In short
- Texas HHSC Child Care Regulation (CCR) sets 4 operation types, and the type depends on where you care, how many unrelated children, and how many hours.
- In the caregiver's own home: up to 3 unrelated children is a listed family home, up to 6 a registered home, 7 to 12 a licensed child care home.
- Outside your own home, 7 or more children is a licensed child care center.
- Where the official pages do not settle it, the tool says ask HHSC Child Care Regulation instead of guessing.
Use this Texas child care license checker to see which operation type likely fits your plan before you start the application. It applies the HHSC pages as we read them on 25 October 2026. We are an information site, not HHSC and not a child care provider.
General information, not legal advice. This tool applies HHSC pages as we read them on 25 October 2026. It is not a ruling, and only HHSC decides which permit you need. Confirm with HHSC Child Care Regulation. Nothing you tick is stored or sent.
The 4 operation types side by side
These are the thresholds the tool uses, from HHSC pages we read and checked on 25 October 2026.
| Type | Where | Children | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listed family home | Caregiver's own home | Up to 3 unrelated | 4+ hours a day, 3+ days a week |
| Registered child care home | Caregiver's own home | Up to 6 unrelated in school hours, plus 6 school-age after school | 4+ hours a day, 3+ days a week |
| Licensed child care home | Caregiver's own home | 7 to 12 | 2+ but under 24 hours a day, 3+ days a week |
| Licensed child care center | Not the permit holder's home | 7 or more, under 14 years old | Under 24 hours a day |
Caregiver age: HHSC says a licensed or registered home caregiver must be at least 21 with a high school diploma or equivalent, and a listed family home caregiver at least 18. No home holds more than 12 children at once, related children included.
What to do once you know your type
- Confirm the type with CCR
Ask which operation type applies to your plan, and write down the answer and date.
- Follow your type's provider page
Centers use the center-based provider page. Homes use the home provider page.
- Read the Minimum Standards
Chapter 746 covers centers and chapter 747 covers homes. Fees, ratios and capacities live there and change.
- Check city and site rules
Zoning, fire and building approvals are separate from HHSC. Ask before you sign a lease.
The full order of steps is in our Texas child care license checklist.
Where this tool says "ask HHSC"
- Fewer than 7 children outside your home. The center definition we read starts at seven. We found no official rule for smaller groups in a separate building.
- Very few hours. The pages give hour thresholds for each type, but not what happens below them.
- Related children. The 12-child total includes them. Whether they count toward seven for a licensed home is not clear from the page.
- Over 12 children, overnight care or ages 14 and up. No home or center definition we read covers these cleanly.
- Exemptions. Only HHSC decides. Request one through the CCR licensing exemptions page.
Official sources we read (checked 25 October 2026)
| What it backs | Page |
|---|---|
| Listed, registered and licensed home limits, hours and caregiver ages | HHSC: become a child care home provider |
| Center definition (7 or more children, not the permit holder's home); home capacity | CCR Handbook 2100: types of child care permits |
| Exemptions (schools, single-skill, short-term, government) | HHSC: CCR licensing exemptions |
| The four types and the 13-or-younger, under-24-hours definition | HHSC: become a provider |
A planner to track it
We are finishing a Texas Child Care Startup Planner workbook; it is not on sale yet. If you want one email when it is available, use the form below.
Frequently asked questions
How many children can I care for in my own home without a license?
We can't give a no-license number, because the official pages we read do not list one. They define three home permits by number of unrelated children and hours: listed family home (up to 3 unrelated children), registered child care home (up to 6 unrelated school-hours, plus 6 school-age after school) and licensed child care home (7 to 12 children). Below those hours, ask HHSC Child Care Regulation before you start.
What is the difference between a registered and a licensed child care home?
Per the HHSC home provider page, a registered home cares for up to six unrelated children 13 or younger during school hours, plus six more school-age children after school, at least four hours a day on a pattern of three or more days a week. A licensed home cares for seven to 12 children for at least two hours but less than 24 hours a day, three or more days a week. Both are in the caregiver's own home, and no more than 12 children at any time, related children included.
When do I need a child care center license instead of a home permit?
The HHSC Child Care Regulation Handbook defines a licensed child care center as care for seven or more children younger than 14, for fewer than 24 hours a day, in a location other than the permit holder's home. The handbook does not state a separate rule for a home that outgrows 12 children, so this checker says to ask HHSC in that case.
Do my own children count toward the numbers?
It depends on the number. The listed and registered home limits on the HHSC page are written in unrelated children. The 12-child total, however, includes children related to the caregiver. Whether related children count toward the seven-child start of a licensed home is not clear from the page, so ask HHSC if your own children push you near that line.
Are there exemptions from child care licensing?
Yes. The HHSC licensing exemptions page lists, for example, accredited private schools, single-skill programs such as karate or gymnastics, short-term programs (under three consecutive weeks and under 40 days in 12 months) and some government-regulated operations. The page says to ask HHSC, so use the exemption box in the checker as a flag, not a ruling.
How old do I need to be to apply?
Per the HHSC home provider page: at least 21 with a high school diploma or equivalent for a licensed or registered child care home, and at least 18 for a listed family home. The pages we read give no age figure for a center, so read chapter 746 and ask HHSC.