Alaska Home Daycare License Requirements

The Licensing Threshold

Alaska requires a child care license under 7 AAC 57.010 when you regularly care for five or more unrelated children outside their own homes. Below that number, you're license-exempt and the state doesn't regulate you. But being exempt also means you can't accept families using the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which cuts you off from a large pool of paying clients.

The licensing authority is the Child Care Program Office (CCPO) under the Alaska Department of Health. One exception: inside the Municipality of Anchorage, the Anchorage Health Department handles licensing under a delegated authority arrangement — though the 2025–2026 code reforms aligned nearly all Anchorage rules with the state's 7 AAC 57 standards.

License Categories and Capacity Limits

Alaska defines two categories of home-based child care under 7 AAC 57.505:

Child Care Home — one caregiver, maximum eight children under 13 (including the caregiver's own children under 13). Of those eight, no more than three can be under 30 months old, and no more than two can be nonambulatory.

Child Care Group Home — typically at least two caregivers, nine to twelve children under 13 (including caregivers' own children). The under-30-months cap rises to five, with a maximum of four nonambulatory.

Your own children count toward these numbers. A provider with two toddlers of their own is starting with two of their three under-30-months slots already filled.

Background Check Requirements

Every applicant, employee, volunteer with unsupervised access, and household member aged 16 or older must clear a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the National Applicant Background Check System (NABCS). The cost is $87 per person ($90 starting October 1, 2026).

The process involves mailing completed FD-258 fingerprint cards to the Background Check Program and registering a static-IP computer on the NABCS portal. Results include both state and FBI criminal history searches. Certain convictions and conditions can create a "barrier" under 7 AAC 10.905, though applicants can request a variance under 7 AAC 10.930 within 90 days. Background checks must be renewed every six years.

Training Requirements

Before your license is issued, you need:

• Pre-licensing coursework — Health and Safety Basics and Mandated Reporter training through the CCPO
• Pediatric CPR and first aid — Valid certification with an in-person practical component (fully online courses without a practical component may be rejected)
• 24 hours of annual child development training under 7 AAC 57.350

Anchorage previously required 75% of training to be completed in person, but that rule was repealed in June 2026 under Assembly Ordinance No. 2026-69. Anchorage providers can now complete all 24 hours online.

Training expenses are partially recoverable through the SEED Professional Development Reimbursement, which covers up to $2,000.

Home Environment Standards

The pre-licensing inspection covers a long list of physical requirements under 7 AAC 10.1000 through 7 AAC 10.1095:

Fire safety — AC-powered smoke detectors with battery backup on every level, carbon monoxide detectors within three feet of sleeping areas (if the home uses combustion heating or cooking), a 2A:10BC fire extinguisher on each floor with a current annual inspection tag, and a written evacuation plan (Form CC67) that demonstrates all occupants can exit in under 150 seconds.

Safe sleep — Infants must sleep on their backs in federally approved cribs with a firm mattress and tight-fitting sheet. Nothing else in the crib — no blankets, pillows, bumper pads, or stuffed animals.

Water temperature — Hot water at sinks must be between 100°F and 120°F.

Chemical and medication storage — Cleaning supplies, pesticides, and all medications (including over-the-counter) must be in locked cabinets. Refrigerated medications go in a locked box inside the fridge.

Firearm storage — All firearms must be unloaded and locked in a gun safe inaccessible to children. Ammunition must be stored separately under a different lock. Form CC103 discloses all weapons on the premises.

Pet disclosure — If you have dogs or cats, submit Form CC105 with current rabies vaccination records. Litter boxes and pet waste areas must be completely separated from children's spaces.

Zoning and Municipal Requirements

State licensing is only half the picture. You also need local zoning clearance:

• Anchorage — No local business license required, but verify your zoning district permits home-based child care. Fire inspection is mandatory for programs with six or more children. All local licensing fees were eliminated in June 2026.
• Fairbanks — FNSB Ordinance 2021-23 classifies child care homes for up to 12 children as a permitted use in most residential zones, bypassing the $2,200 conditional use permit.
• Juneau — Child care homes for up to 12 children are permitted by right in residential zones D1, D3, and D5. The city offers fee waivers for fire marshal inspections and conditional use permit costs.

If you rent or live in an HOA community, you'll need written property-owner permission on Form CC72 before submitting your state application.

Fees Summary

What Happens After Licensing

You'll receive a one-year provisional license. During that year, expect at least one unannounced compliance inspection. Between months 9 and 10, submit Form CC94 to convert to a standard biennial (two-year) license through a renewal inspection.

Our Alaska Home Daycare License guide consolidates every requirement, form, and municipal rule into a single chronological walkthrough — with printable checklists for background checks, home inspection prep, and startup cost planning.

See more Alaska guides →