Daycare Licensing in Minnesota: Violations, Inspections & License Lookup
How child care licensing works in Minnesota: 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, Licensing Division.
Last verified 2026-08-03
How do I look up daycare violations in Minnesota?
- Open the Licensing Information Lookup at https://licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us.
- Search by provider name, city, county, ZIP code, or license number.
- Filter the program type to Child Care Center or Family Child Care if needed.
- Open the provider's record to see license status and monitoring visit results.
- Review the posted inspection visits, each with a date and any violations found.
- Note the site advisory that some newly completed documents may not yet be posted; contact DCYF Licensing for the full file.
State portal: Minnesota child care search
How do I verify a Minnesotadaycare's license?
- Go to https://licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us.
- Enter the provider name, city, county, ZIP, or license number.
- Select the matching program from the results.
- Confirm the current license status, license number, license holder, and initial effective date.
- Check the services the program is licensed to provide and its licensed location.
State portal: Minnesota license search
Who regulates daycares in Minnesota?
Child care licensing in Minnesota is administered by the Department of Human Services, Licensing Division, under Minn. Stat. 245A + Minn. R. 9503. It licenses providers, inspects them, and records the violations found.
How often are Minnesota daycares inspected?
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) conducts an unannounced routine licensing inspection of each licensed child care center once per calendar year. Licensed family child care homes are inspected at least once a year as well. New providers receive up to four visits during their first year of operation under the Early and Often program. Complaints and reported incidents trigger additional unannounced visits.
Minnesota does not publish a public severity scale for its violations.
What our Minnesotadata covers, and what it doesn't
We track Minnesota'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.
| Minnesota child care data | On record |
|---|---|
| Licensed providers tracked | 7,814 |
| Independently scorable (Confidence Index) | Not yet scorable |
| Inspection history on this site | Roster only, use state source |
Minnesota daycare licensing: common questions
- How do I look up daycare violations in Minnesota?
- Use the state Licensing Information Lookup at licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us. Search by name, city, county, ZIP, or license number, then open the provider's record. Monitoring visit results are posted with the visit date and any violations found.
- How often does Minnesota inspect licensed daycares?
- The Department of Children, Youth, and Families inspects each licensed child care center once per calendar year with an unannounced visit. Family child care homes are inspected at least annually. New providers get up to four visits in their first year, and complaints prompt extra unannounced visits.
- Which agency licenses child care in Minnesota?
- Child care licensing moved from the Department of Human Services to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). DCYF now handles licensing and inspections under Minn. Stat. 245A and Minnesota Rules chapter 9503. The public lookup portal is still hosted at licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us.
- How do I verify a Minnesota daycare's license?
- Search the Licensing Information Lookup at licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us by provider name or license number. The record shows current license status, the license number, the license holder, the effective date, and the services the program may provide. This confirms the provider is actively licensed.
This page republishes the public licensing record and labels every absent field plainly. Primary source: https://licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.