Licensing a family or group child care home in Nevada

Family home, group home or small establishment

Nevada law counts children, not families. Any establishment that cares for “five or more children under 18 years of age” for pay, during the day or overnight, is a child care facility and must be licensed.⁠¹ The regulations split home-based facilities into two license types:

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

The Division’s FAQ puts it in plain terms: you need a state license to care for “more than 4 children who are not related to you and/or for whom you receive payment”.⁠⁴ Some arrangements fall outside the definition altogether. These include a home that cares only for children related to the operator within the third degree, and a person who watches a friend’s or neighbor’s children for no more than 4 weeks without doing it regularly.⁠¹

A small child care establishment cares for no more than four children who are not related to the operator within the fourth degree. The care is paid, takes place outside the children’s homes without their parents present, and runs at least 6 hours a day, 4 days a week, for more than 3 consecutive weeks.⁠¹ Registration is voluntary and done on the Division’s website. You cannot operate a registered establishment if you have a disqualifying conviction under NRS 432A.170 or a substantiated child abuse or neglect report.⁠¹ Registered operators must keep fingerprint and background authorization records for adult household members and employees, the same as licensees.⁠¹ To take subsidized children in this range without a license, you can enroll as a Family, Friend or Neighbor (FFN) provider, which the Division defines as caring “for up to four children without a child care license”.⁠¹⁰

Above 12 children, you need a child care center license.

One license, one home, and you must live there

Three rules shape the business more than anything else.

First, residency. If you are licensed as an individual, you must “reside in the facility” and “provide direct care to the children”.⁠² If an entity holds the license, one of the people named on it as authorized to operate the facility must live there and give care.⁠² The Division’s FAQ confirms that a family or group provider is “required to live in the home where services are provided”.⁠⁴ You cannot buy a second house and run it as a family home.

Second, one license per person. A family home or group home licensee “may not obtain a license to operate any other family home, group home or other child care facility”.⁠² The only exception is for facilities licensed by a branch of the military.

Third, the license is tied to you and the address. It is not transferable, it is valid only for the premises described on it, and it states the number of children you may serve.⁠¹⁠² If you move, you need a new license. If a buyer takes over, the buyer must be licensed.

Who licenses you: state, not county

The statute still lets a city or county set up its own licensing agency by ordinance. Its standards must be at least as strict as the state’s and must be approved by the Division.⁠¹ For years Washoe County did this: a Division statewide licensing report (calendar 2022 data) listed Washoe County Social Services facilities separately from those the State licensed.⁠¹¹ That ended on July 1, 2024. Washoe County’s commissioners recorded that the State “took over all child care licensing activities for Washoe County effective July 1, 2024”.⁠⁶ Family and group homes now apply to Child Care Licensing in the Division of Social Services. NRS 432A.0273 places that Division in the Department of Human Services. Many forms and PDFs still say “Division of Welfare and Supportive Services” or “Public and Behavioral Health”, and the web pages have moved to dss.nv.gov.⁠¹⁠³

Cities and counties still matter for zoning, special use permits and business licenses. The Division publishes a list of county and city permitting contacts, from Humboldt and Elko to Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City. It warns that the list is incomplete and “subject to change”.⁠⁵ Its FAQ says that because “requirements vary by jurisdiction”, you should contact the surveyor for your area. It also notes that local zoning restrictions, special use permits, business licenses and fire or health rules may carry their own costs.⁠⁴

Child Care Licensing lists one mailing address, 3811 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 210, Las Vegas, NV 89102, with separate phone lines for Southern Nevada (702-486-3822) and Northern Nevada (775-684-8781).⁠³ The Division’s Carson City administrative office is at 1470 E. College Pkwy. (775-684-0800).⁠³

How many children, and of what ages

Family home (5-6 children)

NAC 432A.534 sets the family home rules:⁠²

• One caregiver on duty at all times. A second caregiver is required whenever four or more of the children are children with special needs.
• No more than two children under 1 year or four children under 2 years at any one time.
• No more than 6 children per caregiver in the home. Your own children, or the children of the resident operator, count toward that limit only if they are under 4 years old.
• An alternate caregiver available in an emergency.

Group home (7-12 children)

A group home follows age-based ratios in NAC 432A.536:⁠²

Three caregivers must be on duty whenever eight or more of the children have special needs. As in a family home, the resident operator’s own children count only if they are under 4.⁠²

Before- and after-school children

With written permission from the Division’s Administrator, either type of home may take up to three extra children beyond the licensed number before and after school. Each must be at least 6 or in school full-day, and under 16. Children living in the home who are 11 or younger count toward the three. Care cannot exceed 3 consecutive hours before school and 3 consecutive hours after school.⁠²

Who counts as a caregiver

Every caregiver must be at least 16. An adult 18 or older must be on the premises whenever the home operates. Volunteers, and staff under 18, may give direct care only under the supervision of an employee who is at least 18.⁠² The Division counts staff and volunteers toward ratios once they have a completed background check and have taken first aid and signs-of-illness training.⁠⁴ If a caregiver is unexpectedly absent, the replacement must be able to reach the home within 5 minutes, must already be cleared by the Division, and must meet the TB and initial training rules.⁠²

Background checks for everyone in the household

The Division investigates the background of the applicant, every employee, every resident of the home aged 18 or older, and every adult volunteer who is not a parent of an enrolled child.⁠² The applicant is fingerprinted when the application is filed and at least every 5 years after that. Employees, adult residents and volunteers are fingerprinted within 24 hours of hire or of their arrival, then every 5 years.⁠² Checks cover local and national criminal records, child abuse and neglect registries, and sex offender registries. Anyone who has not lived in Nevada for the last five years also needs a check from the state they came from.⁠³

The process runs through a Consent and Release form, fingerprinting at a local police agency, payment to the Department of Public Safety’s Criminal History Repository, and entry in the Nevada Automated Background Check System (NABS).⁠³ Records stay on file at the home for as long as the person is there.⁠¹⁠² You may not employ or accept as a volunteer anyone convicted of child abuse or neglect, or of any crime involving physical harm, or anyone with such a charge pending.⁠² Nevada’s prerequisites state that all adults in the household must be able to pass these checks before you apply.⁠³

Each staff member, volunteer and household resident also needs proof of freedom from active tuberculosis. That means a tuberculin test or chest X-ray within the 12 months before they start or move in, then a test or exam at least every 24 months.⁠²

Training for you and anyone who helps

Nevada’s training rules apply to “each person who is employed in a child care facility” and to each director.⁠² In a home, that means you and any assistant. The Division’s licensing roadmap requires a qualified director only for centers and institutions, not homes.⁠³

Sources for the table: NAC 432A.320, 432A.322 and 432A.323.⁠² The Division’s FAQ tells new hires to complete CPR/first aid and signs of illness in person within 90 days, so plan on the earlier date.⁠⁴ Every caregiver on duty must already have first aid and illness-recognition training whenever the home is open.⁠² Training must be Nevada Registry approved. Each caregiver must become an active Nevada Registry member within 120 days of starting and stay a member.⁠²⁠⁴

After the first year, each caregiver completes 24 hours of training a year. At least 12 hours must be specific to the ages you serve and 2 must cover lifelong wellness, health and safety, including childhood obesity, nutrition and physical activity.⁠¹ No more than 3 of the 24 hours may be CPR.⁠² The Division credits early childhood college courses at 15 training hours per credit.⁠⁴ The Division may make you repeat initial training completed more than 36 months before you start.⁠²

Preparing the house

The house must pass fire, health, building and zoning review before the license is issued. Specifically, the Administrator must be satisfied that it complies with the State Fire Marshal’s life safety codes, the State Board of Health’s environmental health standards, and local building and zoning rules.⁠² Before you apply, the Division expects a location “that will be able to pass fire, health, building, and zoning codes” and a fenced outdoor play area.⁠³

Space. At least 35 square feet of indoor space per child, not counting bathrooms, halls, the kitchen, stairs or storage. You also need 37.5 square feet of outdoor play space per child, based on the licensed capacity.⁠² From April through September, outdoor play areas need shade of at least 5 square feet per child.⁠²⁠⁴

Play yard. The play area must be fenced so children cannot leave it unsupervised, drained, and free of hazards and poisonous plants. It needs resilient surfacing under climbing equipment, and no body of water can be accessible to children from it.⁠² The Division’s page for home providers specifies a fence at least 6 feet high and written permission from your landlord or HOA if you rent.⁠³

Climate and hazards. Rooms used by children stay between 65 and 82°F from October through March, and between 68 and 82°F from April through September. Heaters and pipes hotter than 100°F need guards. Electrical devices within children’s reach must be kept away from water sources.⁠²

Weapons. Weapons are banned outright in child care centers, but a family or group home may keep them under conditions. They must be unloaded or unstrung whenever children are present and stored locked out of reach or made inoperable. Ammunition and arrows go in separate locked containers.⁠²

Pets. Pets need veterinarian-recommended immunizations, a safe temperament, and must be kept out of food areas. Litter boxes must be out of reach, and play areas cleared of feces.⁠²

Fire protection. The State Fire Marshal classifies child care by capacity and age. Under its matrix, a home with up to 6 children of any age, operating less than 24 hours, is Group R-3, which requires interconnected smoke detectors. The matrix lists a capacity of up to 7 children as Group R-4, which requires smoke detectors, a fire alarm and sprinklers, and lists groups of 6 or more children under 2½ as Group E or I-4, both of which require a fire alarm. A group home should confirm its classification before it commits to a house.⁠⁸ All smoke alarms must be interconnected.⁠⁷ Two approved exits are required when the occupant load is 10 or more, and for any facility caring for 10 or more children aged 2½ or younger.⁠⁸ A carbon monoxide alarm is required if the house has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.⁠⁸ The Fire Marshal says specific requirements are applied case by case, so a group home with infants should confirm its classification before buying equipment.⁠⁷

Meals. Check with your local health department. The Division says that cooking fresh meals from raw food “typically requires a Kitchen Permit”, while serving simple sandwiches, snacks or reheated food generally does not.⁠⁴

If you plan to build or remodel, submit the plans to the Division before construction starts. Plan review is not license approval.⁠²

Policies and paperwork before the inspection

The Division examines “the plans for care of the children and management of the facility” as part of licensing.⁠² The online application requires uploads of a Facility Statement, an Emergency Plan, background forms and a curriculum.⁠³

Your written emergency plan must cover all of the following:⁠²

• staff duties
• sheltering in place
• evacuation and transportation
• relocation sites
• supervising and accounting for the children
• contacting emergency services
• meeting the needs of children with disabilities
• reunifying children with their families

Review the plan with staff every quarter and evaluate it every year. Post the shelter and evacuation plans in a public place. Hold a fire drill monthly and a natural disaster drill at least every 3 months, and keep a daily sign-in sheet with arrival and departure times for staff and children.⁠²

Before the license is issued, you must file a certificate of liability insurance with the Division. The policy must require the insurer to notify the Division before cancellation or nonrenewal.⁠² You also need a working telephone with emergency numbers posted beside it.⁠² If you transport children, you need adequate vehicle insurance, ratios in the vehicle, and a transportation log kept for 4 months, with a signed sweep of the vehicle at each arrival.⁠²

Some materials go to parents. Before admission, parents give you the child’s details, emergency contacts, health information and a signed authorization for emergency medical care.⁠² You must keep, and give parents at enrollment, copies of your license, any complaint summaries, investigation reports and disciplinary actions. Notice of disciplinary action goes to all parents within 3 working days.⁠¹ To the extent federal law allows, children of active-duty military parents get priority admission.⁠¹ Any advertising must state the type of facility you are licensed as.⁠²

Applying, step by step

Child Care Licensing states that it licenses facilities within 90 days of application, and it withdraws any application that misses a milestone.⁠³ The order it publishes:

1. Take the LAP orientation

   Complete the mandatory online Licensing Application Process orientation. You need a NEATS login to access it.⁠³

2. Get a state business license

   Register through the Nevada Secretary of State’s SilverFlume portal.⁠³

3. Apply and pay

   Submit the child care facility application online with the $20 (family home) or $60 (group home) fee.⁠³⁠² Every adult in the home starts the background process at this point.⁠²

4. First 30 days

   Meet your assigned surveyor, who gives you a checklist and sample documents. Attend the New Facility Training and Backgrounds Training, which is offered once a month. Apply to the State Fire Marshal and your local health agency for inspections, and get any city or county permits. Upload your Facility Statement, Emergency Plan, background forms and curriculum.⁠³

5. By day 60

   Finish the initial training courses through the Nevada Registry, set up the home, upload the remaining documents and schedule the initial inspection. If the surveyor finds deficiencies, submit a plan of correction.⁠³

6. By day 90

   Correct everything the surveyor noted. Your fire, health and local permits should all be issued by then.⁠³

You must request the fire inspection yourself. Send the State Fire Marshal’s Child Care Inspection Request with the fee for your zip code. The license depends on a satisfactory inspection and a Certificate of Compliance.⁠⁷⁠⁸ The rules then require the Division to issue the license within 30 days after completing its investigation, if everything complies.⁠² While you are applying, the Division may issue a provisional license of up to 1 year, but only after the background investigation is complete.⁠¹

Fees and penalties

Sources for the table: ⁠² and ⁠⁹. Fingerprinting fees are paid to the Department of Public Safety; the Division’s page gives no amount.⁠³ Local zoning, special use permit and business license fees vary by jurisdiction.⁠⁴

The Division can fine you $100 for any of the following:⁠²

• background-check failures
• each day a violation stays uncorrected past its deadline
• ratio violations two or more times in a licensing period
• missing training
• a late renewal application

It adds $200 if a violation injured someone.⁠² Under the statute, the Division can also stop new admissions, cap enrollment, impose up to $1,000 per day per violation, or appoint temporary management.⁠¹ It can charge you the cost of investigating any substantiated complaint.⁠¹⁠² Operating without a license is a misdemeanor. After a cease-and-desist order, you have 30 days to stop or apply. A court can then impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for a first offense and $10,000 to $25,000 for a repeat offense.⁠¹

Inspections, letter grades and renewal

Inspections can be unannounced. The Division must visit at least twice in each 12-month licensing period, or once every 6 months, and the State Fire Marshal (or an approved local fire agency) inspects at least yearly.⁠¹⁠² After each inspection, the Division adds up the severity and scope scores of the deficiencies it found and assigns a grade from A to F.⁠² You must post the grade placard within 24 hours, near each public entrance.⁠¹⁠² The Division posts the grade and any unresolved violations online within 60 days, and parents can see inspection results in the state’s child care search portal.⁠¹⁠⁴ With a B, you may submit a plan of correction to raise it to A. With a C, D or F, you must apply and pay for a resurvey within 30 days, or risk revocation.⁠²

The license lasts 1 year. Your renewal application must reach the Division (or be postmarked) at least 45 days before expiration, with the same fee as the initial license. The Division then surveys the home again before reissuing the license for another year.⁠² Keep sanitation reports, fire inspection reports and drill records in a physical file for at least 2 years, and show them to current or prospective parents on request.⁠² Background checks repeat every 5 years for you and everyone else in the home, TB screening every 24 months, and child abuse reporting training every 5 years.⁠²⁠¹ If you need a break, you can ask to put the license on inactive status. You must tell parents within 15 days, and inactive status ends when the license expires.⁠²

Subsidy children

Nevada’s child care subsidy is the Child Care and Development Program (CCDP), run by the Division of Social Services. Providers asking about enrollment are directed to email The Children’s Cabinet ([email protected]). The Division asks providers to allow 30 business days for timesheets to be processed before following up on a missing payment.⁠¹⁰ Enrollment requirements and rates are set through that program, not the licensing rules.

Sources

1. 1
   Nevada Legislature, Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 432A, Services and Facilities for Care of Children Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Nevada Legislature, Nevada Administrative Code, Chapter 432A (text as of 2026-04-13 revision) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care Licensing, Open and Operate a Facility Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care Licensing, Child Care FAQ Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care Licensing, Local Jurisdictions (permitting contacts) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Washoe County, Board of County Commissioners, July 16, 2024, item 27: ordinance amending WCC Chapter 45 Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Nevada State Fire Marshal Division, Child Care Facilities Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Nevada State Fire Marshal Division, Licensed Child Care Facilities (fire protection matrix) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Nevada State Fire Marshal Division, Child Care Inspection Request and Certificate of Compliance fees (revised January 2023) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Nevada Division of Social Services, For Child Care Providers (Child Care and Development Program) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, Child Care Licensing, Statewide Child Care Licensing Report (file named Semi-Annual Report, January-June 2023; its header reads January 1-December 31, 2022) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

Was this information accurate? Report an errorPrint or save as PDF