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Home Daycare License Requirements in Oklahoma (2026)

Opening a home daycare in Oklahoma means getting a family child care home license from the Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) - Child Care Services, Licensing. 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 Oklahoma

"Family child care home" means a family home that provides care and supervision for seven or fewer children for part of the 24-hour day (OAC 340:110-3-81). "Large family child care home" means a residential family home that provides care and supervision for eight to 12 children for part of the 24-hour day (OAC 340:110-3-81; repeated at 340:110-3-97.1(a)).

The statute says the same and adds the exclusion that matters: a family child care home "shall not include informal arrangements which parents make independently with neighbors, friends, and others, or with caretakers in the child's own home" (10 O.S. Sec. 402(10)). Note the shape of the boundary: Oklahoma does not draw the licence line at a number of UNRELATED children, and there is no "three or fewer and you are exempt" threshold inside Part 5. The exclusions are of another kind - informal arrangements with friends or neighbours, and care in the child's own home. "Relative" is separately defined at OAC 340:110-3-81 (parent, grandparent, brother, sister, step-parent, step-sister, step-brother, uncle, aunt, cousin, by marriage, blood or adoption) and serves mainly to disqualify references ("Relative references are not accepted", 340:110-3-85(a)(5)(A)). Three other definitions decide who may be in the house (340:110-3-81). "Primary caregiver" means the caregiver present in the home and responsible for day-to-day operation; "The sole proprietor is the primary caregiver" and must be present "at least 80 percent of weekly-operating hours" (340:110-3-85(a)(1)). "Assistant caregiver" means an individual at least 16 years of age assisting in caring for children. "Substitute caregiver" means an individual designated by the primary caregiver for short periods, and must be at least 18 (340:110-3-85(a)(5)(C)) - 21 in a large home (340:110-3-97.1(g)(3)). The licence attaches to a house, normally YOUR house. "Overnight care is only provided by a licensed caregiver at his or her primary residence" (340:110-3-86(d)).

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 Oklahoma

Seven for a family child care home, twelve for a large family child care home, and the count is broader than the enrolment list. The governing sentence is printed in bold: "The maximum number of children in care at one time, on or off of the premises, does not exceed the number of children specified on the license" (OAC 340:110-3-84(a)). Then: "The total number of children in care is limited to: (A) seven children, for a family child care home; (B) twelve children, for a large family child care home; and (C) includes children in (2) and (3) of this subsection" (340:110-3-84(a)(1)). The large home ceiling is restated at 340:110-3-97.1(d): such homes "meet the rules, per OAC 340:110-3-84(a)" and the total "is limited to 12". Paragraph (2) pulls household children into the licensed number: "The total number of children in care includes: (A) children younger than 5 years of age living in the home and present while children are in care; (B) foster children 12 years of age and younger living in the home and present while children are in care; and (C) the substitute's or assistant caregiver's children present while children are in care" (340:110-3-84(a)(2)). Read the limbs precisely: your own children count only while under 5 AND present; foster children count to age 12, not 5 ("Foster children 12 years of age and younger are counted in the license capacity", 340:110-3-85(a)(15)(B)); an assistant's or substitute's child counts at any age while present; and a caregiver licensed in an alternative residence counts all children 12 and younger who do not reside there (340:110-3-84(a)(3)). Foster care is restricted rather than forbidden: "The caregiver may not provide therapeutic foster care.

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

Adult-to-child ratios

Oklahoma publishes no adult-to-child ratio by age band. It publishes permitted COMBINATIONS, keyed to total headcount and the number of children younger than 2. FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME, one caregiver (OAC 340:110-3-84(b)(1)): "When only one caregiver is present, the total number and ages of children in care at any one time are: (A) seven children, with no more than two children younger than 2 years of age; (B) six children, with no more than three children younger than 2 years of age; or (C) five children of any age." The rule prints its own worked table at 340:110-3-84(b)(2), which shows that (C) really means any age: 7 total = 0 under 2 / 7 aged 2+; 7 = 1 / 6; 7 = 2 / 5; 6 = 3 / 3; 5 = 4 / 1; 5 = 5 / 0. A solo provider may hold five infants, but the sixth and seventh child cost her three and then five of her under-twos. FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME, when a second adult becomes mandatory (340:110-3-84(c)): "Two caregivers are required to provide care when: (1) seven children are in care and more than two children are younger than 2 years of age; or (2) six children are in care and more than three children are younger than 2 years of age."

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

Oklahoma front-loads a short list and makes the statute the gatekeeper. 10 O.S. Sec. 405(B) forbids approval of "a permit, or a license for a new child care facility to receive and care for children" until "(1) All background investigation requirements are met pursuant to Section 404.1 of this title; and (2) All required training including, but not limited to, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, health and safety training, and minimum education requirements pursuant to licensing requirements have been completed for any person left alone with children." Training is a condition of the PERMIT, not of the licence six months later. CPR and first aid: "Current CPR and first aid certification is required for: (i) the primary caregiver, prior to permission to operate or initial permit issuance; (ii) individuals caring for children alone, on or off of the premises, including during transportation; and (iii) other caregivers, included in the adult-child ratio.

CPR and first aid certification is obtained within three months of beginning child care" (OAC 340:110-3-85(h)(2)(B)). It must be age-appropriate for the ages accepted and "from approved sources listed on the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry (OPDR) website", kept current and maintained at the facility (subpars. (A), (C)). Health and safety: "Prior to caring for children, caregivers obtain professional development in" fifteen topics (OAC 340:110-3-85(h)(3)(A)-(O)): infectious disease control and injury prevention; fire extinguisher use; prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma; reducing SIDS and sleep-related infant death risk; infant safe sleep; car seat and transportation safety; premise safety including electrical hazards, water and traffic; hazardous materials and bio-contaminant disposal; emergency preparedness per OAC 340:110-3-86.1; immunizations; medication administration; food and allergic reaction emergencies; mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect; behavior, guidance and maltreatment prevention; and child development.

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

Ongoing (annual) training

Twelve clock-hours a year is the floor, and it is only a floor. "The primary caregiver is required to complete 12 clock-hours of professional development annually through workshops, training, videos, or individual position-related readings. Only six clock-hours of videos or individual position-related readings are counted annually toward the required 12 clock-hours" (OAC 340:110-3-85(h)(1)). The floor rises with your ladder rung. Since June 1, 2023 the rule requires that "Primary caregivers obtain at least the required number of professional development clock-hours to maintain a current Level 1 or higher OPDL certificate, per OAC 340 Appendix FF - Oklahoma Professional Development Ladder. However, informal professional development clock-hours are limited" (340:110-3-85(h)(5)(A)). Appendix FF sets Annual Renewal Clock Hours at 12 hours for Level 1 and at 20 hours for every rung from Level 2 through Level 11. A provider who earns a CDA (Level 5) or an associate degree (Level 9) is thereafter on 20 hours a year, not 12, even though 340:110-3-85(h)(1) still reads 12. Appendix FF footnote 3 caps the informal share for everyone - "No more than 6 hours of informal professional development are counted toward both initial and renewal hours" - and the hours must fall in the eight Oklahoma Core Competencies areas (child growth and development; health, safety and nutrition; observation and assessment; family and community partnerships; learning environments and curriculum; interactions with children; program planning; professionalism and leadership).

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

Background checks

Statute first. 10 O.S. Sec. 405(B)(1) blocks any permit or licence until "All background investigation requirements are met pursuant to Section 404.1 of this title". Sec. 404.1(A)(1) lists five components for an owner or responsible entity before issuance: an Oklahoma State Courts Network search by the Department; a Child Care Restricted Registry search by the facility; a national criminal history records search; a search by an authorized source where the person has lived abroad in the last three years; and a Department of Corrections sex offender registry search.

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. Contact Licensing before doing anything else and get placed on inquiry, then application, status. Pub. 06-47: "Once you have expressed an interest in opening a family child care home ... your licensing staff will provide you with licensing information and guide you through the application and approval process." The rule requires staff to supply "the applicable Licensing requirements, an appropriate request for license packet, and referrals to other agencies involved in regulating child care facilities" (OAC 340:110-1-6(c)).
2. Confirm you personally qualify before spending money. "Primary caregivers are at least 21 years of age" and, applying after October 1, 2007, "have obtained a high school diploma or General Educational Development credential (GED)"; caregivers left alone with children must read and write for records, requirements and medication (OAC 340:110-3-85(b)(1)(A)-(C)). A LARGE home adds six months of satisfactory experience as primary caregiver in a licensed Oklahoma family child care home and a current Level 4 or higher OPDL certificate (340:110-3-97.1(g)(1)).
3. File the request for license on the department's own form - "Application for license is made on DHS provided forms and in the manner prescribed" (OAC 340:110-3-82(b); 10 O.S. Sec. 405(D)). The instrument is Form 07LC004E, Request for License Child Care Program (rev. 2/12/2024), with a per-individual Request for License Addendum completed by each owner, responsible entity, director, primary caregiver and adult living in the home, including a child who turns 18 while living there.
4. Submit three non-relative references. "The primary caregiver submits to Licensing the names of three non-relative references that may include a licensed personal or family physician" (OAC 340:110-3-85(b)(5)); the addendum to Form 07LC004E asks for "at least three non-relative references, with at least two of them from your most recent employers, when applicable", and 340:110-3-85(a)(5)(A) warns that "Relative references are not accepted."
5. Run the background investigations on everyone the rule names - you, any co-owner or responsible entity, every assistant or substitute, and every adult living in the house (OAC 340:110-3-85(c)(1); 10 O.S. Sec. 404.1(A)). Submit Form 19MP006E, Background Check Review Request, or the electronic equivalent, to the OKDHS Office of Background Investigations, fingerprint-based (OAC 340:2-46-5), obtain dispositions on any undisposed charge yourself (340:110-3-85(a)(6)), and run the online Restricted Registry (Joshua's List) search for each individual yourself (340:110-3-85(d)).
6. Get CPR and first aid certified BEFORE the permit. "Current CPR and first aid certification is required for ... the primary caregiver, prior to permission to operate or initial permit issuance" (OAC 340:110-3-85(h)(2)(B)(i)), age-appropriate for the ages you will accept and from a source listed on the OPDR website (subpar. (A)). Other caregivers counted in ratio have three months from beginning child care (subpar. (B)(iii)).
7. Complete the fifteen health and safety topics of OAC 340:110-3-85(h)(3) before caring for any child, and two or more clock-hours of OPDR-approved safe-sleep training before caring for infants (par. (h)(4)). 10 O.S. Sec. 405(B)(2) makes this a statutory precondition of the permit for "any person left alone with children". Large-home applicants must have completed the health and safety training within the two years before the request for license (340:110-3-97.1(h)(1)(A)).
8. Complete the fifteen health and safety topics of OAC 340:110-3-85(h)(3) before caring for any child, and two or more clock-hours of OPDR-approved safe-sleep training before caring for infants (par. (h)(4)). 10 O.S. Sec. 405(B)(2) makes this a statutory precondition of the permit for "any person left alone with children". Large-home applicants must have completed the health and safety training within the two years before the request for license (340:110-3-97.1(h)(1)(A)).
9. Register with the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry (OPDR) run by CECPD and start the Professional Development Ladder. A primary caregiver licensed on or after June 1, 2022 must "obtain and maintain a current Level 1 or higher OPDL certificate" prior to or within 12 months of licensure (OAC 340:110-3-85(b)(3)); Level 1 is 12 clock-hours of ECE/CD/SA training in the past 12 months (OAC 340 Appendix FF). Large-home primary caregivers also register the program as a direct care organization (340:110-3-97.1(h)(1)(B)).
10. Prepare the house for the on-site visit. Pub. 06-47 lists the process as "An on-site visit to ensure your program meets all the minimum requirements; Submitting all required verification; Obtaining required background checks; Approval from local fire and health officials, when applicable." Measure space first: 35 square feet indoors per child excluding hallways, bathrooms, kitchen and nap-only rooms, and 75 square feet of fenced outdoor play area per child (OAC 340:110-3-86(a)(2), (12)).
11. Clear the hazards the inspector checks: medicines, cleaning products, hazardous items and tobacco inaccessible; premises free of illegal drugs; railings on stairways of four or more steps, indoor stairways inaccessible when infants and toddlers are in care; and "All weapons are stored unloaded in a locked container, cabinet, or closet. Ammunition is stored in a locked area separate from weapons" (OAC 340:110-3-86(a)(6), (7)). Indoor temperature 65-80 degrees, an operable phone, hot water not exceeding 120 degrees (pars. (a)(10), (4), (5)(A)).
12. Meet fire safety before opening: two means of escape from every room used for child care, one a door to an unobstructed path outside, the second an operable window of not less than 820 square inches; a smoke detector on each level and in every room used for playing or sleeping except the kitchen, tested monthly; a carbon monoxide detector where there is a fuel-burning appliance; a gauged Class ABC or BC extinguisher for the cooking area, serviced every three years (OAC 340:110-3-97(b), (d), (e), (f)). A large home in a mobile home needs an approved state or local fire inspection first (340:110-3-97.1(c)).
13. Buy the liability insurance and paper it. "A child care facility shall maintain liability insurance coverage of at least Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) for each occurrence of negligence" (10 O.S. Sec. 404.3(A)). Complete Form 07LC092E, Insurance Verification, annually with a certificate from your agent and keep it at the facility; if you cannot obtain cover or report self-insurance, post Form 07LC093E, Insurance Exception Notification, in clear view of the main entrance and notify the department (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(e)).
14. Accept no child until the department says so - "Children are not accepted into care until DHS permission is obtained" (OAC 340:110-3-82(c)(1)) - then run the six-month permit. "To receive a license, all required paperwork must be provided to licensing. Also, you must have at least three monitoring visits, have obtained all required training, and be in compliance with requirements. Once issued, a license is non-expiring and non-transferable" (Pub. 06-47, Permit and License; OAC 340:110-1-8). Failure to comply may produce additional permits or denial.

What you must post on your walls

• The permit or licence itself, displayed in the home - "The permit or license is displayed in the home, including the denial or revocation notice, when applicable" (OAC 340:110-3-85(a)(13))
• OKDHS-provided "Notice to Parents" - "OKDHS-provided 'Notice to Parents' is posted in a conspicuous location in clear view at the main facility entrance" (OAC 340:110-3-88(d)(1)); the form is identified elsewhere in the rule book as Form 07LC084E (340:110-3-89.1(f)(2))
• Child welfare investigative summary with confirmed or substantiated findings, "for 120-calendar days from the investigation completion ... posted in clear view of the main facility entrance" (OAC 340:110-3-88(d)(2))
• Form 07LC093E, Insurance Exception Notification, where liability insurance is not maintained or the program reports self-insurance: "posted in a conspicuous location in clear view of the main entrance to the facility" (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(e)(2)), the statutory duty being to "Post a notice at the facility indicating the facility does not have liability insurance coverage pursuant to this section or reports self-insurance" (10 O.S. Sec. 404.3(C)(1))
• Posted emergency information next to the phone or in a prominent place, listing "(1) the home's address; (2) a licensed physician or clinic; (3) the fire department; (4) the police department; (5) poison control, 1-800-222-1222; and (6) a substitute caregiver" (OAC 340:110-3-86.1(j))
• The substitute caregiver's name, address and phone number - "provided to Licensing and posted with the other required emergency numbers" (OAC 340:110-3-85(a)(5)(C)(ii))
• The compliance file, kept accessible rather than pinned up but functionally a public posting: "A compliance file is accessible to personnel, parents, and others", originals or copies kept together, most recent on top, child-identifying information removed, covering at least the last 120 calendar days (OAC 340:110-3-88(e)); its location must also be stated in the written parent policy (340:110-3-89.1(a)(1))
• Monitoring visit forms, notices to comply, complaint findings, non-compliances and Stars violations, office conference records, consent agreements, denials and revocations - all required contents of the accessible compliance file (OAC 340:110-3-88(e)(1))
• Granted criminal history restriction waiver notifications, kept in the compliance file "for as long as the individual is employed or is living in the facility" (OAC 340:110-3-88(e)(3))
• Notification to parents of smoking or simulated tobacco use in the home, which "Parents are informed upon enrollment" of (OAC 340:110-3-86(a)(9)), and advice of animal presence (340:110-3-86(c)(1))

Enrollment forms for each child

• Form 07LC004E, Request for License Child Care Program (revision date 2/12/2024 printed on the form) - the application itself, filed to open the licensing process; "Application for license is made on DHS provided forms and in the manner prescribed" (OAC 340:110-3-82(b))
• Request for License Addendum (printed under the same 07LC004E number and date) - "Each applicable individual completes this addendum at application AND any time there is a new owner, responsible entity ..., director, primary caregiver, or adult living in the home or facility including a child who turns 18 years of age while living in the home or facility. Complete one addendum per individual." Sections cover civil rights compliance, previous child care licences in any state, background investigation self-disclosure and signatures (OAC 340:110-3-85(c)(1), (g))
• Form 19MP006E, Background Check Review Request - submitted to the OKDHS Office of Background Investigations for each required individual, or its electronic equivalent; fingerprint-based unless OSBI or the FBI reject the prints for quality (OAC 340:2-46-5; OAC 340:110-3-85(c))
• Personnel information form provided by OKDHS - completed "Prior to employment" for every assistant and substitute caregiver, maintained at the home and available to Licensing on request (OAC 340:110-3-85(a)(5)(A)), and "submitted to Licensing within two weeks of employment" (340:110-3-88(b)(1))
• Criminal history restriction waiver request - "The owner, responsible entity, or primary caregiver completes requests on an OKDHS form"; not available for Restricted Registry registrants, those with prohibitions, or those whose sentence has not expired (OAC 340:110-3-85(e)(3))
• Form 07LC092E, Insurance Verification - "including a certificate of insurance obtained from the insurance agent, is completed annually, maintained at the facility, and made available to Licensing" (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(e)(1); standard form mandated by 10 O.S. Sec. 404.3(B))
• Form 07LC093E, Insurance Exception Notification - used and POSTED when liability insurance is not maintained or the program reports self-insurance, and given to parents at enrolment (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(e)(2), (f)(2); 10 O.S. Sec. 404.3(C)(1), (D))
• Form 07LC045E, Insurance Notification - completed by parents "every 12 months" and maintained at the facility (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(f)(1))
• Form 07LC046E, Compliance File Notification - completed by parents "every 12 months" and maintained at the facility (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(f)(1))
• Form 07LC084E, Notice to Parents - posted at the main entrance (OAC 340:110-3-88(d)(1)) and given to parents in copy at enrolment (340:110-3-89.1(f)(2))
• OKDHS Publication No. 87-91, The Parents' Guide to Selecting Quality Child Care - "made available to parents upon child's enrollment" (OAC 340:110-3-89.1(c)); still online at https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/okdhs/documents/okdhs-publication-library/87-91.pdf (verified 2026-08-24)
• OKDHS-provided heinous and shocking abuse parent notification form - used when OKDHS notifies the program of a substantiated finding, sent by certified mail within 72 hours, with the notified-parent list kept 12 months (OAC 340:110-3-85(a)(12))

What's specific about getting licensed in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's home-based license is welded to the Oklahoma Professional Development Ladder (OPDL) and the Oklahoma Professional Development Registry (OPDR), not just a one-time inspection. Since June 1, 2022 every primary caregiver must obtain and maintain a current Level 1 or higher OPDL certificate within 12 months of licensure, and the annual training hours only count when they come from OPDR-approved sources at the level needed to keep that certificate current. The trap most first-time providers miss is the capacity math: your OWN children under age 5 (plus any foster children 12 and under, and a substitute/assistant caregiver's children present) count against your 7-child maximum, and the number of children under age 2 — not total headcount — is what forces a second caregiver. Large family child care homes (8-12 kids) are a much steeper tier, requiring a primary caregiver at least 21 with 6 months of prior licensed-home experience and a Level 4+ OPDL certificate.

How long it takes and what it costs in Oklahoma

Timeline: Typically about 2 to 4 months from first contact to an issued license. The long pole is the national fingerprint-based criminal-history clearance through OBI (often several weeks), running in parallel with pre-service health & safety training, CPR/first aid, the home study/inspection (and an approved fire inspection if you're in a mobile home), and starting your OPDR registration / OPDL Level 1 (which you have up to 12 months after licensure to complete). Confirm current processing times with your county licensing specialist.

Cost: Oklahoma's requirements (Pub. 86-104) do not state a licensing application fee — confirm the current fee schedule with OKDHS Child Care Services and the Office of Background Investigations (OBI). Real out-of-pocket costs: fingerprinting/background-check fees (paid to OBI/its vendor), CPR & first aid certification (roughly $50-$100 per person), OPDR registration, and the mandatory general liability insurance of at least $200,000 per occurrence (10 O.S. § 404.3) — a recurring premium, not a one-time fee. Home safety upgrades (enclosed outdoor play area for a large home, locked weapon storage, safe-sleep equipment) add variable cost.

Source: Sources officielles consultées pour Oklahoma :

https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/okdhs/documents/okdhs-publication-library/86-104.pdf

https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/okdhs/documents/okdhs-publication-library/06-47.pdf

https://ccmass.dhs.ok.gov/ascend/assets/Addendum_FCC_CCP_v1.pdf

https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/Oklahoma%20Statutes_%20Chapter%2018.%20Oklahoma%20Ch

https://law.justia.com/codes/oklahoma/title-10/section-10-402/

https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/oklahoma/

https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/child-care-services.html

https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/obi/obicccheck.html

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