Nevada Home Daycare Inspection Checklist

Two Inspections, Not One

Most applicants think of "the inspection" as a single event, but Nevada home daycares actually go through multiple inspections from different agencies. The pre-licensing survey from your assigned DWSS surveyor is the final gate, but before that, you'll need fire safety clearance and a health/sanitation inspection from your local authority.

Understanding which agency checks what keeps you from over-preparing in one area and getting blindsided in another.

The Fire Inspection

Your fire clearance comes from either your local fire department (Clark County Fire, Reno Fire Department, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District) or the Nevada State Fire Marshal for rural areas. The fire inspector checks a focused list:

• Smoke alarms: Interconnected and hardwired or long-life battery units
• Fire extinguisher: At least one fully charged 2A:10BC extinguisher, accessible to adults
• Egress: Two unobstructed exit paths from child care areas
• Evacuation plan: A clearly posted evacuation routing diagram showing exit paths and the outdoor assembly point
• Drill logs: The state requires documented fire and disaster drills — the fire inspector may ask to see your drill log template

You'll submit a Child Care Inspection Request Form to your fire authority and schedule the inspection. The fire clearance certificate gets uploaded to your ALiS portal as part of the application package.

The Health and Sanitation Inspection

The health inspection varies by location:

Clark County: The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) conducts the inspection and issues a health permit. They focus on food preparation areas, diapering stations, sanitation protocols, and potential disease vectors. SNHD charges a separate health permit fee.

Washoe County: Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) handles the environmental health inspection, with particular attention to kitchen compliance if you're preparing meals on-site.

Rural counties: State environmental sanitarians conduct the inspection directly.

Key items the health inspector reviews:

• Diaper-changing surfaces are non-porous and sanitized after each use
• Hand-washing procedures are posted at sinks and changing tables
• Food preparation surfaces are clean and separated from diapering areas
• Chemical sanitizers are EPA-approved for child care settings
• Cleaning and toy sanitation logs are maintained with dates

The DWSS Pre-Licensing Survey

Once your fire clearance and health permits are uploaded and your background checks have cleared, your assigned DWSS surveyor schedules the comprehensive physical inspection. This is the final gate before your license is issued.

Indoor Space Requirements

The surveyor physically measures your usable indoor activity space. The standard is 35 square feet per licensed child, and they subtract everything that doesn't count: hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, offices, storage rooms, and closets. If you're applying for a Family Care Home with six children, you need at least 210 square feet of usable play area.

Common measurement failures: counting a kitchen eat-in area as play space, including a narrow hallway, or forgetting that a closet alcove used for toy storage doesn't count.

Outdoor Space Requirements

The outdoor play area must provide at least 37.5 square feet per child based on your licensed capacity, enclosed by a fence at least six feet high. During April through September, at least 5 square feet of shaded area per child must be available.

The surveyor also checks play equipment for protruding screws or deteriorating surfaces, looks for standing water (a drowning hazard), and verifies that soft impact surfacing exists under elevated play structures.

Safety and Childproofing

The surveyor walks through every room children will access, looking for:

• Electrical outlets: All unused outlets covered
• Heavy furniture: Bookshelves, dressers, and TV stands anchored to the wall to prevent tip-overs
• Window cords: Blind cords and trailing cords secured out of children's reach
• Toxic materials: All household cleaners, bleach, laundry pods, and medications locked in cabinets or lockboxes — not just placed on high shelves
• Refrigerated medications: Stored in a locked lockbox inside the refrigerator, not co-mingled with food
• Water heater: Set to 120°F or below

Records and Documentation

The surveyor verifies your administrative files:

• Individual child folders with signed enrollment agreements, emergency contacts, medical release forms, and current immunization records (or signed exemptions)
• Staff training records showing completed Nevada Registry-approved courses
• Current TB clearances for all adults
• Current CPR and First Aid certifications with in-person skill demonstration
• Background clearance confirmations for all household adults

What Happens When Something Fails

If the surveyor finds deficiencies, you don't automatically lose the license. You'll receive a list of findings and must submit a written Plan of Correction (POC) detailing exactly how you've resolved each issue. Once the POC is accepted and verified, the DWSS licensing chief issues your license.

The 90-day window is still ticking during this correction period, so it pays to get things right the first time.

For a pre-inspection preparation system that sequences every requirement — fire, health, DWSS survey — in the right order, the Nevada Home Daycare Licensing Guide includes a room-by-room compliance checklist matched to what surveyors actually cite.

See more Nevada guides →