Before deciding on a daycare or child care center or other care facility, you should ensure it is up to date on necessary licensing. To verify the accreditation and licensing status of a child care center near you or to see if a provider has past complaints or violations, you may visit your state’s Department of Licensing.
What to know before you get started:
- Licensing requirements vary by state, and state-licensed child care providers are required to have licensing inspections each year and these are public record; however, not all child care businesses may be required to obtain a license.
- Families should confirm the requirements to ensure a center they’re considering is not operating unlicensed when it should be licensed.
- Always check the information about a child care business that’s important to you.
Please note: State links are supplied for your convenience, but available information varies by jurisdiction and is updated at different frequencies, so the information may not be fully complete or accurate for a particular business at all times. Links were last checked at the publication date of this article, which will be updated from time to time.
Follow the link (subject to change) to your state’s Department of Licensing below:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Nevada (Washoe County)
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- New York boroughs (city)
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington DC
Alternatively, you can use the Child Care Aware website to learn more about child care resources, including licensing for your state.
