California Daycare Live Scan Requirements

Who Must Be Fingerprinted

Every adult aged 18 or older who lives in your home, works as an assistant provider, or has regular contact with children during operating hours must pass a Live Scan fingerprint-based background check. This is non-negotiable — having an uncleared adult present in the home during care hours is a zero-tolerance violation that carries immediate civil penalties of $100 per day, up to $500 per day per uncleared person.

"Regular contact" is interpreted broadly. A spouse who works from home, an adult child living in a guest room, or a relative who visits multiple times per week during care hours — all must be cleared through the system.

The Form and the Timing Trap

You initiate each background check by completing a Request for Live Scan Service (Form LIC 9163) and taking it to an authorized Live Scan location for electronic fingerprint capture. The form requires two critical pieces of information:

The ORI code: CCLD A0448. This code routes your fingerprints to the correct state agency. Without it, your prints go nowhere useful.

Your facility identification number. This is assigned by CDSS after they accept your application and issue a welcome letter. Here's where providers routinely waste money: if you get fingerprinted before receiving your welcome letter and facility number, CCLD will reject the background check. You'll then need to get fingerprinted again and pay all fees a second time.

The correct sequence is: complete orientation, submit your application packet (LIC 279), wait for your welcome letter with the facility identification number, and only then schedule Live Scan appointments.

As of May 2026 (PIN 26-08-CCLD), the LIC 9163 form now includes a mandatory physical signature line that must be completed before the Live Scan operator captures your fingerprints.

What the Background Check Actually Searches

California's daycare background check accesses three databases that no commercial background screening company can reach:

1. California Department of Justice (DOJ) Criminal History System — state criminal records
2. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal History Database — nationwide federal records
3. California Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) — substantiated reports of child abuse or neglect

Costs include separate fees for each database check plus a local "rolling fee" charged by the Live Scan vendor, which typically runs $25 to $45 depending on location. In Los Angeles County, subsidized providers can use Certifix Live Scan locations for negotiated discounts.

The Guardian Portal

All background clearances are managed through the CDSS Guardian system. Once your fingerprints are processed, each cleared individual must be actively associated with your facility in Guardian. This association is what the LPA checks during inspections — not your paper certificates, but the live Guardian database.

If a new adult moves into your home or a household member turns 18, you must schedule their Live Scan and get them associated in Guardian before they're present during operating hours. Not after. Not during the first week while it processes. Before.

Criminal Record Exemptions

A criminal history doesn't automatically disqualify someone from being cleared for a child care facility, but the path forward is narrow. After the background check flags a record, CCLD reviews the case to determine whether a criminal record exemption can be granted.

The decision weighs the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, the individual's rehabilitation evidence, and the specific role they'd play in the facility. Some offenses are non-exemptible under California law, meaning they result in immediate denial of licensure or employment. Check CCLD's current list before assuming an exemption is available.

For exemptible offenses, the review process can take several weeks. During that time, the individual with the flagged record cannot be present in the home during operating hours.

Transferring an Existing Clearance

If you or a household member already has an active background clearance from another licensed facility in California, you don't need to get fingerprinted again. You can transfer the clearance to your new facility using one of two forms:

• LIC 9182: Criminal Background Clearance Transfer Request (for individuals with clean records)
• LIC 9188: Criminal Record Exemption Transfer Request (for individuals who previously received an exemption)

Submit the transfer form to Guardian before the person begins working or residing in the home. Transfers are faster and cheaper than new fingerprints, but they only work within the California CDSS system — clearances from other states or non-CDSS agencies don't qualify.

The California Home Daycare Licensing Guide includes a step-by-step background check walkthrough with the correct filing sequence, fee breakdown, and Guardian association instructions.

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