Daycare Licensing in Tennessee: Violations, Inspections & License Lookup
How child care licensing works in Tennessee: 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 Services.
Last verified 2026-08-03
How do I look up daycare violations in Tennessee?
- Open the TDHS Child Care Locator Map at onedhs.tn.gov.
- Search by address, provider name, or county.
- Select the agency to open its details.
- Scroll to the Visits section and click a date under Visit Date/Time to open the inspection report.
- Review the report for cited violations, including any critical items.
State portal: Tennessee child care search
How do I verify a Tennesseedaycare's license?
- Open the Child Care Locator Map at onedhs.tn.gov.
- Search by name, address, or county and select the agency.
- Confirm the agency is licensed by TDHS and review its star quality rating.
- Check the listed license details and visit history for current status.
State portal: Tennessee license search
Who regulates daycares in Tennessee?
Child care licensing in Tennessee is administered by the Department of Human Services, Child Care Services, under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01. It licenses providers, inspects them, and records the violations found.
How often are Tennessee daycares inspected?
Tennessee licensed child care agencies on a continuous license receive a minimum of four monitoring visits per year, two announced and two unannounced in random order. Programs that close for the summer receive three quarterly visits plus one additional visit. Extra visits are triggered by complaints, enforcement actions, and safety plans (which require weekly unannounced visits), and any major high-risk violation not corrected during a visit requires a follow-up within five days.
Tennessee rates violations by severity. Worst first:
- Critical
- Non-critical
What our Tennesseedata covers, and what it doesn't
We track Tennessee'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.
| Tennessee child care data | On record |
|---|---|
| Licensed providers tracked | 4,178 |
| Independently scorable (Confidence Index) | Not yet scorable |
| Inspection history on this site | Roster only, use state source |
Tennessee daycare licensing: common questions
- How do I look up daycare violations in Tennessee?
- Use the TDHS Child Care Locator Map at onedhs.tn.gov. Search by name, address, or county, open the agency, and scroll to the Visits section. Click a visit date to open the inspection report and see any cited violations.
- How often does Tennessee inspect licensed daycares?
- Agencies on a continuous license receive at least four monitoring visits a year, two announced and two unannounced. Summer-closed programs receive three quarterly visits plus one more. Complaints, enforcement actions, and safety plans prompt additional visits.
- What do Tennessee's violation levels mean?
- Tennessee separates violations of critical items from non-critical ones. Critical items cover the highest-risk requirements, such as supervision, safe sleep, medication, emergency preparedness, and background checks. A major high-risk violation not fixed during a visit requires a follow-up within five days.
- How do I verify a Tennessee daycare's license?
- Search the agency on the Child Care Locator Map at onedhs.tn.gov. The map lists over 2,000 agencies licensed by TDHS and shows the agency's star quality rating. Select the agency to confirm it is licensed and to review its visit history.
This page republishes the public licensing record and labels every absent field plainly. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.