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Home Daycare License Requirements in Iowa (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Iowa means getting a family child care home license from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), Child Care Licensing / Child Development Home Registration (the program and rules still carry the legacy 'Department of Human Services [441]' code designation). 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 Iowa

Iowa splits home-based child care at SEVEN children, and the exact wording matters because the agency's own handbook gets it wrong. NOT REGISTERED — 'child care home.' Iowa Code 237A.1(5) and 441 IAC 110.1 both define a 'child care home' as 'a person or program providing child care to any of the following children at any one time that is not registered to provide child care under this chapter, as authorized under Iowa Code section 237A.3: 1. Five or fewer children. 2. Six or fewer children, if at least one of the children is school-aged.' Iowa Code 237A.3(1) confirms it: such a person 'is not required to register under section 237A.3A as a child development home. However, the person or program may register as a child development home.' Registration below the threshold is therefore voluntary and is what a provider does to be listed with CCR&R, to qualify for CACFP and to enter IQ4K (Comm. 143, p. 2, 'Benefits of Registration'). Even unregistered, the home must be 'a single-family residence that is owned, rented, or leased by the person or program providing the child care,' where single-family residence 'includes an apartment, condominium, townhouse, or other individual unit within a multiple unit residential dwelling, but does not include a commercial or industrial building that is primarily used for purposes other than a residence' (Iowa Code 237A.3(3)). REGISTERED — 'child development home.'

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 Iowa

Iowa caps by CATEGORY, in two layers: a cap on children 'not attending kindergarten or a higher grade level' plus a separate school-age allowance, with age sub-caps inside the first layer. All four registration variants: CATEGORY A — 441 IAC 110.13(1): 'No more than six children not attending kindergarten or a higher grade level shall be present at any one time'; 'In addition to the six children not in school, no more than two children who attend school may be present'; 'No more than eight children shall be present at any one time when an emergency school closing is in effect.' Ordinary working total: 8. An assistant does NOT buy more room — Comm. 143 p. 30: 'An assistant does not increase the number for maximum capacity.' CATEGORY B — 441 IAC 110.14(1): 'No more than eight children not attending kindergarten or a higher grade level shall be present at any one time'; 'no more than four children who attend school may be present'; emergency-closing ceiling 12. Ordinary working total: 12, and above 8 an assistant is compulsory (see 'ratios').

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

Adult-to-child ratios

Iowa publishes NO adult:child ratio table for child development homes. It regulates with three instruments instead: the per-category capacity caps, age sub-caps on the youngest children, and staffing TRIGGERS that force a second adult. Anyone drafting an Iowa 'ratio' table for homes is inventing it. AGE SUB-CAPS, verbatim. Category A, 441 IAC 110.13(1)'b': 'Of these six children, no more than four children who are 24 months of age or younger shall be present at any one time. Of these four children, no more than three may be 12 months of age or younger.' Category B, 110.14(1)'b': identical wording against the eight ('Of these eight children, no more than four... no more than three may be 12 months of age or younger'). Category C with two providers, 110.15(1)'b': 'Of these 14 children, no more than 6 children who are 24 months of age or younger shall be present at any one time. Whenever four children who are under the age of 12 months are in care, both providers shall be present.' Category C with one provider present falls back to the 8-child limits: 'not more than 4 of the 8 children may be 24 months of age or younger and of these 4 children, no more than 3 are 12 months of age or younger' (Form 470-0625, Rev. 02/24, testing 110.15(1)'e').

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

Everything below must be finished BEFORE the certificate issues — 441 IAC 110.10(1) opens each requirement with 'Prior to registration.' TEN HEALTH AND SAFETY TOPICS (441 IAC 110.10(1)'a'): '(1) Prevention and control of infectious disease, including immunizations. (2) Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and use of safe sleep practices. (3) Administration of medication, consistent with standards for parental consent. (4) Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions. (5) Building and physical-premises safety, including identification of and protection from hazards that can cause bodily injury, such as electrical hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic. (6) Prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma. (7) Emergency preparedness and response planning for emergencies resulting from a natural disaster or a human-caused event. (8) Handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of biocontaminants. (9) Precautions in transporting children. (10) Child development, on or after August 1, 2017.' Rule 110.10(1)'e' lets the department require the health-and-safety block to be retaken 'if content has significant changes which warrant that the training be renewed.'

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

Ongoing (annual) training

Iowa does not set an annual clock-hour figure for a child development home. The legal requirement is BIENNIAL, tied to the 24-month registration period, and the rule says so exactly: 'During each two-year registration period, the provider shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of training from one or more of the following content areas. A provider shall not use a specific training or class to meet minimum continuing education requirements more than one time every five years' (441 IAC 110.10(1)'d'). Twenty-four hours per two years averages twelve a year, but nothing in the rule obliges you to split it evenly — the audit is against the registration period, which renews every 24 months under 441 IAC 110.3. THE EIGHT ELIGIBLE CONTENT AREAS (441 IAC 110.10(1)'d'(1)-(8)): planning a safe, healthy learning environment (includes nutrition); steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development; positive ways to support children's social and emotional development (includes guidance and discipline); strategies to establish productive relationships with families (includes communication skills and cross-cultural competence); strategies to manage an effective program operation (includes business practices); maintaining a commitment to professionalism; observing and recording children's behavior; principles of child growth and development.

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

Background checks

Checks run BEFORE any involvement with child care and are repeated on a fixed clock. 441 IAC 110.11(3)'a': 'The department shall conduct Iowa criminal history record and child abuse record checks for each registrant, substitute or staff member, anyone living in the home who is 14 years of age or older, and anyone having access to a child when the child is alone. The department shall conduct national criminal history record checks, based on fingerprints, for each registrant, substitute or staff member, anyone living in the home who is 18 years of age or older, and anyone 18 years of age or older having access to a child when the child is alone. In accordance with Iowa Code section 726.23, minors under the age of 18 will not be subject to the fingerprint requirement.' CADENCE. Iowa checks 'shall be completed before the person's involvement with child care' and 'shall be repeated at a minimum of every two years and when the department or the registrant becomes aware of any possible transgressions' (110.11(3)'c'). The fingerprint-based national check 'shall be repeated for each person subject to the check every four years and when the department or registrant becomes aware of any new transgressions committed by that person in another state' (110.11(3)'d').

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. Confirm you actually need to register, then pick the variant. Registration is required at seven or more children at one time (Iowa Code 237A.1(6), 441 IAC 110.1); below that you are a 'child care home' and registration is voluntary (Iowa Code 237A.3(1)) — except that a chapter 237 foster care licensee or approved kinship caregiver 'shall register as a child development home provider in order to provide child care' regardless of numbers (Iowa Code 237A.3A(1)'d', as amended by 2025 Acts, ch. 135, section 29). Then choose among four registrations, because Form 470-3384 (Rev. 6/18) makes you tick one: Category A, Category B, Category C (1 provider, capacity 8), or Category C (2 providers,…
2. Check that you personally meet that category's qualifications, because the instruction sheet to Form 470-3384 warns 'All boxes in the column must be checked for you to qualify for that category.' Category A: at least 18 years old plus 'three written references which attest to character and ability to provide child care' (441 IAC 110.13(2)) — the form adds 'no relatives.' Category B: at least 20, a high school diploma, GED or documented current or previous enrolment in credit-based postsecondary coursework, plus either two years' experience as a registered or nonregistered child care provider or a CDA credential or a two- or four-year degree in a child care related field plus one year of…
3. Verify the house can carry the category. Categories B and C need 35 square feet of child-use indoor floor space and 50 square feet of outdoor space per child, a separate quiet area for sick children, and two direct exits to the outside from the main floor terminating at grade level with permanent steps — with a basement window counting as an exit only if it opens from inside without tools and gives a clear opening of at least 20 inches wide, 24 inches high and 5.7 square feet, its bottom no more than 44 inches above the floor with permanent steps up to it, and no child care above the second floor (441 IAC 110.14(3), 110.15(3)). Category A has no square-footage or two-exit rule. All…
4. Create your i-PoWeR account and finish the preservice training BEFORE applying: the ten department-approved health and safety topics, two hours of Iowa's mandatory child abuse reporter training, and first aid plus CPR including infant and child CPR from a nationally recognised organisation — online-only first aid/CPR is not accepted, only blended courses with an in-person component (441 IAC 110.10(1)'a','b','c'; Comm. 143 p. 8). Training taken through a CCR&R or community college in the six months before initial registration counts toward the first registration period's total (110.10(1)'f'). i-PoWeR is at ccmis.dhs.state.ia.us/trainingregistry/.
5. Get the physicals done — for yourself AND every adult in the household. 'Providers and all members of a provider's household aged 18 years or older shall have good health as evidenced by a preregistration physical examination. Acceptable physical examinations shall be documented on Form 470-5152, Child Care Provider Physical Examination Report' (441 IAC 110.9(1)'a'). Iowa Code 237A.5(1) sets the surrounding timing and content: an initial examination within the six months before or after starting, communicable disease tests performed by a licensed physician or physician assistant, and a repeat examination 'at least once every three years.' Children living in the household need the medical…
6. Deal with the animals. Each household dog or cat needs an annual veterinary examination documented on Form 470-5153, Veterinary Health Certificate, verifying current immunisations — 'particularly rabies' — and no endoparasites (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms) or ectoparasites (fleas, mites, ticks, lice). A pet bird must have been purchased from a dealer licensed by the Iowa department of agriculture and land stewardship and be examined by a veterinarian to verify freedom from infectious disease, and 'Children shall not handle pet birds.' Aquariums must be installed so children cannot reach the water or pull the tank over, and parents must be told about any pet in the home (441 IAC…
7. Complete the background-check paperwork for yourself, every staff assistant and substitute, everyone in the household aged 14 or older, and anyone with access to a child when the child is alone. Iowa criminal history and child abuse registry checks are initiated with Form DCI-77 and Form 470-3301; the fingerprint-based national check needs Form DCI-45 (Waiver Agreement) and Form FD-258 (Federal Fingerprint Card) for everyone 18 or older, and you must have the prints rolled and pay that cost yourself (441 IAC 110.11(3)'a','b','d'(1); Comm. 143 pp. 4-5). No certificate is issued until every state and national result is back and, where necessary, evaluated (110.11(3)'a'(3)).
8. File Form 470-3384, Application for Child Development Home Registration, ticking new/renewal/change and the category, and listing your assistant or substitute, any co-provider, and every other adult and child in the household with birth dates and other states of residence. The form is available from the local HHS office, from the local CCR&R, and 'through the web-based KinderTrack System and may be completed and submitted electronically' (441 IAC 110.2; Comm. 143 p. 4; Form 470-3384 Rev. 6/18). Signing it commits you to comply with 441 IAC Chapter 110, to allow inspections, to disclose all criminal convictions and founded child abuse for yourself and anyone residing or working in the…
9. Pass the pre-registration inspection. 'Prior to registration, a compliance visit to inspect for compliance with health, safety, and fire standards shall be completed' (441 IAC 110.4). HHS works from Form 470-0625, Pre-Inspection Checklist for Child Development Home Registration (Rev. 02/24) — Section 1 for every category plus Section 2 (A), 3 (B) or 4 (C) — and some items are explicitly marked 'Not Applicable at Pre-Inspection; will be reviewed at annual inspection.' Have the written pieces ready: emergency numbers posted by the telephone, written evacuation and shelter plans posted by the primary and secondary exits, monthly fire and tornado drill records, smoke detector test records,…
10. Handle pre-1978 paint before the certificate issues. 'A provider operating in a facility built before 1978 shall assess and control lead hazards before being issued an initial child development home registration or a renewal,' which means determining whether any interior or exterior painted surface is chipping, peeling or cracking and, if so, either hiring an Iowa certified lead-safe renovator or becoming one, with interim controls applied using lead-safe work methods under 641 IAC Chapters 69 and 70 (441 IAC 110.8(1)'k'). Note the HHS Child Care Licensing web page states 'Homes built prior to 1960 must be assessed for lead hazards' — that contradicts the rule, and the rule governs.
11. Receive and display the certificate, then keep the clock. HHS 'shall issue Form 470-3498, Certificate of Registration, when an applicant meets all requirements' (441 IAC 110.11); it must be 'posted in a conspicuous place' and must state the registrant's name, the registration category, 'the maximum number of children who may be present for child care at any one time,' the address, and 'a checklist of registration compliances' (Iowa Code 237A.3A(1)'b'; 441 IAC 110.8(1)'r'). Renewal is every 24 months on the same Form 470-3384 with training evidence and fresh child abuse, sex offender and criminal record checks (441 IAC 110.3; Iowa Code 237A.3A(1)'c'), and 'You must reapply every 24 months,…

What you must post on your walls

• CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION — 'The certificate of registration shall be displayed in a conspicuous place' (441 IAC 110.8(1)'r'). Iowa Code 237A.3A(1)'b' adds both the location and the content: it 'shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the child development home and shall state the name of the registrant, the registration category of the child development home, the maximum number of children who may be present for child care at any one time, and the address of the child development home. In addition, the certificate shall include a checklist of registration compliances.' The department issues it as Form 470-3498 (441 IAC 110.11).
• EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS — 'The home shall have a nonpay, working landline or mobile telephone with emergency numbers posted for police, fire, ambulance, and the poison information center. The number for each child's parent, for a responsible person who can be reached when the parent cannot, and for the child's physician shall be written on paper and readily accessible by the telephone. The home must prominently display all emergency information, and all travel vehicles must have a paper copy of emergency parent contact information' (441 IAC 110.8(1)'a').
• WRITTEN EMERGENCY / DISASTER PLANS — 'Emergency plans in case of man-made or natural disaster shall be written and posted by the primary and secondary exits. The plans shall clearly map building evacuation routes and tornado and flood shelter areas' (441 IAC 110.8(4)). The same subrule requires documented procedures for evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place, lockdown, communication and family reunification, continuity of operations, and the needs of individual children including those with functional or access needs.
• 'NO SMOKING' SIGNS AT EVERY ENTRANCE AND IN EVERY VEHICLE — smoking and tobacco use are prohibited in the home at all times, in every vehicle used to transport children in care, and in the outdoor play area during hours of operation; "'No smoking' signs shall be posted at every entrance of the child care home and in every vehicle used to transport children," and every sign 'shall include: (1) The telephone number for reporting complaints, and (2) The Internet address of the department of public health (smokefreeair.iowa.gov)' (441 IAC 110.8(1)'i'). The statutory prohibition is Iowa Code 237A.3B. The HHS Child Care Licensing page directs providers to obtain signs at www.iowasmokefreeair.gov.
• LETTER INITIATING DENIAL OR REVOCATION — 'A letter received by an owner or operator of a child development home initiating action to deny or revoke the home's registration shall be conspicuously posted where it can be read by parents or any member of the public. The letter shall remain posted until resolution of the action' (441 IAC 110.11(7)). The department's own instruction: 'A Notice of Decision may serve as a letter for this purpose. Post it next to the Certificate of Registration where it may be read by anyone entering the child development home' (Comm. 143, p. 9-10).
• PARENTAL ACCESS, which functions as a posted-rights obligation in practice — 'Parents shall be afforded unlimited access to their children and to the people caring for their children during the normal hours of operation or whenever their children are in the care of the child development home, unless parental contact is prohibited by court order' (441 IAC 110.5). The pre-inspection checklist tests it at annual inspection rather than pre-inspection (Form 470-0625, Rev. 02/24).
• WRITTEN POLICIES THAT MUST BE GIVEN TO PARENTS (not wall postings, but mandatory documents): 'The provider shall have written policies regarding the care of mildly ill children and the exclusion of children due to illness and shall inform parents of these policies' and 'shall have written policy and procedures for responding to health-related emergencies' (441 IAC 110.8(1)'p','q'); parents must be informed of the presence of any pet (110.8(1)'n'); and parents must be told in advance of the planned use of a substitute (110.7(2)'b').
• IMMUNIZATION EXEMPTION INFORMATION — new since 2025: 'Each child care center, child care facility, child care home, and child development home shall include information regarding the exemptions and requirements for an exemption described in section 139A.8, subsection 4, in any communication to the parent or guardian of a child that is related to the immunizations required under section 139A.8' (Iowa Code 237A.3C, enacted by 2025 Acts, ch. 106, section 2).
• RECORDS THAT MUST BE KEPT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION, since Iowa audits paper as much as premises: monthly smoke detector test records (441 IAC 110.8(1)'h'); monthly fire and tornado drill documentation 'for the current year and the previous year' (110.8(4)'a'); injury report forms for every injury requiring first aid or medical care, completed on the date of occurrence, shared with the parent and filed in the child's file (110.8(1)'o'); serious injuries as defined in Iowa Code 702.18 reported to the department within 24 hours (110.8(1)'s'); a written record of substitute hours, dates and names (110.7(2)'e'); the emergency-school-closing log (110.6(3)'c'); and the provider, assistant,…

Enrollment forms for each child

• Form 470-3384 — Application for Child Development Home Registration (Rev. 6/18). The single application, used for new registration, renewal and reporting changes: 'A provider shall apply for registration on Form 470-3384... The provider shall also use Form 470-3384 to inform the department of any changes in circumstances that would affect the registration' (441 IAC 110.2). It carries the four category checkboxes including 'Category C (1 provider–capacity 8)' and 'Category C (2 providers–capacity 16),' a household roster, and six signed certifications. Available from the local HHS office, the local CCR&R, and electronically through KinderTrack (Comm. 143, p. 4).
• Form 470-3498 — Certificate of Registration, issued by the department 'when an applicant meets all requirements for registration' (441 IAC 110.11) and posted conspicuously (441 IAC 110.8(1)'r'; Iowa Code 237A.3A(1)'b').
• Form 470-5152 — Child Care Provider Physical Examination Report (Rev. 01/23), required for the provider, all household members aged 18 or older, every staff assistant and every substitute (441 IAC 110.9(1)'a', 110.9(2)'b', 110.9(3)'b'). Also published in Spanish as 'Informe de examen físico de proveedor de cuidado infantil.'
• Form 470-5153 — Pet Health Examination Veterinary Health Certificate (Rev. 06/16), for each household dog or cat annually and for any pet bird (441 IAC 110.8(1)'n'(1),(2)).
• Form 470-0625 — Pre-Inspection Checklist for Child Development Home Registration (Rev. 02/24), the instrument HHS uses at the pre-registration compliance visit under 441 IAC 110.4; Section 1 applies to all categories, with Section 2 for A, Section 3 for B and Section 4 for C.
• Form 470-5384 (Rev. 12/21) — Checklist for Child Development Home Registration, the companion compliance checklist reproduced in the Child Development Home Registration Guidelines (Comm. 143, Rev. 04/24, p. 50).
• Form DCI-77 — State of Iowa Criminal History Record Check Request Form, completed by every operator, all staff and substitutes with direct responsibility for child care, everyone aged 14 or older living in the home, and anyone with access to a child when the child is alone (Comm. 143, p. 4; 441 IAC 110.11(3)'a','b').
• Form 470-3301 — Authorization for Release of Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Information, which initiates the child abuse registry check for the same set of people (Comm. 143, p. 5).
• Form DCI-45 — Waiver Agreement, and Form FD-258 — Federal Fingerprint Card, both required for the fingerprint-based national criminal history check of every operator, staff member and substitute and everyone aged 18 or older living in the home or with access to a child when alone (441 IAC 110.11(3)'b'; Comm. 143, p. 5).
• Form 470-2310 — Record Check Evaluation, sent to anyone whose check shows a transgression; it 'must be returned to the Department within ten days' or a notice denying or revoking registration follows (Comm. 143, p. 6; 441 IAC 110.11(3)'g'(1)).
• Form 470-4528 — Request for Child Care Training Approval, filed by a training organisation not already approved; 'All approvals, unless otherwise specified, shall be valid for five years' and the department decides 'within 30 business days of receipt of a complete request' (441 IAC 110.10(2)'f').
• Child Care Injury / Incident Report — the injury report form required by 441 IAC 110.8(1)'o', reproduced in Comm. 143 at p. 67; the completed form is shared with the parent on the date of occurrence and filed in the child's file, and serious injuries under Iowa Code 702.18 are additionally reported to the department within 24 hours (110.8(1)'s').
• Child file documents (441 IAC 110.9(4)): identifying and emergency contact information; a signed parental medical consent authorising emergency medical and dental treatment; an admission physical examination report dated no more than 12 months before the first day of attendance, signed by a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, chiropractor, physician's assistant or ARNP, with a parent-signed statement of health status permitted instead for a schooled child aged five or over; an annual statement of health condition for children under six; documentation of a school-enrolment physical for each school-age child; 'a signed and dated immunization certificate provided by the Iowa…
• Reference letters — Category A only: 'The provider shall have three written references which attest to character and ability to provide child care' (441 IAC 110.13(2)'b'); the Form 470-3384 instruction sheet specifies '3 letters of reference (no relatives).'
• Child Development Home Registration Guidelines, Comm. 143 (Rev. 04/24) — the department's own 89-page handbook, which reproduces the required forms and supplies optional sample provider forms (child enrolment information, emergency medical treatment authorisation, child health forms, phone number sheet, monthly medicine record, record of emergency practice drills, drill evaluation tool, and record of detector, fire extinguisher and evacuation equipment checks). Also issued in Spanish as Comm. 143(S).

What's specific about getting licensed in Iowa

Iowa's defining trap is the word 'registration' versus 'license,' and the 6-vs-7 child cliff. Home-based care in Iowa is a self-certified REGISTRATION under Chapter 110, not a license — you attest in writing that you comply, then a compliance visit verifies it. The line that catches people: you can legally care for up to 5 children (or 6 if one is school-aged) with NO registration at all, but the moment a 7th child is present you must be a registered Child Development Home. Iowa also does not publish a conventional adult:child ratio grid — it governs by category capacity caps plus infant/toddler sub-limits (e.g., in every category, of the youngest group no more than 3 may be 12 months or younger), so providers who look for a ratio table misread the rules entirely.

How long it takes and what it costs in Iowa

Timeline: Realistically 6–12 weeks from starting. Preservice training (health & safety modules + 2-hr mandatory reporter + first aid/CPR) can be done in 1–3 weeks; the provider physical and paperwork a few days; the gating item is the state and national fingerprint background checks (often 2–6+ weeks, longer if a record needs evaluation) plus scheduling the pre-registration compliance/home inspection. No certificate issues until all checks clear and the inspection passes.

Cost: Chapter 110 does not set a registration application fee, and HHS pays for the state and national record checks themselves. The applicant's out-of-pocket costs are the cost of rolling fingerprints (rule assigns this to the registrant; typically a modest per-person law-enforcement/vendor fee), the first-aid + infant/child CPR course (commonly ~$60–110), and the provider physical exam (varies by clinic/insurance). Confirm any current fees and fingerprint pricing with Iowa HHS / your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency.

Source: Sources officielles consultées pour Iowa :

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/441.110.pdf

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/rules?agency=441&chapter=110

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/441.109.pdf

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/441.120.pdf

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/237A.pdf

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/232.69.pdf

https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/6469/download?inline

https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/6470/download?inline

Verified 2026-08-24. General information, not legal advice and not a guarantee of licensure — confirm with your state’s licensing agency before applying.