Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care Licensing
Nevada licenses from the fifth child. NRS 432A.024 defines a child care facility as an establishment furnishing care to five or more children under eighteen when compensation is received for any of them, and the Division of Social Services licenses two home sizes under NAC 432A: a family home for five or six children and a group home for seven to twelve. Care for four or fewer unrelated children is a small child care establishment under NRS 432A.0295, which may register with the Division voluntarily but needs no license. A home whose only children are relatives within the third degree is outside the definition altogether.
| Tier | Children | Age limits | Your own kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small child care establishmentscce registration | up to 4 |
| Do not count |
| Family homelicense | 5 to 6 |
| Count |
| Group homelicense | 7 to 12 |
| Count |
Age limits and totals for every tier, with row-level citations, live on the Nevada home daycare ratios page.
The five-child definition bites only if compensation is received for the care of any of those children. Care for a friend’s or neighbor’s children for no more than four weeks, by a person who does not regularly engage in it, is separately excluded under NRS 432A.024(2)(c).
NRS 432A.0295 describes an establishment caring for not more than four children under eighteen who are not related to the operator within the fourth degree, outside the home and presence of the parents. Registration with the Division is voluntary under NRS 432A.1756.
NAC 432A.534 lets a family home care for no more than two children under one year, or four children under two, at any given time, and keeps six children under eighteen per caregiver residing in the home. A caregiver’s own resident child counts only while under four.
Clark County ended its own licensing earlier and Washoe County handed over on July 1, 2024, so the local-agency language in NRS 432A.131 is dormant and the state Division licenses statewide. The Division itself moved from Public and Behavioral Health to Welfare and Supportive Services, renamed Social Services on July 1, 2025.
Four. NRS 432A.024(1)(a) makes an establishment a child care facility at five or more children under eighteen when compensation is received, and NRS 432A.0295 names four or fewer unrelated children a small child care establishment.
Not toward the licensing line, which counts only children who are not related within the third degree. In a licensed family or group home a caregiver’s own resident child counts toward the per-caregiver limit only while under four years of age.
At least five and not more than six, per NAC 432A.100, with no more than two under one year or four under two.
A facility in which the licensee regularly provides care for seven to twelve children, per NAC 432A.110, staffed at one caregiver for every two children under one, one for every four aged one to three, and two for every six aged three and older.
Operating a child care facility without a license is a misdemeanor under NRS 432A.220, and the Division may issue a cease and desist order and seek an injunction.
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.