To open a daycare center in Ohio, you need a license from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). Getting there means forming a business, securing a facility that meets the state’s space and safety rules, completing pre-licensing training, running background checks on everyone who will work with children, filing an application through the Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System with a $550 fee, and passing an on-site inspection before a provisional license is issued.1Legal Information Institute. Ohio Admin Code 5101:2-12-02 – Application and Amendments for a Licensed Child Care Center Each piece has to be in place before the next one moves.
Are You Opening a Center or a Home-Based Program
Ohio’s licensing rules define a “child care center” as a facility caring for seven or more children at a time in a non-residential setting.2Legal Information Institute. Ohio Admin Code 5101:2-12-01 – Definitions for Licensed Child Care Centers If you plan to care for fewer children in your own home, a different set of family child care rules applies, with different fees, ratios, and facility standards. Everything below is for the center track.
Licensing authority moved from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to DCY in January 2025, so some forms and older guidance still reference ODJFS.3Department of Children and Youth. Program Rules and Resources They describe the same process.
Set Up the Business and Confirm Zoning First
You need a legal business structure before you apply. Most Ohio operators form an LLC or corporation through the Ohio Secretary of State, which charges $99 for either entity type.4Ohio Secretary of State. Filing Forms and Fee Schedule Register the entity with the state before requesting a federal Employer Identification Number; the IRS may hold up an EIN if the entity isn’t on file yet.5Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number The EIN is free through the IRS online portal and issued immediately. Never pay a third-party site for one.
Zoning is worth investigating before you sign a lease. Ohio law automatically classifies family child care homes as residential use permitted in any residential zoning district, but that automatic protection does not extend to child care centers.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5104.054 – Zoning for Type B Family Child Care Home Centers typically need commercial or institutional zoning approval, and many locations require a conditional use permit. Call your city or county planning department early. Finding a zoning conflict after build-out has started is one of the more expensive mistakes possible in this process.
Meet the Facility Standards
Ohio sets minimum physical requirements that inspectors measure directly.
Every licensed center must provide at least 35 square feet of usable indoor floor space per child it is licensed to serve.7ACF Office of Child Care. Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 5101:2-12 – Licensing of Child Care Centers “Usable” is the operative word. Hallways, bathrooms, storage closets, and kitchens do not count; only rooms actively used for child care activities do.
Outdoor play space must offer at least 60 square feet per child using the area at any one time. The play area has to be enclosed by a continuous fence in good condition, a natural barrier such as dense hedges or walls, or a combination of both. Gates need latches that young children cannot easily open, and gates cannot be locked while children are at the center.
Sanitation is spelled out. Every bathroom needs liquid soap, running water, and either disposable towels or air dryers. Equipment and furnishings must be made of materials that clean easily, the facility must be cleaned daily to prevent pest problems, and toys and materials must be kept in good repair.
Building officials and fire inspectors both have to approve the facility before you open, and you will need written documentation of those approvals for your license application. If your building was constructed before 1978, the EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule requires that renovation work be performed only by a Lead-Safe Certified firm using trained, certified renovators.8US EPA. Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Operators of Child Care Facilities If your own staff will handle maintenance and repairs, the center itself must become a certified firm.
Get Staff Cleared, Trained, and Scheduled to Ratio
Background Checks
Everyone working in a licensed center — owners, administrators, employees, substitutes — must pass a background check.9Legal Information Institute. Ohio Admin Code 5101:2-12-09 – Background Check Requirements for a Licensed Child Care Center Ohio pulls records from five sources: Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation criminal history, FBI criminal history, the national sex offender registry, the state sex offender registry, and SACWIS, the state’s child welfare information system that tracks substantiated abuse and neglect reports. Fingerprints are submitted electronically through the process established by BCI, and results go directly to the licensing agency. Processing can take several weeks, and you cannot open with any staff whose checks are not complete.
Training Deadlines
Ohio requires specific training after each hire, with tight clocks:10Legal Information Institute. Ohio Admin Code 5101:2-12-10 – Training and Professional Development Requirements for a Licensed Child Care Center
- First aid and CPR within 90 days of hire, covering CPR for every age group the center is licensed to serve.
- Child abuse and neglect recognition within 60 days of hire.
- At least six clock hours of ongoing professional development each fiscal year for every administrator and staff member.
These deadlines run from the hire date, not from opening day. Staff hired during build-out already have training clocks ticking.
Staff-to-Child Ratios
Maximum ratios depend on age. For infants under 12 months, one staff member is required for every five infants, or two staff members for up to 12 infants in the same room.11Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5104.033 – Staff to Child Ratios For school-age children under 11, one staff member covers up to 18 children, with a maximum group size of 36. The full ratio table sets thresholds for every age bracket in between, and ratios must be maintained at all times, including during meals, naps, outdoor play, and transitions. Plan your staffing budget and licensed capacity around them from the start.
File the Application and Pass the Inspection
Pre-Licensing Training and Ohio Professional Registry
Before submitting an application, the owner or authorized representative must create a profile in the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR) and complete the required center pre-licensing training. That training must have been completed within five years before your application date; older completions do not count.1Legal Information Institute. Ohio Admin Code 5101:2-12-02 – Application and Amendments for a Licensed Child Care Center
Submitting Through OCLQS
Applications are filed online through the Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System, with a non-refundable $550 fee.12Ohio Department of Children and Youth. Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System (OCLQS) The fee cannot be credited or transferred to another application if plans change. The application is considered filed on the date it is received electronically and payment is processed. Have your fire inspection report, building approval documentation, proof of insurance, staff credentials and background check results, and a facility layout showing room use and square footage calculations ready before you start.
Provisional License and Follow-Up Inspections
After filing, DCY schedules an on-site inspection. At least one inspection must occur before a provisional license can be issued.13Legal Information Institute. Ohio Admin Code 5101:2-12-03 – Compliance Inspection and Licensing for a Licensed Child Care Center The inspector verifies facility dimensions, safety equipment, sanitation, staffing documentation, and posted plans.
New centers get a provisional license first, not a continuous one. During the provisional period, the state conducts at least two additional inspections, and at least one of those must be unannounced. Consistent compliance across those visits is what earns a continuous license.
Insurance
Ohio requires proof of insurance coverage as part of the licensing process. Commercial general liability is the baseline, and most centers carry at least $1 million per occurrence with a $2 million aggregate limit. Premiums vary with licensed capacity, the age groups served, whether children are transported, claims history, and background check practices. Start shopping early. Insurers sometimes take weeks to underwrite a new child care operation, and the application cannot be completed without coverage documentation.
Federal Rules That Apply On Top of State Licensing
Americans with Disabilities Act
Private child care centers must comply with Title III of the ADA regardless of size or number of employees; religious organizations are the one exception.14ADA.gov. Commonly Asked Questions About Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act You cannot exclude a child because of a disability unless that child’s presence would pose a direct threat to others’ health or safety or would require a fundamental change to your program. Reasonable modifications to policies are required (allowing service animals, providing communication aids, adjusting toileting policies for older children with disabilities) unless they would create an undue burden.
For the building, existing facilities must remove architectural barriers whenever doing so is “readily achievable,” meaning without much difficulty or expense. Facilities constructed or altered after March 15, 2012, must fully comply with the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Fair Labor Standards Act
Non-exempt daycare workers must receive at least the federal minimum wage and overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Preschool teachers whose primary duty is teaching may qualify for a professional exemption from overtime, but employees whose main job is attending to children’s physical needs (feeding, diapering, supervising play) generally do not qualify.15U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #46 – Daycare Centers and Preschools Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Misclassifying caregivers as exempt from overtime is a common and costly mistake in this industry.
What Ongoing Compliance Looks Like
Annual Inspections
Once a continuous license is issued, licensed centers get at least one inspection per state fiscal year, and at least one annual inspection must be unannounced.16Ohio.gov. What to Expect During a Center Licensing Inspection Inspectors review postings, child and adult files, and historical records. Your license must be displayed where parents can see it.
Child Records and Immunizations
A medical statement must be on file for every enrolled child within 30 days of that child’s first day of attendance, and it must be updated every 13 months. Each statement includes immunization records and confirmation from a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner that the child is suitable for group care. Parents may decline immunizations for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, but the declination must be documented in writing. Medical statements and related forms must be kept on file for at least 12 months from the date signed or updated, even after a child leaves the program.17Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Admin Code 5180:2-12-15 – Child Records for a Licensed Child Care Center
Emergency and Disaster Plan
Every center must develop a written disaster plan and train all staff on it annually. The plan must cover severe weather and natural disasters, active shooter and lockdown situations, hazardous material spills and gas leaks, disease outbreaks, and loss of power, water, or heat.18Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Admin Code 5180:2-12-16 – Emergency and Safety Practices for a Licensed Child Care Center Beyond identifying what to do in each scenario, the plan must spell out how children will be reunited with parents, how infants and children with special needs will be cared for, how emergencies during field trips or transportation will be handled, and how families will be contacted when phone and internet service are unavailable. The plan is updated yearly and shared with all staff.
Step Up To Quality If You Want Public Funding
Ohio’s Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) program is a three-tier rating system (Bronze, Silver, Gold) that recognizes centers meeting standards above the licensing baseline. An SUTQ rating is not required to hold a license, but it is required to accept publicly funded child care payments.19Ohio Department of Children and Youth. Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) Since publicly funded children make up a significant share of enrollment at many Ohio centers, pursuing a rating early can open a meaningful revenue stream.
Reporting Changes
Any significant change to your operation, whether a new administrator, a capacity increase, or a relocation, must be reported to DCY promptly. Falling out of compliance can lead to corrective action plans, and serious or repeated violations can result in license revocation.