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Home Daycare License Requirements in Alabama (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Alabama means getting a family child care home license from the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), Child Care Services Division. Here is exactly what that takes in 2026 — your capacity limit and ratios, the training and background checks, the application steps, and the postings and enrollment forms you need — sourced to the state’s own rules and dated.

Who needs a license — home types in Alabama

Alabama's home tiers are defined twice - once in the Child Care Act of 1971 and once in the rule - and the two texts agree, which is itself worth knowing, because in several states they do not. FAMILY HOME (the container). Ala. Admin. Code r. 660-5-27-.02(14): "FAMILY HOME. A family home is the dwelling in which the applicant/licensee resides. (Residence is determined by address, mortgage payment or rent, voting district, property taxes, etc.)" Rule 660-5-27-.04(1)(a) tightens it to the PRIMARY residence: "Each home licensed shall be the primary residence of the applicant/licensee. (Primary residence is determined by address, mortgage payment/rent, voting district, property taxes, etc.)" and r. .04(1)(b) forbids the converted-outbuilding model outright: "Child care shall be provided within the family home, not in a separate building." Alabama therefore has no equivalent of the several states that let a 'family child care home' licence attach to a rented storefront or a detached structure. The dwelling you sleep in is the facility. DAY CARE HOME (the small tier). Rule 660-5-27-.02(9): "DAY CARE HOME. A child care facility which is a family home and which receives not more than six (6) children for care during the day."

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

How many children you can care for in Alabama

FAMILY DAY CARE HOME: SIX CHILDREN, OF WHOM AT MOST THREE MAY BE UNDER TWELVE MONTHS. The six comes from the definition itself, r. 660-5-27-.02(9) and Ala. Code Sec. 38-7-2(5) ("not more than six (6) children for care during the day"). The infant sub-cap comes from the licensing rule and applies to EVERY home, not just the small tier - r. 660-5-27-.03(7)(e): "No home shall be licensed for more than three (3) children younger than twelve (12) months of age. Exceptions may be granted by the Department to allow for multiple-birth sibling groups (such as triplets) to be received for care." Note two things about that sentence. First, it is a limit on what the Department may LICENSE, not merely on who may be present - the number is baked into the licence document. Second, the only stated exception is a multiple-birth sibling group, and it is discretionary ("Exceptions may be granted"), not an entitlement. GROUP DAY CARE HOME: TWELVE CHILDREN, OF WHOM AT MOST SIX MAY BE UNDER TWELVE MONTHS. Twelve comes from r. 660-5-27-.02(15) and Sec. 38-7-2(9) ("at least seven but no more than twelve children").

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Adult-to-child ratios

THE HONEST HEADLINE: ALABAMA PUBLISHES NO AGE-BANDED ADULT-TO-CHILD RATIO TABLE FOR THE SMALL HOME TIER. I read all fifteen rules of ch. 660-5-27 in full - .01 through .14, including the repealed .14 - and there is no table of the kind Nebraska, Minnesota or Delaware print. For a family day care home the arithmetic is done entirely by the capacity caps: one adult (the licensee) may serve up to six children, of whom at most three may be younger than twelve months (r. 660-5-27-.02(9); r. .03(7)(e)). That is the ratio. Saying Alabama sets 1:6 with an infant sub-cap of 3 is accurate; saying Alabama sets, e.g., 1:5 for toddlers would be an invention. The obligation that fills the gap is qualitative and absolute - r. 660-5-27-.06(1): "Supervision of the Children. The children shall be supervised at all times. The licensee shall be responsible for the care and supervision of the children at all times. Doors should not be closed in any area where children are sleeping." - measured against the definition in r. 660-5-27-.02(22): "SUPERVISION. Responsibility for each child and accountability for his/her care by giving direct and full attention to the children at all times." "Direct and full attention" is the standard an Alabama licensing representative applies where a numeric ratio would be applied elsewhere.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Training you must complete before licensure

Alabama's pre-service package for a home licensee has five separate components, and three of them are hour-counted. Every figure below is from Ala. Admin. Code r. 660-5-27-.05, whose History line ends "Amended: Published July 30, 2021; effective September 13, 2021." (1) EDUCATION. Rule 660-5-27-.05(3)(a): "Applicants for an initial license shall have a high school diploma or G. E. D. (general education diploma). Homes licensed before January 22, 2001 are exempt from this requirement as long as the license remains current." That grandfather clause is date-specific and conditional - it dies the moment the licence lapses. The same grandfathering is given to substitutes at r. .05(5)(b): "Substitutes shall have a high school diploma or a general education diploma (G.E.D.). Substitutes designated before January 22, 2001 are exempt from this requirement." The application form DHR-CDC-712 turns it into a filing instruction: "If this is your first application: Attach a copy of your high school diploma or General Education Diploma (G. E. D.)." (2) AGE. Rule 660-5-27-.05(3)(b): "The licensee shall be at least 18 years of age." (3) CPR AND FIRST AID, BEFORE THE LICENCE.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Ongoing (annual) training

LICENSEE: TWENTY CLOCK HOURS A YEAR ACROSS SIX AREAS, PLUS ELEVEN ONE-HOUR OUTSIDE-SOURCE TOPICS. Ala. Admin. Code r. 660-5-27-.05(3)(g): "Thereafter, the licensee shall have at least twenty (20) clock hours of training related to child care each year. Documentation of training shall be on file in the home. Child care training shall include the following areas: 1 child development; 2. health, safety and universal precautions; 3. quality child care and licensing; 4. the child care professional and the family; 5. language development; 6. positive discipline and guidance." followed immediately by "Training in CPR and First Aid shall not be counted toward required training hours." Compare the pre-service subsection: the initial 24 hours had to include "at least four (4) hours in EACH" area; the annual 20 must merely "include the following areas," with no per-area minimum.

The distribution requirement is qualitative after year one, and the annual figure is LOWER than the pre-service figure (20 < 24). On top of the 20, r. 660-5-27-.05(3)(k)2: "Thereafter, the Licensee shall have at least one (1) hour of annual training from an outside source in each of the following eleven(11) required topic areas: (i) Prevention and control of infectious diseases (including immunization); (ii) If applicable, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention and use of safe sleeping practices; (iii) Medication administration ; (iv) Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; (v) Building and physical premises safety; (vi) If applicable, prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma; (vii) Emergency preparedness and response planning; (viii) Handling and storage of hazardous materials/correct disposal of biocontaminants; (ix) Recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect; (x) First aid and CPR; (xi) If applicable, appropriate precautions in transporting children." The eleven recur EVERY year, not once - the word is "annual training."

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

Background checks

THE HEADLINE CORRECTION FIRST, BECAUSE IT DECIDES WHO IS SCREENED. ALABAMA'S THRESHOLD FOR A SCREENED ADULT HOUSEHOLD MEMBER IS NINETEEN, NOT EIGHTEEN. Ala. Admin. Code r. 660-5-27-.02(1) defines the term the whole chapter runs on: "ADULT. Any person 19 years of age or older." Ala. Code Sec. 38-13-2(1), the definitions section of the criminal-history statute that ch. 660-5-27 invokes by name, is identical: "ADULT. An individual 19 years of age and older." Sec. 38-13-2(8) then fixes the other end: "CHILD or CHILDREN. An individual under 19 years of age." Alabama's age of majority is 19 and the licensing scheme is built on it. DHR's own public instructions page for child care licensing background checks nevertheless tells providers that checks are needed on "All adults living in a family child care home and are age 18 or older." The agency page is one year off the rule and the statute it is meant to implement. This is exactly the failure mode the brief warns about, and it matters: an 18-year-old living in the home is, in Alabama law, a CHILD, not an "adult household member," and the Central Registry clearance obligation in r. .05(2)2(i) - which is worded "the applicant and each adult household member" - does not on its face reach her.

Summarised from the state’s own rules. Every figure above is quoted from the regulation cited on this page.

The application, step by step

Work through these in order — the prep packet turns them into a checklist you can tick off:

1. STEP 1 - CONFIRM YOU NEED A LICENCE AT ALL, AND WHICH ONE. Rule 660-5-27-.01 fires the requirement on any one of three facts: "Providing care for one or more children who are not related to the provider; Providing care away from the child's home; Providing care for more than four (4) hours in a 24 hour period." Check "related" against the closed list in r. 660-5-27-.02(20) ("parent, grandparent, brother, sister, stepparent, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, uncle or aunt, and their spouses" - cousins are not on it). Then pick the tier: not more than six children during the day is a DAY CARE HOME (r. .02(9)); at least seven and not more than twelve, with two adults…
2. STEP 2 - DO NOT ADVERTISE AND DO NOT TAKE CHILDREN YET. Rule 660-5-27-.03(1)(a): "Day care or nighttime care shall not be provided or advertised prior to issuance of a license or a six-month permit." Rule .03(2)(a)-(b) defines prohibited advertisement expansively - "To solicit a child or children for care means, among other similar actions or terms, to invite, appeal, plead, lure, beg, request, offer, suggest, promote, or implore. Both free and paid advertisement is prohibited" - and lists "printed and published material; descriptive literature and aids; speeches, talks, and presentations; flyers; booklets and pamphlets; signs and posters; illustrations and depictions; newspaper, radio,…
3. STEP 3 - CONTACT DHR AND OBTAIN THE APPLICATION. Rule 660-5-27-.03(1)(b): "Any person, group of persons, or corporation may obtain an application for a license to operate a child care facility by contacting the Department of Human Resources." DHR's Child Care Licensing page publishes "(334) 242-1425 or (866) 528-1694." The application is Appendix A of the Standards, form DHR-CDC-712, Revised 05/21, headed "APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE TO OPERATE A DAY CARE/NIGHTTIME HOME." Rule .03(1)(c): "An application for a license to operate a child care home shall be made on the required form and shall include all requested information." Rule .03(1)(d): "Applications for a license shall not be…
4. STEP 4 - SETTLE THE PREMISES QUESTIONS: PRIMARY RESIDENCE, LANDLORD PERMISSION, ZONING. Rule 660-5-27-.04(1)(a): "Each home licensed shall be the primary residence of the applicant/licensee." Rule .04(1)(b): "Child care shall be provided within the family home, not in a separate building." Rule .04(1)(c): "If rental property is used, a written statement from the owner of the property granting permission for the applicant to operate a child care home, shall be obtained by the applicant and submitted to the Department at the time of initial application." Rule .04(1)(d): "At the time of initial application, a written statement of compliance with applicable zoning requirements shall be…
5. STEP 5 - GET THE FIRE INSPECTION, FROM AN AUTHORITY THAT COUNTS. Rule 660-5-27-.04(1)(e): "At the time of initial application, a written inspection report, with no violations cited, shall be obtained from the fire department with jurisdiction or from the state fire marshal, and submitted to the Department. The home shall comply with the fire code, building and safety codes adopted by the State Fire Marshal's Office. Volunteer fire department approvals and/or inspections will not be accepted." That last sentence is the one that stalls rural applicants. Health inspection is discretionary at the front end - r. .04(1)(f): "A written inspection report from the health department may be requested…
6. STEP 6 - MEDICAL REPORTS AND TB TESTS FOR YOU, EVERY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER, AND EVERY STAFF PERSON. Rule 660-5-27-.05(1)(a): the applicant's initial report, on the required form (Appendix B, form DHR-CDC-737), "from a licensed practicing medical doctor, physician's assistant (as defined in Section 34-4-290(4), Code of Ala. 1975), or a certified nurse practitioner," "dated within six (6) months prior to the date of the initial application," documenting "the date (shall also be within six (6) months) and result of a tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray," attesting "to the physical ability of the applicant/licensee to care for children and the person's freedom from infectious or contagious…
7. STEP 7 - SUBMIT BOTH BACKGROUND-CHECK STREAMS FOR EVERY COVERED PERSON. Fingerprint criminal history through Fieldprint (fieldprintalabama.com, stated fee $47.20 per application), delivering the six components listed in r. 660-5-27-.05(2)(c)3(i): national FBI check with fingerprint, NCIC National Sex Offender Registry check, in-state criminal history check with fingerprint, in-state sex offender registry check, and - if the person lived in another state within the past five years - interstate criminal history and interstate sex offender registry checks. Separately, the Request for Clearance of the State Central Registry on Child Abuse/Neglect (DHR-FCS-1598; the Standards manual prints it…
8. STEP 8 - ASSEMBLE THE REFERENCES. Rule 660-5-27-.05(2)(c)1(i): the applicant and each adult household member give the Department "the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three persons who are unrelated to the applicant or household member by blood, marriage, or adoption," whom the Department will contact directly. Form DHR-CDC-712 adds the two-year acquaintance requirement: "List at least three (3) persons you have known for at least two (2) years who are not related to you or any member of your household." For staff, the licensee obtains at least three WRITTEN references each (r. .05(2)(c)1(ii)), on Appendix E of the Standards, form DHR-CDC-1948, and keeps them in the home.
9. STEP 9 - COMPLETE THE TRAINING BEFORE, NOT AFTER. Twenty-four clock hours of child care training with at least four hours in each of the six core areas, documented and submitted to the Department (r. 660-5-27-.05(3)(e)); one hour of preservice training FROM AN OUTSIDE SOURCE in each of the eleven health-and-safety topics (r. .05(3)(k)1); a current Infant-Child (Pediatric) CPR certificate and a current First Aid certificate submitted to the Department (r. .05(3)(c)). "Training in CPR and First Aid shall not be counted toward required training hours." DHR also administers, as continuing requirements, the QRIS assessment-tools orientation and enrolment in the Alabama Pathways Professional…
10. STEP 10 - NAME AND QUALIFY YOUR SUBSTITUTE (OR, FOR A GROUP HOME, YOUR ASSISTANT CAREGIVER AND TWO SUBSTITUTES). Rule 660-5-27-.05(5): "The licensee shall have at least one (1) substitute. Another licensed child care provider shall not be a substitute. Substitutes shall care for the children in the licensee's home." Age 18, high school diploma or GED, medical report with TB test, three references, education and training verification, CPR and First Aid, character and suitability, written verification of having been informed of emergency procedures, written verification of having read the Standards, and photo identification - the twelve items in r. .05(5)(d). For a group day care home, r.…
11. STEP 11 - BRING THE HOME AND GROUNDS TO STANDARD. At least 32 square feet of usable indoor floor space per licensed child (r. .04(2)(c)1); electricity, water, gas if used, and a waste disposal system, plus "a working telephone in the home" (r. .04(2)(a)2-3); all poisons, cleaning supplies and flammables and "anything that states 'Keep out of reach of children'" under lock and key or combination lock (r. .04(2)(a)4); all medication under lock and key (r. .04(2)(a)12); outlet covers "large enough to prevent being swallowed" (r. .04(2)(a)8); handrails within a child's reach on all stairs (r. .04(2)(a)10); barriers around radiators, heaters and fans (r. .04(2)(a)6); clear glass doors marked at…
12. STEP 12 - WRITE THE PARENT POLICIES AND THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN. Rule 660-5-27-.07(1)(g) requires a written statement of the home's rules and policies, given to parents at enrolment and to the Department, covering at least: "1. A statement of child care services to be provided including days and hours of care and fees; 2. Information about the substitutes and how they will be used; 3. Information about any animals on the premises; 4. Information about pools on the premises and if the children will have access to the pool; 5. Parent(s)/guardian(s) shall be informed of their right to visit and observe their child in the home at any time during the hours of care; 6.…
13. STEP 13 - FILE THE APPLICATION AND ELECT ON QRIS. DHR-CDC-712 requires the applicant's full name and all former names, date of birth, Social Security number, address, e-mail, telephone, the name of the home day care, the spouse's name and former names and date of birth, own-or-rent status, whether transportation will be provided, the age range, days and hours of care, all addresses lived at in the past five years, a table of every person living in the home (name, date of birth, relationship, occupation/school, Social Security number), three references, the substitute's details (and, for a group home, the assistant caregiver's and a second substitute's), a child-care licensing history…
14. STEP 14 - THE DEPARTMENT INSPECTS AND INVESTIGATES. Rule 660-5-27-.03(3): "After receipt of the completed application, an inspection of the home and grounds and an investigation of the applicant and the household members will be made by a Department representative. The inspection and investigation will be based on standards and regulations as prescribed and published by the Department. When minimum standards have been met, a license will be issued." Ala. Code Sec. 38-7-4 says the same at statute level. Pre-licensing visits may be scheduled - r. .03(9)(b): "Pre-1icensing visits may be made by a department representative to determine compliance with standards. Pre-1icensing visits may be…
15. STEP 15 - RECEIVE THE LICENCE (TWO YEARS) OR A SIX-MONTH PERMIT, AND POST IT. Ala. Code Sec. 38-7-5(a) and r. .03(7)(a): a licence "is valid for two years unless revoked or suspended by the Department or voluntarily surrendered by the licensee." Rule .03(6)(a): "The Department may, at its discretion, issue one six-month permit to allow reasonable time for the applicant to become eligible for a full license. A new application is not required at the expiration of the six-month permit. The initial application remains pending during the six-month permit period." Rule .03(7)(h): "The current license/permit shall be posted in a place in the home easily viewed by the parent(s)/guardian(s)." If an…
16. STEP 16 - CALENDAR THE RENEWAL THIRTY DAYS AHEAD, AND KEEP REPORTING. Rule 660-5-27-.03(8)(a): "An application for renewal of a license shall be submitted to the Department at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the expiration of the current license. ... It is the sole responsibility of the licensee to obtain the required form(s) and submit the form(s) to the Department on time." Rule .03(8)(b) keeps the licence alive pending decision only if the renewal was timely AND "the application is complete and accurate"; r. .03(8)(c) is the consequence of missing it: "the license will expire on the expiration date shown on the license. If the licensee continues to operate after the expiration…

What you must post on your walls

• THE EIGHT-ITEM POSTING LIST, VERBATIM. Ala. Admin. Code r. 660-5-27-.07(1)(e): "The following documents shall be posted in a place in the home easily seen by parent(s)/guardian(s): 1. the home's current license or permit; 2. the most recent licensing evaluation form; 3. the most recent deficiency report form; 4. public notice form; 5. the name and telephone number for law enforcement, fire department, hospital, poison control and the Department of Human Resources; 6. Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans; 7. corrective/adverse action notices; 8. daily schedule." Note the standard is "easily seen by parent(s)/guardian(s)" - a binder in a drawer does not satisfy it.
• CURRENT LICENCE OR PERMIT - required twice over. Rule 660-5-27-.07(1)(e)1 (above) and, independently, r. 660-5-27-.03(7)(h): "The current license/permit shall be posted in a place in the home easily viewed by the parent(s)/guardian(s)." The statute makes refusal an independent ground for revocation - Ala. Code Sec. 38-7-8(8) lists "[r]efuse to display its license or permit" among the grounds on which "[t]he department may revoke or refuse to renew the license." The application form DHR-CDC-712's signed agreement includes clause H: "Display the license or permit."
• MOST RECENT LICENSING EVALUATION FORM (r. .07(1)(e)2) - the Department's own evaluation document from its latest visit, not a summary you write.
• MOST RECENT DEFICIENCY REPORT FORM (r. .07(1)(e)3). The document is defined at r. 660-5-27-.11(1): "If an inspection, evaluation, or investigation indicates non-compliance with the standards (deficiency), a deficiency report shall be prepared by the Department. ... In any visit to the home in which deficiencies are observed or noted, the licensing representative shall complete a deficiency report, and discuss the deficiencies observed or noted with the licensee or facility representative. A copy of the completed deficiency report shall be provided to the licensee or facility representative. No deficiency report shall be completed in conjunction with a prelicensing visit."
• PUBLIC NOTICE FORM (r. .07(1)(e)4). This is Appendix K of the published Standards and its text is prescribed: "PUBLIC NOTICE. A copy of the Child Care Licensing and Performance Standards for Family/Group Day Care Homes and Nighttime Homes-Regulations, and Procedures may be obtained by contacting the Department of Human Resources. Address: Department of Human Resources, Child Care Services Division, 50 Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130. Telephone number: 1-866-528-1694. Website: dhr.alabama.gov. Complaints regarding known or suspected violations of the Standards, may be reported to the Department of Human Resources at the address and telephone number above. Information regarding…
• EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS - and the rule says WHERE. Rule .07(1)(e)5 requires posting "the name and telephone number for law enforcement, fire department, hospital, poison control and the Department of Human Resources," and r. 660-5-27-.04(5)(b) fixes the location: "The name and telephone number for law enforcement, fire department, hospital, poison control and the Department of Human Resources shall be posted by the telephone." Rule .04(2)(a)3 requires that there BE a telephone: "The licensee shall have a working telephone in the home."
• EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN(S) (r. .07(1)(e)6), with a separate and stricter posting instruction at r. 660-5-27-.04(5)(c): "A plan for the evacuation and care of the children in the event of a disaster shall be established and posted in a conspicuous place in the home." The same subsection requires the licensee to inform substitutes and assistant caregivers of their emergency duties and to keep "[a] written statement, signed by each substitute and assistant caregiver, verifying that he/she has been informed of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan ... on file in the home."
• CORRECTIVE / ADVERSE ACTION NOTICES (r. .07(1)(e)7), reinforced by a location-specific rule in r. 660-5-27-.11: "Written notice of the corrective or adverse action shall be posted at each public entrance of the child care home." EACH PUBLIC ENTRANCE - a stricter and different placement than the general 'easily seen by parents' standard, and it applies to deficiency reports, corrective action plans, probationary status, restrictions or modifications of the licence, suspensions and revocations alike.
• DAILY SCHEDULE (r. .07(1)(e)8), whose minimum content is fixed by r. .07(1)(g)7: "A daily schedule which includes a minimum of sixty (60) minutes of moderate to vigorous active play and physical activities indoors and outdoors." Rule 660-5-27-.06(4)(w) states the same duty in programme terms: "These experiences must include 60 minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity daily for full day programs and 30 minutes for half day programs."
• NOT A POSTING, BUT ADJACENT AND OFTEN CONFUSED WITH ONE: the parent right of access. Rule 660-5-27-.06(14): "Visits by parent(s)/guardian(s). Parent(s)/guardian(s) shall have the right to visit and observe their child in the home at any time during hours of operation. Parent(s)/guardian(s) shall be informed of this right." The obligation is to INFORM (r. .07(1)(g)5 puts it in the written policies), not necessarily to post.
• ALSO NOT A POSTING: the exempt-facility sign. Ala. Code Sec. 38-7-3(c)(6) requires a licence-exempt church or religious-school facility to "[p]ost in plain view in a public area a statement that the program is not regulated or licensed by the Department of Human Resources." That obligation belongs to exempt facilities only. A LICENSED family or group day care home must not post it - it would be false - and, per Sec. 38-7-3(b)(2), a for-profit home or one receiving state or federal funds cannot be exempt in the first place.

Enrollment forms for each child

• APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE TO OPERATE A DAY CARE/NIGHTTIME HOME - form DHR-CDC-712, Revised 05/21, Appendix A of the published Standards. Header: "STATE OF ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES / APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE TO OPERATE A DAY CARE/NIGHTTIME HOME," with tick-boxes for "First Application" / "Application for Renewal," for "I choose to participate in QRIS" / "I choose Not to participate in QRIS," and for "Family Day Care/Nighttime Home" / "Group Day Care/Nighttime Home." Required by r. 660-5-27-.03(1)(c) and r. .07(1)(a). Return address printed on the form: "Department of Human Resources / Child Care Services Division / Office of Child Care Licensing / 50 N. Ripley Street /…
• MEDICAL REPORT FOR PERSONS GIVING CARE TO CHILDREN - form DHR-CDC-737, Appendix B. Required initially for the applicant/licensee dated within six months and renewed at least every two years (r. 660-5-27-.05(1)(a)-(b)); for each household member initially and at least every four years (r. .05(1)(c)); and for substitutes, assistant caregivers and household domestic workers who contact the children or their food, initially and at least every two years (r. .05(1)(e)). Must document the date and result of a tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray and be signed by "a licensed practicing medical doctor, physician's assistant (as defined in Section 34-4-290(4), Code of Ala. 1975), or a certified nurse…
• CHILD'S MEDICAL REPORT - Appendix C of the published Standards. The Standards' table of contents lists it at page 70 between the caregiver medical report and the staff application form. I did not capture a DHR-CDC number for this appendix from the text I read; ask the licensing office for the current number.
• APPLICATION FORM FOR STAFF - form DHR-CDC-1947, Appendix D. Used for assistant caregivers and substitutes; its instruction block carries the Central Registry direction, printed there as "A completed REQUEST FOR CLEARANCE OF STATE CENTRAL REGISTRY ON CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT (DHR-DFC-1598) shall be obtained for each caregiver, substitute, volunteer, domestic worker, and any other person who has contact with the children or unsupervised access to the children."
• REFERENCE FORM - form DHR-CDC-1948, Appendix E. Three written references per caregiver, substitute, domestic worker, volunteer or other person with contact or unsupervised access, kept on file in the home (r. 660-5-27-.05(2)(c)1(ii)).
• VERIFICATION THAT STAFF PERSONS/CAREGIVERS HAVE READ THE STANDARDS - Appendix F. Prescribed text: "I have read the Standards for Family/Group Day Care and Nighttime Homes. I understand that I must comply with these regulations while I am employed by ______ (Name of licensee). Failure to do so could result in immediate termination of employment," signed by the staff person and by the licensee. Required by r. .05(5)(d)11 for substitutes and r. .09(10) for all caregivers in a group home. No DHR-CDC number appears on this appendix in the text I read.
• CHILD'S PREADMISSION RECORD - form DHR-CDC-739, Appendix G. Rule 660-5-27-.07(3)(h)1 fixes its contents: "child's name; birthdate; home address; name, address, and telephone number of child's parent(s)/guardian(s); name, address, and telephone number of mother's and father's employer; emergency contact information; name, address, and telephone number of child's doctor; signed authorization for emergency medical treatment; special needs or instructions; list of persons child may be released to; signed statement that parent(s)/guardian(s) understands that the Department does not inspect activities away from the facility; permission signed by the child's parent(s)/guardian(s) for the child to…
• AUTHORIZATION FOR ADMINISTERING MEDICATION - form DHR-CDC-1949, Appendix H. Rule 660-5-27-.06(3)(d)1: no medication or medical procedure, prescription or over-the-counter, without a health professional's order AND a written signed parental authorisation; "Blanket authorization forms are prohibited"; the form must state times, dates, dosage, storage and specific directions - the rule expressly includes topical items "(such as but no limited to sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer)" - and "[a]n authorization form shall be valid for no more than seven (7) days, unless accompanied by a written physician's statement."
• INJURY/ILLNESS REPORT FORM - form DHR-CDC-1950, Appendix I. Supports the 24-hour verbal / 5-day written reporting duty in r. 660-5-27-.07(2)(c)1-2 for "any injury/illness requiring professional medical treatment of any child" and "any injury/illness requiring emergency medical treatment."
• SIGN IN/SIGN OUT FORM - form DHR-CDC-1951, Appendix J. Rule 660-5-27-.06(12)(a) requires a signature, not initials, at each arrival and departure with the time, and permits one alternative: "An exception to the written signature will allow the use of the Biometric ID for parent(s)/guardian(s). The Biometric ID system will measure some unique aspect of the individual such as but not limited to fingerprint and/or eyes-iris recognition." Rule .06(12)(b) shifts the signing duty to the licensee for children who walk from school or arrive by school bus. Retention: "the current year plus two additional years" (r. .07(3)(m)).
• PUBLIC NOTICE FORM - Appendix K, no DHR-CDC number. Must be posted where parents can easily see it (r. .07(1)(e)4); prescribed text reproduced under required_postings.
• TRANSPORTATION CHECKLISTS - forms DHR-CDC-1952, DHR-CDC-1953 and DHR-CDC-1954, Appendix L. The manual distinguishes their uses: 1952 "is to be used when children are transported, including walking or transportation by vehicle," 1953 "when children are transported from the child care facility to school or from school to the child care facility," and 1954 "when children are transported from their home to the child care facility and from the child care facility to their home." Rule 660-5-27-.04(4)(c): "A transportation checklist shall be used any time children are transported, walking or by vehicle, to account for each child at every location." Retention: current year plus two (r. .07(3)(m)).
• VEHICLE INSPECTION SHEET - form DHR-CDC-1955, Appendix M, required by the safety-check provision at r. 660-5-27-.04(4) covering items including the ventilation and heating system and passenger restraint systems.
• REQUEST FOR CLEARANCE OF STATE CENTRAL REGISTRY ON CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT - DHR-FCS-1598 (printed as DHR-DFC-1598 in the Standards manual's staff-application instructions). No fee. Required at initial application from the applicant and each ADULT household member (19+ under r. .02(1) and Ala. Code Sec. 38-13-2(1)), and obtained by the licensee for each assistant caregiver, substitute, volunteer, domestic worker and other person with contact or unsupervised access. Updated every five years. Mail to "State of Alabama DHR; Office of Child Protective Services; CA/N Central Registry; 50 N. Ripley Street; Montgomery, Alabama 36130."
• REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL CLEARANCE (INTERSTATE CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT REGISTRY) - DHR-FCS-1598-B. No fee. Required in addition to the 1598 "if an individual has lived in another state within the past five (5) years" (r. 660-5-27-.05(2)(c)2(iv)).
• FINGERPRINT CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECK - scheduled through Fieldprint at fieldprintalabama.com, stated fee $47.20 per application, delivering the six components enumerated at r. 660-5-27-.05(2)(c)3(i). Ala. Code Sec. 38-13-3(c) requires "two sets of fingerprints" and a signed written consent; Sec. 38-13-2(35) prescribes what the written consent must contain, including the applicant's identifying data "appearing on a valid identification document as defined in subsection (d) of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1028," notice of the right to obtain and challenge the report, the requesting entity's contact details, and release of the report to DHR.
• SUITABILITY DETERMINATION LETTER - issued by DHR's Criminal History Check Unit. Not a form you file but a document you must hold: r. 660-5-27-.07(3)(e)3(i) requires that for each assistant caregiver and substitute "[a] Suitability Determination letter from the Department must be issued within the last five (5) years and updated every five (5) years thereafter."
• PHOTO IDENTIFICATION - r. 660-5-27-.07(3)(e)3(ii): "Identification verification of name, date of birth, race and sex in the form of a photo identification from any governmental agency, such as a driver's license, non-driver's identification, or program participation card," kept in each assistant caregiver's and substitute's file; also item 12 of the substitute file list at r. .05(5)(d).
• STATE OF ALABAMA CERTIFICATE OF IMMUNIZATION - or a valid Alabama Certificate of Medical Exemption or Certificate of Religious Exemption. Two separate requirements: for each child aged two months to five years LIVING IN THE HOME, submitted to the Department with a copy kept in the home (r. 660-5-27-.05(1)(d)); and for each child IN CARE aged two months up to five years, and five-year-olds not enrolled in kindergarten, on file in the home on the first day of attendance and kept current, unless a medical or religious exemption certificate is on file or "[t]he child meets the definition of homelessness, according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act" (r. .06(3)(a)).
• WRITTEN OWNER PERMISSION (rental property) - r. 660-5-27-.04(1)(c); and WRITTEN ZONING COMPLIANCE STATEMENT, or a written statement that the applicant checked with the local governing authority and no zoning laws apply - r. .04(1)(d).
• FIRE INSPECTION REPORT WITH NO VIOLATIONS CITED - from the fire department with jurisdiction or the State Fire Marshal; "Volunteer fire department approvals and/or inspections will not be accepted" (r. 660-5-27-.04(1)(e)). Updated at least every five years (r. .04(1)(g)).
• VERIFICATION OF EDUCATION AND OF TRAINING - a copy of the high school diploma or GED attached to DHR-CDC-712 for a first application (r. .05(3)(a); form instruction), and written documentation of the 24 pre-service clock hours submitted to the Department (r. .05(3)(e)), with annual training documentation kept in the home (r. .05(3)(g); r. .07(3)(d)3).
• CURRENT INFANT-CHILD (PEDIATRIC) CPR CERTIFICATE AND CURRENT FIRST AID CERTIFICATE - submitted to the Department before initial licensing and re-submitted on expiry (r. 660-5-27-.05(3)(c)-(d)); held in the file for each substitute and assistant caregiver (r. .05(5)(d)8; r. .07(3)(e)9(i)).
• CURRENT AMERICAN RED CROSS LIFEGUARD TRAINING CERTIFICATE - only "if the home has a pool and the children in care are allowed in the pool area," kept on file in the home for the licensee and for each caregiver (r. 660-5-27-.07(3)(d)2 and (3)(e)9(ii)); the certificate holder must be in the pool area at all times the pool is in use (r. .04(3)(c)1(ii)).
• CURRENT CERTIFICATE OF RABIES VACCINATION - for any animal required by law to be vaccinated, kept on file in the home (r. 660-5-27-.04(2)(a)5(vi); r. .07(3)(g)).

What's specific about getting licensed in Alabama

Alabama's quietest trap is arithmetic: your own children count against you. A provider's children who live in the home and are younger than lawful school age (age 5 on or before September 1) are counted in the licensed total whenever they are on the premises — and they also count against the hard infant cap (no more than 3 under-12-month-olds in a family home). A provider with two toddlers of her own can therefore legally enroll only four more children, not six. Second, the 7-child threshold is not a bigger version of the same license — crossing from 6 to 7 forces a completely separate Group Day Care Home license that requires an assistant caregiver (plus substitutes) and two adults present whenever 7+ children are in care. Third, the training is entirely front-loaded: the 24 clock hours, the 11 CCDF health-and-safety topics, and current Infant-Child CPR + First Aid must all be finished BEFORE a person can be counted in ratio, so you cannot 'open now, train later.' All numbers here are verified verbatim against the operative Standards (AAC 660-5-27).

How long it takes and what it costs in Alabama

Timeline: Realistically about 2–4 months. The pacing items are preservice training (24 hours + 11 CCDF topics + Infant-Child CPR/First Aid) and background-check turnaround (FBI fingerprint results and the child-abuse/neglect registry clearance can take several weeks), followed by the fire inspection and the DHR pre-licensing home visit. DHR may issue one initial six-month permit while final items are completed; the full license is valid 2 years.

Cost: Fingerprint criminal-history check via Fieldprint Alabama: $47.20 per adult (applicant + each adult household member) — confirmed on DHR's background-check page. Child-abuse/neglect registry clearance (DHR-FCS-1598 / 1598-B): no fee. The Standards do not specify a separate state license application fee — confirm the current application fee (if any) with the Office of Child Care Licensing (1-866-528-1694). Out-of-pocket variables: CPR/First Aid certification course (typically ~$50–$100), the medical exam + TB test per household member, and child-care training hours (many available free through Alabama Pathways/CCDF) — costs vary, confirm locally.

Source: Sources officielles consultées pour Alabama :

https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/api/rule/660-5-27-.01

https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/api/chapter/660-5-27

https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/administrative-code/660-5-27-.01

https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/api/aam/2023-04

https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama

https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/graphql

https://dhr.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PROPOSED-Homes-Child-Care-Licensing-and-Performance-Standar

https://dhr.alabama.gov/child-care/

Verified 2026-08-25. General information, not legal advice and not a guarantee of licensure — confirm with your state’s licensing agency before applying.