state
Each state has a different shape of law: a permit, a registration, a license, or a choice between them. The path page follows the agency’s order.
TexasTX
Three permit types, one unannounced inspection a year for a licensed home.
- Permit typesLicensed, registered or listed
- Maximum children12 in a licensed home
- Annual training30 clock hours
- Annual fee$35 + $1 per child
CaliforniaCA
A state license, a 16-hour health and safety course, and a home inspection.
- License classesSmall up to 8, large up to 14
- Pre-service training16 hours
- Application fee$73 for 1 to 8 children
- Annual fee$73 or $140
FloridaFL
Registered in most counties, licensed in 15, with 35 hours of training before you start.
- PathRegistered or licensed
- Pre-service training35 hours
- Registered fee$25 a year
- Licensed fee$50 a year
IllinoisIL
A free three-year license, 15 hours before you apply, and a home visit.
- License fee$0
- License term3 years
- Pre-service training15 hours
- Indoor space35 sq ft per child
GeorgiaGA
A 45-day application, 10 hours of pre-service training, and a $50 annual license.
- Children3 to 6 unrelated
- Pre-service training10 hours
- License fee$50 a year
- Indoor space35 sq ft per child
Last opened in this browser: continue
The order matters
Orientation before application. Background checks before care. Training before the license. The path puts each requirement in the sequence the agency expects.
Numbers with a source
Fees, hours, ratios and square footage carry a source chip. The full citation, with the fetch date, sits at the bottom of every state page.
A packet you can print
The steps, the document checklist, the fee table, the forms index and the contacts on one Letter-size packet. Ticks save in your browser, per state.
Method
How each path is checked
Licensing pages fail in two ways: stale rules, or confident guesses. This is the process that guards against both.
Official pages only
The state licensing agency, the administrative code or rule, and the agency’s own forms. No blogs, no consultants, no summaries.
One claim, one citation
Every step, fee row and rule section carries the source ids it depends on. The source list shows the exact URL and the date it was read.
Gaps stay visible
If a rule was not published on the pages reviewed, the page says so under “Not verified here” instead of filling the gap with a guess.
No compliance verdicts
The pages describe requirements. They do not tell you that your home will be licensed, and they do not replace the agency or a lawyer.