Daycare Licensing in Hawaii: Violations, Inspections & License Lookup
How child care licensing works in Hawaii: 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 Human Services, Child Care Licensing Unit.
Last verified 2026-08-03
How do I look up daycare violations in Hawaii?
- Hawaii does not publish a per-provider violation or inspection lookup online. The public Child Care Provider Search only lists providers and filters, not inspection reports.
- Open the DHS Child Care Licensing page and find the Licensing Unit contact for the island where the provider operates (Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, or Kauai).
- Contact that Licensing Unit and ask to review the provider's licensing inspection reports or file a records request for the provider's inspection and complaint history.
- Provide the provider's exact name and location so staff can locate the correct file.
State portal: Hawaii child care search
How do I verify a Hawaiidaycare's license?
- Open the Hawaii Child Care Provider Search.
- Search by area, zip code, or provider type (center or family child care home).
- Confirm the provider appears in the results, since only DHS-licensed or registered providers are listed.
- For the current license number, capacity, or status, contact the island Child Care Licensing Unit, because those details are not all shown in the search.
State portal: Hawaii license search
Who regulates daycares in Hawaii?
Child care licensing in Hawaii is administered by the Department of Human Services, Child Care Licensing Unit, under Haw. Admin. Rules Title 17, Subtitle 6. It licenses providers, inspects them, and records the violations found.
How often are Hawaii daycares inspected?
Hawaii DHS conducts full licensing visits every year for providers licensed less than four years, and every other year for providers licensed four or more years, with an off-year safety and health visit in the alternating years. Unannounced visits happen at least once a year and any time the agency must observe the program or investigate a complaint.
Hawaii does not publish a public severity scale for its violations.
What our Hawaiidata covers, and what it doesn't
We track Hawaii'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.
| Hawaii child care data | On record |
|---|---|
| Licensed providers tracked | 521 |
| Independently scorable (Confidence Index) | Not yet scorable |
| Inspection history on this site | Roster only, use state source |
Hawaii daycare licensing: common questions
- How do I look up daycare violations in Hawaii?
- Hawaii has no public online lookup for a provider's violations. To review a licensed provider's inspection reports or complaint history, contact the Child Care Licensing Unit for that island through the DHS Child Care Licensing page. Staff can share the reports or process a records request.
- How often does Hawaii inspect licensed daycares?
- DHS conducts a full licensing visit every year for providers licensed under four years, and every other year for those licensed four or more years. In the alternating years a shorter off-year safety visit is done. Unannounced visits occur at least once a year and to investigate complaints.
- How do I verify a Hawaii daycare's license?
- Use the DHS Child Care Provider Search at childcareprovidersearch.dhs.hawaii.gov to confirm the provider is listed, since only licensed or registered providers appear. For the license number, capacity, or current status, contact the island Child Care Licensing Unit directly.
- Who regulates child care in Hawaii?
- The Hawaii Department of Human Services, Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division runs the Child Care Program and its Licensing Units. Providers are regulated under Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 17, Subtitle 6. PATCH is the statewide resource and referral service that helps families find care.
This page republishes the public licensing record and labels every absent field plainly. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.