Daycare Licensing in California: Violations, Inspections & License Lookup
How child care licensing works in California: who regulates it, the rules providers answer to, how often they are inspected, and the exact steps to look up a daycare's violations and verify its license. Sourced from Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division.
Last verified 2026-08-03
How do I look up daycare violations in California?
- Open the CDSS Community Care Facility Search.
- Search by facility name, facility number, city, or county.
- Select the child care facility from the results.
- Open the facility's visits and citations to see deficiencies, including their Type A, B, or C classification.
- Open the complaint investigation reports, which are available for roughly the last five years.
State portal: California child care search
How do I verify a Californiadaycare's license?
- Open the CDSS Community Care Facility Search.
- Search by facility name or facility number.
- Open the facility record.
- Confirm the license status, facility number, licensed capacity, and licensee name.
State portal: California license search
Who regulates daycares in California?
Child care licensing in California is administered by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, under Cal. Code Regs. Title 22, Div. 12. It licenses providers, inspects them, and records the violations found.
How often are California daycares inspected?
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Community Care Licensing Division, inspects every licensed child care facility at least once a year, unannounced, under its statutory annual inspection requirement. This applies to both child care centers and family child care homes. Complaints, incidents, and follow-up on citations trigger additional visits.
California rates violations by severity. Worst first:
- Type A
- Type B
- Type C
What our Californiadata covers, and what it doesn't
We track California's licensed providers from the state's public records: license number, status, and capacity. For a provider's full inspection and violation history, follow the steps above at the state's own source.
| California child care data | On record |
|---|---|
| Licensed providers tracked | 24,496 |
| Independently scorable (Confidence Index) | Not yet scorable |
| Inspection history on this site | Roster only, use state source |
California daycare licensing: common questions
- How do I look up daycare violations in California?
- Use the Community Care Facility Search at ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch. Search by facility name, number, city, or county, then open the facility. You can view visits, citations and their Type A, B, or C level, and complaint investigation reports covering about the last five years.
- How often does California inspect licensed daycares?
- CDSS inspects every licensed child care facility at least once a year, unannounced. This covers both child care centers and family child care homes. Complaints, reported incidents, and follow-up on citations can prompt additional inspections.
- What do California's Type A, B, and C violation levels mean?
- A Type A deficiency poses an immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care and must be corrected right away. A Type B deficiency violates a regulation but does not pose an immediate risk. A Type C deficiency does not present an immediate or potential risk. Repeat Type A violations can carry escalating civil penalties.
- How do I verify a California daycare's license?
- Open the provider in the Community Care Facility Search at ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch. The record shows the license status, facility number, licensed capacity, and licensee. Always ask the facility to show its current license as well.
This page republishes the public licensing record and labels every absent field plainly. Primary source: https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.