Georgia Home Daycare License Guide (2026)

Georgia home daycare requirement map

First decision: is your home daycare an FCCLH?

Georgia’s controlling license name is Family Child Care Learning Home. Rule 290-2-3-.03 describes an FCCLH as a private residence providing paid care for less than 24 hours per day to at least three but not more than six children under age 13 who are not related to the provider and whose parents do not live in the residence.

The licensing rule says a person providing paid care for three through six qualifying children must apply for an FCCLH license. Paid care for more than six children generally moves to the Child Care Learning Center path, subject to the rule’s exceptions.

With DECAL approval, an FCCLH provider may care for two additional children age 3 or older during two designated one-hour periods each day. That is a narrow time-limited exception, not an eight-child full-day license.

The current chapter also includes a narrow exemption for a Military Regulated Family Child Care Learning Home that is regulated by a U.S. military branch, serves military families only, and does not participate in CAPS. Ordinary private home daycare should not assume this exemption applies.

The Georgia FCCLH license: what DECAL expects

DECAL is the state licensing agency. The current rule says nobody may operate an FCCLH without a DECAL license. The license is tied to the provider and location; changing the residence/address or provider requires a new license.

Before licensing, the rules require pre-service training, an on-site pre-licensing visit, satisfactory records-check determinations for covered people, and compliance with applicable rules. DECAL’s current Applicant Services page gives the practical document list.

Current application document path

• FCCLH Licensing Orientation and DECAL-approved pre-service training.
• FCCLH application and supporting documents through the current DECAL route.
• Proof of home occupancy; HOA and landlord authorization when applicable.
• Criminal-record-check acknowledgement and required records checks.
• Local zoning approval dated within the last 12 months.
• Floor plan and notarized Affidavit for Lawful Presence with verification document.
• Fire/Certificate of Occupancy documentation when applicable.
• Current CPR and first aid.
• Current water bill; if not on public water/sewer, required septic and well-water documentation.

DECAL currently publishes a minimum 45-day processing time for FCCLH applications after receipt, screening, and confirmation. It is a minimum agency benchmark, not a promised opening date.

Your home is part of the license: zoning, occupancy and premises

A Georgia FCCLH is not an ordinary home office. DECAL’s application calls for zoning approval from the local agency with jurisdiction, and its FAQ says FCCLH programs may operate in residential property only when city/county ordinances are met. A local business license also applies where the locality requires one.

Check the exact address before paying for fencing, remodeling, or a long lease. A city name in a mailing address does not always prove the property is inside that city’s jurisdiction.

Rented homes, apartments and HOAs

DECAL accepts a deed, mortgage statement, or lease as proof of occupancy and calls for landlord authorization and HOA approval when applicable. Its FAQ says an FCCLH may operate in an apartment if local ordinances and the lease are satisfied.

Space and outdoor play

The rules require at least 35 square feet of usable child-care floor space per child. Outdoor play areas must be protected from traffic or other hazards by fencing or another barrier at least four feet high and approved by DECAL.

Fire review and a Certificate of Occupancy are listed by DECAL as “if applicable.” Ask the local zoning/building/fire offices what applies, then provide DECAL the documentation required for your address.

Provider qualifications, training and background checks

The provider must be at least 21. Rule 290-2-3-.07 lists qualifying credentials including a current CDA, specified early-childhood technical credentials or degrees, a Georgia paraprofessional certificate, or bachelor’s/master’s degrees in early childhood education. DECAL also describes a variance path for an applicant who does not yet hold a listed credential; if approved, the applicant must enroll in an approved program within six months of licensure and complete the credential within two years.

Training: note a current official-source conflict

The rule requires licensing orientation, approved pre-licensure provider training, and pediatric CPR/first aid. The current GaPDS FCCLH Orientation listing is online and self-paced.

After the first year, the rules require 10 hours of annual training. Current rules also require pediatric CPR and first aid on their stated renewal cycles and a properly trained person present when children are in care.

Background checks reach beyond the owner

The FCCLH rules require records checks for the provider and covered employees, including residents age 17 or older who fall within the rule’s employee definition. DECAL’s FAQ states that residents age 17 and older need a national fingerprint background check. Use DECAL’s live background-check page rather than an old vendor name in older documents.

The ordinary Georgia business layer still exists

The DECAL license does not automatically form an LLC, register a trade name, open tax accounts, or satisfy a local business-license requirement.

If you choose an LLC or corporation, use the Georgia Secretary of State’s eCorp instructions. BLG’s business license vs LLC vs DBA guide explains the difference between those filings and permission to operate.

If you use a name different from your legal name, Georgia directs trade-name/DBA filings to the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the business is located. A DBA is only a name filing.

Georgia Department of Revenue uses the Georgia Tax Center for tax registrations that actually apply to the business. If you hire employees, withholding, unemployment-insurance registration, and new-hire reporting may also apply through DOR, Georgia Department of Labor, and the Georgia New Hire Reporting Center.

What changed in 2026, and what is coming before the next review?

The Georgia Secretary of State’s current FCCLH rule compilation shows revisions to several FCCLH provisions effective September 22, 2026. The current chapter also includes Rule 290-2-3-.22, which provides an exemption route for a qualifying Military Regulated Family Child Care Learning Home. The ordinary nonmilitary FCCLH route still requires the DECAL license, local zoning evidence, pre-service requirements, background checks and premises compliance.

For current licensees, DECAL has already published the next annual fee cycle: it says collection for the 2027 calendar-year license begins November 1, 2026, and the fee is due December 1, 2026. The published schedule lists $50 for a facility capacity of 25 or fewer and a $25 late fee after December 31, 2026. FCCLH licensed capacity is six, so the $50 tier applies.

This fee-cycle announcement is a near-term administrative date, not a new home-daycare license category. New applicants should still follow the fee and payment instructions presented to them in the current DECAL process.

Compact Georgia FCCLH compliance checklist

• Program classification confirmed: FCCLH rather than CCLC or an exemption.
• Exact child count, ages, related/unrelated status and household children mapped.
• Local zoning approval route identified for the exact address.
• Local business license/home-occupation requirement checked.
• Lease, landlord and HOA restrictions cleared if applicable.
• GaPDS account created and FCCLH licensing orientation completed.
• Provider credential documented or DECAL variance path reviewed.
• Current pre-service training total confirmed because DECAL pages conflict.
• Pediatric CPR and first aid current.
• Provider and required household/staff background checks started.
• Floor plan, occupancy documents and lawful-presence affidavit prepared.
• Water/sewer or well/septic documents prepared.
• Fire/CO documentation obtained if the local/DECAL path requires it.
• Indoor child-care space and outdoor play/fencing checked against the FCCLH rules.
• Entity/DBA/tax/employer filings completed only as they actually apply.
• DECAL application submitted through the current route shown by Applicant Services.

What if the process gets stuck?

If zoning will not approve the address, ask which rule or use classification controls and whether another address or operating model changes the answer. If the provider credential is the obstacle, review DECAL’s current variance option.

For the current training-hour or portal conflicts, start from the FCCLH Applicant Services page and ask DECAL to confirm the live instruction. If your planned enrollment exceeds the FCCLH classification, stop and review the Child Care Learning Center path before accepting more children.

About BusinessLicenseGuide.com

BusinessLicenseGuide.com explains licensing and permit systems in plain English so small-business owners can see which government layer controls each step. BLG is not a government agency and does not issue child-care licenses. For Georgia home daycare licensing, DECAL and the official Georgia rules control.