Michigan Daycare License Requirements

Who Needs a License

If you care for unrelated children in your home for pay, Michigan requires a license in most cases. The threshold is straightforward: caring for even one unrelated child triggers the licensing requirement unless you qualify for a narrow exemption (caring only for children related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption, with a maximum of six).

Licensing is administered by the Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB) within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). If you encounter older resources referencing LARA, that information is outdated — MiLEAP assumed authority under Executive Order 2023-6.

The Two License Categories

Family Child Care Home — 1 to 6 unrelated children. You operate solo from your primary residence. Your own children under six count toward the cap. No assistant is required. The application fee is $50.

Group Child Care Home — 7 to 12 unrelated children. Same primary-residence requirement, but you need at least one qualified assistant or staff member on duty whenever seven or more children are present or when three or more are under age three. The application fee is $100.

Core Requirements for Both Categories

Residency and Age

You must be at least 18 years old and permanently reside in the home where care will be provided. The child care home must be your primary, permanent residence — commercial properties are ineligible.

Background Checks

Every household member aged 14 and older must clear the Child Care Background Check (CCBC) system. Adults (18+) undergo electronic fingerprinting through Idemia; for an individual who has lived in Michigan for the past five years, the standard fee is $65 per person. The check covers FBI criminal history, the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry. If any covered adult lived outside Michigan in the past five years, you must obtain criminal and child abuse registry checks from each prior state within 45 days.

Training

Before your license is issued, you must complete:

• Health and Safety Training through MiRegistry (free, online)
• Safe Sleep Practices through MiRegistry (free, online)
• Pediatric CPR and First Aid through an approved provider (your cost, typically $40–$80)
• Medical Clearance (Form CCL-3704) signed by a licensed physician
• Mandatory six-hour licensing orientation

After licensure, you must complete 10 hours of professional development annually. Staff members must complete 5 hours.

Physical Space Standards

Your home must provide at least 35 square feet of usable indoor play space per child, excluding kitchens and bathrooms. Every floor used for child care needs two remotely located exits and must maintain a minimum temperature of 65°F at a height of two feet above the floor.

Safety Equipment

Each floor needs a working smoke detector, and each floor used for child care needs a carbon monoxide detector. A mounted 2A-10BC fire extinguisher is required on every floor approved for child care. All toxic materials must be in locked storage out of children's reach.

Environmental Testing

Radon testing is mandatory for the lowest level of the home, with results required below 4.0 pCi/L. Homes on private wells require county health department water testing. Fuel-fired furnaces need inspection by a licensed heating contractor, and fuel-fired water heaters by a licensed plumbing/heating contractor, within the past 12 months — all-electric homes are exempt.

What Changed in the April 2026 Rules

MiLEAP implemented a major overhaul of the administrative rules on April 27, 2026, with compliance required by July 26, 2026. The changes that matter most for new applicants:

• TB testing eliminated — you no longer need tuberculosis tests for staff, assistants, or household members.
• Written food allergy policy required — you must develop a formal written policy for managing food allergies, cross-contamination prevention, and emergency medication access.
• IEP/IFSP/504 integration — you can now officially incorporate a child's special education plan into your daily programming.
• School-age ratio flexibility — expanded staffing ratio flexibility for before-and-after school hours.
• Simplified record retention — personnel and driver files are consolidated into a single standard under R 400.1906.

The Inspection

A MiLEAP licensing consultant conducts an on-site physical inspection. They verify exit measurements, usable space, childproofing, fire safety equipment, emergency evacuation plans, and your record-keeping files. If you pass, you receive an Original License valid for six months. Before it expires, you submit a renewal application ($25 family, $50 group), pass a second inspection, and receive a regular two-year license.

Where This Fits

These requirements are the eligibility checklist — but the sequence matters as much as the list. Paying for background checks before confirming your zoning qualifies, or modifying your home before knowing whether your radon levels pass, wastes money. The Michigan Home Daycare Licensing Guide puts every requirement into the right order so you spend nothing until you have confirmed feasibility.

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