Six hours a week
346-152(a)(2) takes out anyone caring for a child less than six hours a week. The relatives excluded under (a)(1) run from a parent’s sibling and grandparents to first cousins, a sibling’s grandchild and a grandparent’s sibling.
Hawaii DHS Child Care Program Office
How many kids can you watch without a license in Hawaii?
Verified September 5, 2026Hawaii registers from the third child. Haw. Rev. Stat. 346-152(a)(11) excludes a person caring for two or fewer children unrelated to the caregiver, and 346-151 defines a family child care home as a private residence caring for three to six unrelated children, which needs a certificate of registration from the Department of Human Services under Haw. Admin. R. chapter 17-891.2. An extended or modified private home caring for seven to twelve children is a group child care home, licensed under chapter 17-892.2 on the group center rules. Care for fewer than six hours a week, and care only for relatives in the listed degrees, is outside the part.
The Hawaii ladder, tier by tier
| Tier | Children | Age limits | Your own kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Child Care Homefcc certificate of registration | 3 to 6 |
| Count |
| Group Child Care Homegch license | 7 to 12 |
| See rule |
Age limits and totals for every tier, with row-level citations, live on the Hawaii home daycare ratios page.
What changes this answer
Own children under six count
17-891.2-10 excludes from the six only children six and older and children under six who are not in the provider’s care. A provider’s own child under six who is in the provider’s care counts toward the six.
Two under eighteen months
17-891.2-36(b) allows no more than two children under eighteen months in a family child care home, and four when an additional adult helps. The department may lower a home’s number under 36(c) for limited space, a wide age range or special care needs.
Group homes start at two
17-892.2-10 limits a group child care home to children twenty-four months and older, staffed at one to eight for two-year-olds and one to twelve for three-year-olds. Infants and toddlers belong in family homes.
Real questions, short answers
How many kids can you watch in Hawaii without registering?
Two children unrelated to you, per Haw. Rev. Stat. 346-152(a)(11). The third unrelated child makes the home a family child care home that must register.
How many children can a Hawaii family child care home have?
Six, counting the provider’s own children under six who are in the provider’s care, per Haw. Admin. R. 17-891.2-10.
How many infants can a Hawaii family child care home have?
Two under eighteen months, or four with an additional adult, per 17-891.2-36(b).
What is a group child care home in Hawaii?
An extended or modified private home licensed for seven to twelve children aged twenty-four months and older, under chapter 17-892.2.
What is the fine for unlicensed child care in Hawaii?
17-891.2-4 makes operating a child care facility without a license a violation punishable by a fine up to the maximum the law allows.
Other states we have verified
Sources for Hawaii
- Haw. Rev. Stat. chapter 346, part VIII, sections 346-151 and 346-152 346-151, 346-152
- Haw. Admin. R. chapter 17-891.2, Registration of Family Child Care Homes, effective September 22, 2023 17-891.2-4, 17-891.2-10, 17-891.2-36
- Haw. Admin. R. chapter 17-892.2, Licensing of Group Child Care Homes and Centers, 2024 edition 17-892.2-1, 17-892.2-10, 17-892.2-36
DaycareRules is an informational reference about home child care licensing rules in the United States. It reprints thresholds, capacity limits, ratios and citations from state statutes and regulations, together with the date each state was last verified. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and rules change. Confirm with your state licensing agency before acting on any number printed here.