Louisiana early learning center license: Type I, II or III and how to get one

Louisiana licenses centers through the Department of Education

Louisiana child care centers are licensed by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), not the Louisiana Department of Health. The minimum standards are set by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) in Bulletin 137, codified at LAC 28:CLXI.⁠¹ The statute calls the licensed program an “early learning center”. That term covers child day care centers, Head Start and Early Head Start centers, nonpublic school prekindergarten programs, and stand-alone pre-K programs that are not attached to a school.⁠¹

Every early learning center must be licensed before it begins operating.⁠¹ Operating without a license can bring fines of up to $1,000 per day. LDOE must also seek a court injunction, and anyone under such an order goes on a statewide registry published on LDOE’s website.⁠¹

The 7-child threshold and what falls outside it

A child day care center is any place that provides care, supervision and guidance to seven or more children not related to the caregiver, without a parent present, on a regular basis for at least 12.5 hours in a continuous seven-day week.⁠²⁠¹ If you transport children, or arrange transportation, the hours children spend in the vehicle count toward the 12.5.⁠¹

Below that line, Louisiana has no state license for home-based care. A family child care provider is an individual who is the sole caregiver for six or fewer children.⁠⁵ Such a provider must register with LDOE only if they receive state or federal funds for the care. Providers caring only for related children need not register.⁠⁶ Once a home program goes past six children, the licensing threshold above applies.

Bulletin 137 §303 exempts these programs:⁠¹

• public day schools serving kindergarten and up, including attached pre-K, except where §301.B requires licensing, and nonpublic schools that serve only kindergarten and up;
• camps, and all care given without charge;
• a center run by a §501(c) tax-exempt religious organization that operates no more than 24 hours in a continuous seven-day week;
• programs licensed or operated by the Louisiana Department of Health, the Department of Children and Family Services, or the U.S. Department of Defense;
• a pre-K program accredited or provisionally accredited by the Louisiana Montessori Association in which all children have reached age three by September 30;
• a registered family day care home.

A nonpublic school’s pre-K program must be licensed when not all of its children have reached age five by September 30 of the school year.⁠¹

Choose your license type by funding source

Louisiana’s three license types turn on money, not size or program model.⁠¹⁠³

Source: Bulletin 137 §307 and R.S. 17:407.36.⁠¹⁠³

Three consequences matter at the planning stage:

• The license follows the money. A Type I or Type II center that takes funds its type does not allow has its license automatically revoked under R.S. 17:407.36.⁠³ If you expect to serve families paying with state child care assistance, apply for Type III from the start, or file a change-of-type request with the $25 change fee before you accept the funds.⁠¹
• Type III carries academic obligations. A Type III center must meet BESE’s Early Childhood Care and Education Network performance and academic standards for kindergarten readiness. It also needs LDOE academic approval before the initial license and again at each renewal.⁠¹
• Type I grandfathering ends with the license. Centers that held a “Class B” license on October 1, 2014 were moved into Type I. If such a center is not a tax-exempt church or religious organization, it cannot get a new Type I license once that license ends, including after a change of location or ownership. It must apply for Type II or III.⁠¹

A center that qualifies for Type I may choose Type II or III, and a Type II center may choose Type III, if it meets that type’s standards.⁠¹

Owners and background checks come first

Bulletin 137 defines who counts as an owner, and each owner must clear the state’s Child Care Criminal Background Check (CCCBC) before you submit the initial application. The results go in with it.⁠¹ Owners for licensing purposes include:⁠¹

• an individual owner and their spouse, unless the business is separate property;
• all general and limited partners and managers of a partnership;
• for corporations and LLCs, anyone with a 25% or greater share in ownership or management. Anyone with a smaller share also counts if they have unsupervised access to children, are present during operating hours, make day-to-day decisions, hire or fire staff, or evaluate staff;
• for church, government or university centers, any clergy or board member present in the center while children are there.

An owner below 25% who meets none of those role criteria may sign a notarized affidavit instead of obtaining a CCCBC determination.⁠¹

The CCCBC is fingerprint-based. It searches Louisiana and federal criminal history, the DCFS state central registry of child abuse and neglect, and the Louisiana and national sex offender registries. It also checks registries in every state where the person lived in the past five years.⁠¹ LDOE tells the center only whether the person is “eligible” or “ineligible for child care purposes”.⁠¹ LDOE charges a $15 processing fee per request and may also collect the fees charged by DCFS, the state bureau of identification, the FBI and other states (as published on 2026-10-12).⁠¹

Every staff member, volunteer and employee needs an eligibility determination before being present at the center while children are there, and again at least once every five years.⁠¹ Visitors and contractors need one too, unless an adult staff member who is not counted in ratio escorts them the whole time.⁠¹ A determination issued to another Louisiana child care provider can be reused if the person has been out of child care work for less than 180 consecutive days.⁠¹ While other results are pending, you can provisionally employ someone whose fingerprint-based Louisiana or federal record has come back satisfactory. They may count in ratio, but a cleared adult staff member must monitor them, and you must keep a monitoring log.⁠¹

The building: space, separation and approvals

Your site has to pass several agencies before LDOE issues a license. These are the Office of State Fire Marshal, the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Public Health, city fire (where applicable) and local zoning or a certificate of occupancy (where applicable).⁠¹ LDOE asks these agencies to inspect once your application is complete, but the rule makes the applicant responsible for obtaining the approvals.⁠¹ Any new construction or renovation after licensure needs fire marshal, health department and LDOE approval before children use the space.⁠¹

Bulletin 137 §1903 sets the physical rules LDOE measures at the initial inspection:⁠¹

• Indoor space: at least 35 square feet of usable indoor space per child. Toilets, hallways, lofts, stairways, lockers, offices, storage, food preparation areas, and rooms used only for dining, sleeping or ill children do not count. From August 1 each school year, you may ask the fire marshal and LDOE to approve 25 square feet per child in space used only by children who are four or older by September 30.
• Outdoor space: at least 75 square feet per child using the play space at one time, available for at least one-third of licensed capacity. The play area must be reached by a direct exit or a fenced connection and enclosed by a permanent fence or barrier.
• Exclusive use and separation: indoor and outdoor space must be used only by enrolled children and staff during operating hours. A center must be physically separated from any other dwelling or business, unless it is in a church or school. A church or school may share kitchens, dining rooms, restrooms and outdoor space, but the center needs designated exclusive time on the playground.
• Other layout rules: children may not enter or leave through the kitchen. Rooms with cribs need open floor space, and you need a private area for diapering and changing older children.

Rules added in January 2026 also apply. Every center must keep a secured point of entry to control who comes and goes.⁠¹ Any facility constructed after January 1, 2026 must have separate restrooms designated for the children in the early learning center or pre-K program.⁠¹⁠⁷ LDOE’s August 2026 checklist adds that a site first placed in operation on or after August 1, 2026 must have lead hazards in paint, dust and soil identified and addressed before it opens, with the Department of Environmental Quality’s Lead Risk Assessment Notification Form submitted with the application. Facilities built before 1978 may need a risk assessment by an accredited assessor, and facilities built in 1978 or later need proof of the construction date.⁠⁸ The checklist lists zoning approval as required in St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, New Orleans, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Minden, Bossier City, Amite, Zachary and Monroe, and city fire approval in the New Orleans area only.⁠⁸ Centers in schools and churches need a staff-dedicated phone or two-way communication system inside the licensed area, and water beads are banned from all premises.⁠¹

Director qualifications

Each center must have a qualified director or director designee on site full time during daytime operating hours, meaning before 9 p.m.⁠¹ If the director is not a full-time on-site employee, a qualified designee must be. The director or designee must be at least 21.⁠¹ LDOE’s August 2026 checklist describes the on-site requirement as at least 32 hours a week, with a designee or staff-in-charge covering absences; ask LDOE how it applies that figure alongside the rule’s full-time wording.⁠⁸ They must also document one of these on the date they are hired into the role:⁠¹

1. Ancillary certificate

   An early childhood ancillary certificate plus one year of experience teaching or caring for children in a licensed early learning center or comparable setting, subject to LDOE approval.

2. National administrator credential

   A national administrator credential, one year of experience, and 6 credit hours or 90 clock hours of training in child care, child development, early childhood or management.

3. Experience

   Three years as a director or staff member in a licensed early learning center or comparable setting, plus 6 credit hours or 90 clock hours of LDOE-approved training in those subjects.

4. School leadership

   Current or former employment as a principal, assistant principal or headmaster, plus a graduate degree from an accredited institution, principalship on a valid Louisiana teaching certificate, or a valid Louisiana EDL certificate.

A director who qualified when hired stays qualified while employed continuously at a licensed center, with no break of more than 90 days.⁠¹

Once more than 42 children are present, the director’s duties must be administrative only. Otherwise another person must handle administration so classroom staff do not leave their rooms for office work.⁠¹ When the director or designee is away for fewer than 11 consecutive business days, or during nighttime care, a staff-in-charge aged 21 or older must be appointed.⁠¹

Ratios and group sizes

Ratios apply at all times. Once more than four children are present, at least two staff members must be on site.⁠¹ Staff 18 and older may count in ratio and work without direct supervision. Staff aged 16 and 17 count only under the direct supervision of an adult.⁠¹

Source: Bulletin 137 §1711.D and L.⁠¹

In mixed groups of two- to five-year-olds you may average the ratios. Children under two are excluded from averaging, and if a group includes any child under two, the youngest child sets the ratio.⁠¹ Field trips and walking excursions need the ratio plus one extra adult.⁠¹ Water activities other than water play need at least two staff, at 20:2 for three-year-olds, 25:2 for fours and 30:2 for fives and up.⁠¹ LDOE’s ratio form, with a phone number for supervision complaints, must be posted in every room counted in your licensed capacity.⁠¹

Care between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. adds its own rules. You need a staff-in-charge and at least two staff present at all times, and staff counted in ratio must be awake. Each child needs a separate bed or cot, and bunk beds are banned.⁠¹

Training deadlines for every hire

Bulletin 137 sets these deadlines from each person’s first day at the center:⁠¹

• Within 7 calendar days, before having sole responsibility for children: center-specific orientation (13 listed topics, with signed acknowledgment), LDOE Key Training Module 1, and the DCFS online Mandated Reporter Training.
• Within 30 calendar days, and before sole responsibility for children: LDOE Key Orientation Training Modules 2 and 3.
• Within 90 calendar days of hire: current infant and child CPR, adult CPR, and pediatric first aid, through LDOE-approved training. Staff remain supervised until certified.
• Before transporting children: added transportation training, including a demonstrated vehicle passenger check.

Every center needs at least two staff trained in medication administration, with one on the premises whenever open, whether or not you give medicine. That training must be repeated every two years. A licensed LPN or RN counts as trained.⁠¹

Staff who are left alone with children, or who supervise or discipline them, need 12 clock hours of continuing education per center anniversary year. Other staff need 3. All of it must come from LDOE-approved trainers.⁠¹ The three-hour health and safety training required by the state sanitary code (LAC 51:XXI.301.A.9) does not count toward those hours.⁠¹ Every staff member must repeat the DCFS Mandated Reporter Training each year between June 1 and August 31, with completion entered in LDOE’s system by September 30.⁠¹ Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, owners must also submit by September 30 each year a list of all teaching and child care staff, showing who has and has not completed that training.⁠¹

Policies, insurance and plans LDOE checks

Bulletin 137 §§1509-1513 require these in writing, and the initial licensing inspection checks for them. Each policy must be posted or acknowledged by parents in writing:⁠¹

• Required policies: child abuse and neglect, non-discrimination, admissions, disclosure of information (including where parents can see licensing inspections), complaints, parental access, parental involvement, behavior management, electronic devices, computer practices with internet filtering, programs, movies and video games, and monitoring of provisionally employed staff.
• Required procedures: physical activity, sleep and rest, and receiving and releasing children.
• Posted schedules: days and hours of operation and closures, plus a daily activity schedule.

You must carry commercial liability insurance that provides medical coverage for children injured at the center. LDOE accepts the policy or a current binder naming the center, its address, the insurer, the policy number, coverage period and an explanation of coverage. If you self-insure or combine policies, you also need a notarized affidavit.⁠¹ You may not require parents to waive the center’s responsibility.⁠¹ If you will transport children, the initial licensure checklist also tells you to obtain commercial automobile insurance.⁠⁸

Meals and snacks you provide must meet the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program meal pattern (7 CFR 226.20) and LAC 51:XXIII, with a weekly menu posted.⁠¹ The director must write a multi-hazard emergency and evacuation plan after consulting state and local authorities.⁠¹ It must cover shelter in place, lockdown, evacuation, infants and children with disabilities, parent contact and reunification. Practice drills are required at least twice a year, plus tornado drills every month from March through June, and you must keep an evacuation pack with the contents the rule lists.⁠¹

Applying, step by step

1. Settle ownership and run owner background checks

   Each owner needs an LDOE eligibility determination before the initial application is filed, and you must document direct and indirect ownership.⁠¹

2. Secure the location

   Bulletin 137 calls for the initial licensing packet after your location has been established, since space measurements and agency approvals are tied to the address.⁠¹

3. Apply online and pay the $25 administrative fee

   New center applications are filed through LDOE’s online system, EdLink. You must give LDOE an email address, which it uses for all communication.⁠¹⁠⁸ LDOE’s initial licensure checklist (revised August 2026) says an application is not complete until you upload: the application, a background check determination for each owner and the director or designee, current fire marshal and Department of Health approvals, city fire and zoning approvals where they apply, the lead risk assessment result, the liability insurance policy, Type III academic approval, signed ownership documentation, director qualifications, photos of the center front, kitchen, direct exit to play space and enclosed play space, and the $25 fee.⁠⁸ The checklist must be returned before the initial inspection is scheduled, and it warns that the process may take up to 90 days.⁠⁸

4. Answer deficiency notices within 21 days

   If LDOE finds the application incomplete, you have 21 calendar days to supply what is missing. After that the application is closed and the fee forfeited.⁠¹

5. Schedule the LDOE inspection within 45 days

   Once LDOE says the application is complete, you have 45 calendar days to coordinate the on-site licensing inspection, or the application closes.⁠¹ LDOE measures your indoor and outdoor space at that visit.⁠¹

6. Finish outside approvals within 90 days

   If you pass on everything except fire marshal, city fire, public health, Type III academic approval or background check documentation, you get 90 calendar days from the complete application to submit them.⁠¹

7. Pay the full license fee and receive the license

   LDOE bills the capacity-based fee, minus the $25 already paid. It is due before the license issues and within 90 days of the complete application.⁠¹ The license must be displayed where parents and visitors can see it.⁠¹

Fees, as published on 2026-10-12

Source: R.S. 17:407.39 and Bulletin 137 §§313, 707, 905 and 1815.⁠⁴⁠¹

Type I centers run by churches or religious organizations pay no annual license fee, but every center pays the administrative fees.⁠¹⁠⁴ All LDOE fees are paid electronically and are nonrefundable.⁠¹ A change of ownership, location or license type means paying the full capacity-based fee again.⁠¹

Keeping the license: inspections, renewal and changes

LDOE inspects every center without notice at least once a year, and posts inspection reports online.⁠¹ You can request a managerial review of a cited deficiency within 10 calendar days. If the deficiency is upheld, you can request a second review by a panel within 10 days of that response.⁠¹

Renewal. File the renewal online, with the full fee, before the first day of the month your license expires. LDOE does not send reminders.⁠¹ Before expiry you also need the annual inspection, current public health and fire approvals, and Type III academic approval. If you asked for the health or fire inspection in time, you may submit those approvals up to 90 days after renewal.⁠¹ If the license lapses, you must close by the end of the expiration date and apply as a new center.⁠¹

Changes that void the license. A license covers one owner at one address. A move or a sale makes it null and void.⁠¹ A change in federal or state tax ID number, or in profit status, can count as a change of ownership, so the new owner must apply and be approved before the change.⁠¹ Even a temporary move after a fire or storm damage needs a new license before you reopen at the temporary site.⁠¹ Report a temporary closure of more than 5 but fewer than 30 days within 1 day, and a permanent closure within 7 days.⁠¹

Enforcement. For violations of supervision, background check, ratio, vehicle passenger check and incident reporting rules, LDOE may first issue a written warning with a corrective action plan. A repeat violation of the same standard within 24 months can bring fines of up to $250 per day, capped at $2,000 in any 12 months.⁠¹ Revocation, refusal to renew, or surrendering a license to avoid either starts a disqualification period of at least 24 months. It applies to the center, its affiliates, and any owner, officer or director, who may not run another licensed center during that time.⁠¹ Waivers of a minimum standard are limited. The state superintendent must find clear and convincing evidence that compliance is economically impractical and that alternative safeguards are in place.⁠¹

Louisiana’s adult care licenses, including adult day care and home care, are issued by the Louisiana Department of Health, not LDOE. See the adult day health care and adult residential care provider guides, or the Louisiana state page.

Sources

1. 1
   Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LAC 28:CLXI, Bulletin 137, Louisiana Early Learning Center Licensing Regulations (February 2026 compilation) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Louisiana State Legislature, La. R.S. 17:407.33, Early Learning Center Licensing Law, definitions Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Louisiana State Legislature, La. R.S. 17:407.36, types of licenses Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Louisiana State Legislature, La. R.S. 17:407.39, applications, license fees Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Louisiana State Legislature, La. R.S. 17:407.62, family child care provider definitions Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Louisiana State Legislature, La. R.S. 17:407.63, registration requirement Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Bulletin 137 comparison document (proposed amendments, August 2025) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Licensing, Initial Licensure Checklist (revised August 2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

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