How to Start a Daycare in California (2026)

By StartBusinessByState·Publisher: Robert Smith·Research process

Last updated: November 4, 2026

California licenses nonexempt child care through the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). Child Care Centers serve approved age components at licensed premises; Family Child Care Homes operate in the provider’s residence, with small-home capacity up to eight and large-home capacity up to fourteen only when all age-mix and staffing conditions are met. The license determines the applicable staffing, premises and application rules. Check CDSS’s single-license center guidance before committing to a facility.

Starting in the 2025–26 school year, public Transitional Kindergarten eligibility expanded to children who turn four by September 1. CDE’s enrollment table reports 213,313 TK students in 2025–26, up 35,743 from 2024–25. That is an enrollment count, not a forecast of demand for your daycare. Compare local school hours, available extended care, family preferences and unmet needs by age before choosing your enrollment mix. CDE enrollment data; TK eligibility guidance.

California’s licensing rules distinguish infant, toddler and preschool staffing, required background clearances, director/teacher qualifications and pre-application orientation. The toddler component covers ages 18–36 months under current CDSS Written Directives. Do not use a single age ratio or a promised 180-day licensing timetable for every program.

California Daycare Requirements at a Glance

Requirement	Agency	Cost	Timeline
Required orientation	CDSS Community Care Licensing Division	Statutory fee: $25 family home; $50 center. Online processing charges and center’s second session are additional.	Complete the required sessions before applying
Child Care Center license	CDSS CCLD	$484 initial / $242 annual for 1–30 children, rising by capacity to $2,420 / $1,210 for 121+	Depends on completeness, approvals and inspection
Small or large Family Child Care Home license	CDSS CCLD	Small: $73 initial and $73 annual; large: $140 initial and $140 annual	Meet the relevant capacity, staffing and home requirements
Required background checks	CDSS / DOJ / FBI	Applicable fingerprint processing and vendor charges	Obtain the required clearance, exemption or transfer approval before covered presence/work
Pediatric first aid and CPR	Accepted training provider	Provider’s current price; maintain current certification	Required covered persons and on-site coverage rules apply
Health and safety training	CDSS / accepted trainers	Current covered roles need the applicable training; new-license training includes the nutrition hour	Expanded 16-hour rule and 12 hours annual continuing education begin October 1, 2027
Required health/TB screening	Qualified healthcare provider	Provider’s charge	Complete and retain the screening required for the covered role
Fire clearance	Local fire authority / CCLD	Current local charges for centers and large homes; small homes have a formal-clearance exemption	Small homes still must meet applicable safety requirements
LLC articles, if choosing an LLC	bizfile Online	$70	Online or paper; processing varies
Ordinary LLC annual tax	Franchise Tax Board	Generally $800; exceptions and corporate elections differ	First payment generally due on the 15th day of the fourth month after formation
Workers’ compensation	Licensed insurer / State Fund	Quote actual duties, payroll and claims history; an advisory rate is not a minimum premium	Generally required from the first employee
Liability coverage / family-home statutory alternatives	Licensed insurer / CCLD	Quote the actual program; family homes have specific insurance, bond or parent-affidavit alternatives	Confirm legal, lease, contract and policy conditions before operating
Local business approvals	Responsible local agencies	Center fees vary. State law prohibits a local business-license fee/tax for operating a licensed family child care home.	Check requirements applicable to the license type and premises

How to Start a Daycare in California (Step by Step)

Step 1: Choose Your License Type — Center vs. Family Home

License type	Capacity	Premises	Budget approach
Child Care Center	Approved capacity, space and age components	Premises approved for the licensed use	Quote the proposed premises, staffing and fit-out; no statewide startup price
Small Family Child Care Home	Four infants; or six children with no more than three infants; seven or eight only with the additional statutory conditions. Resident children under ten count.	Provider’s residence	Calculate modifications, training, insurance and working capital for the actual home
Large Family Child Care Home	Up to twelve with no more than four infants and an assistant; thirteen/fourteen require the additional conditions. Without an assistant, small-home limits apply. Resident children and the assistant’s children under ten count.	Provider’s residence	Include assistant payroll, required fire approval and the actual capacity/age mix

Family Child Care Homes have meaningful California protections — state law overrides most local zoning to allow FCCHs in residential zones (Health & Safety Code 1597.40 et seq.), and homeowner’s associations cannot prohibit them. This protects the home-based model in jurisdictions that might otherwise zone it out.

Step 2: Attend CDSS Community Care Licensing Orientation

Complete the orientation required for your license type before applying. CDSS offers online options and scheduled live sessions; follow the current registration instructions. The center online route has two required sessions: application, then operations and recordkeeping. Its topics include:

• Overview of Title 22 regulations
• License type selection (CCC vs. FCCH)
• Staff-child ratios and group size
• Facility and safety requirements
• Background check process
• Application submission and review timeline
• Required training and certifications

The statutory orientation charges are $25 for a family-home session and $50 for a center session. CDSS currently lists the center online application session at $54.85 including processing, plus $4.85 processing for the operations/recordkeeping session: $59.70 for both. Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable; verify the selected route’s checkout amount. CDSS center orientation instructions.

Step 3: Choose a Business Structure and Complete Any Formation Filings

An LLC is optional, not a child-care licensing requirement. Compare tax, ownership, insurance and liability implications with qualified advice. A home license depends on the provider and residence; creating an LLC does not replace it or protect someone from liability for their own conduct. For an ordinary California LLC, the main state filings are:

• Articles of Organization (LLC-1): $70 at bizfile Online
• Statement of Information (LLC-12): $20 within 90 days, biennial thereafter
• Federal EIN: free from the IRS when required for your entity, employees or tax activities
• Generally $800 annual California LLC tax. The temporary 2021–2023 first-year exemption ended; other narrow exceptions and corporate tax elections require separate review.

Step 4: LiveScan Fingerprint Background Checks

Use CDSS’s current background-check rules for the roles and adults covered by your license. Required people must obtain the appropriate clearance, exemption or approved transfer before covered work, residence or volunteering. Do not treat every visitor as a fingerprinted employee, or assume a volunteer title provides an exemption. Covered categories include:

• Applicants, directors and staff covered by the licensing rules
• Volunteers with child contact, subject to the specific statutory exemption and supervision conditions
• Adult household residents in a family child care home, under the applicable residence rules
• Other covered employees and adults with facility access; verify any claimed exemption with CCLD

Required checks can include:

• California DOJ Criminal History System
• FBI Criminal History System
• California Child Abuse Central Index (CACI)

Use the current CDSS instructions and correct Live Scan form; CDSS recommends starting in Guardian before fingerprint submission. Vendor/processing charges and completion time vary. Some records require an exemption assessment and some convictions are legally nonexemptible. Do not promise clearance in two to six weeks or assume an exemption will be granted. Verify facility association and the required approval before the person starts covered duties. Current Guardian/background-check guidance.

TrustLine is a separate registry used for specified license-exempt child-care arrangements. It does not replace the required CCLD clearance and facility association for licensed care. Match the actual care setting and role to the applicable process rather than describing one registry as universally stricter.

Step 5: Submit Your Application Packet and Fees

Use the current CDSS packet and its submission instructions. The Centralized Application Bureau supports center applications; confirm the destination and required documents for your license type rather than assuming every application goes to a local office. The packet includes, as applicable:

• Child care center: form LIC 200A, Application for a Child Care Center License. (Its instruction packet is LIC 281A. LIC 281 is the generic facility packet and is not the center application.)
• Family child care home: form LIC 279, Application for a Family Child Care Home License
• Facility floor plan showing each room, exits, and required square footage
• Center outdoor activity-space plan: generally 75 square feet per child of licensed capacity, subject to applicable approved alternatives; family homes have separate premises rules
• Center indoor activity-space plan: generally 35 usable square feet per child of licensed capacity, with excluded areas; do not apply this center calculation automatically to a family home
• Evacuation plan and disaster preparedness plan
• Menu and food service plan (if providing meals)
• Required fire clearance for centers and large family child care homes. The small-home formal-clearance exemption does not remove its safety, detector, extinguisher and other applicable operating rules.
• Health/TB documentation for the persons covered by the applicable personnel or home-resident rules
• CPR and Pediatric First Aid certifications
• Health and safety training evidence for the roles currently covered, including the nutrition hour where applicable. Plan separately for the expanded 16-hour training and annual continuing education requirements starting October 1, 2027.
• Water quality test if on well water
• Assess applicable environmental hazards. Licensed centers in pre-2010 buildings have drinking-water lead testing requirements, including repeat testing every five years; this is not a universal “lead and asbestos disclosure” rule for every older daycare building. State Water Board child-care guidance.
• Licensing fees (varies by capacity)

Application review and inspection timing depends on the completed packet, background checks, premises and other approvals. Ask the assigned licensing office for the current sequence and outstanding items before setting an opening date.

Step 6: Build Staffing to Title 22 Ratios

For child care centers, distinguish the regular staffing rule from qualified-aide substitutions, sleeping-child rules and approved age components:

Age component	Ordinary staffing rule	Important conditions
Infants, generally under two	One teacher per four infants	Qualified-aide substitutions and sleeping-infant supervision have specific conditions in §101416.5; its reference to twelve is not a blanket maximum licensed infant capacity
Approved toddler component, 18–36 months	One teacher per six toddlers; qualifying aide substitution under direct supervision	Maximum twelve toddlers with two teachers, or a fully qualified teacher and an aide; written parent permission and applicable CDSS component rules
Preschool component	One teacher per twelve; teacher + aide per fifteen, or fully qualified teacher + qualifying aide per eighteen	The 1:18 arrangement requires the aide’s specified education/enrollment. Licensed capacity, space and adequate supervision still limit enrollment.

Some directly funded child-development programs have additional staffing, qualification and program standards. A voucher-paying family does not automatically turn every licensed provider into a Title 5 center. Distinguish your license requirements from the requirements of the specific CCTR, CSPP, CalWORKs or alternative-payment agreement; verify both before budgeting staffing.

Staff qualifications under 22 CCR 101215.1 through 101216.3: (101215 covers the administrator and 101216 the general personnel rules; the director, teacher, aide and ratio requirements are in the decimal sections.)

• Director — any one of four paths under 22 CCR 101215.1(h): (1) high school/GED + 15 semester units (12 in child growth and development, family and community, and program/curriculum, plus 3 in administration or staff relations) + 4 years teaching experience; (2) an AA in ECE or child development + 3 administration units + 2 years; (3) a BA in ECE or child development + 3 administration units + 1 year; or (4) a Child Development Site Supervisor or Program Director Permit
• Teacher: may begin with 6 ECE semester units (or an Assistant Permit) while enrolled toward the rest; fully qualified is 12 ECE units + 6 months of work experience in a licensed center, or a Child Development Teacher Permit
• Aide: direct teacher supervision is required. Limited routes allow an aide under eighteen, such as a high-school graduate or participant in an accredited high-school/college occupational program. The 1:18 preschool arrangement has additional education/enrollment conditions.
• Infant program director: Additional 3 units in infant/toddler care

Current center rules cover at least one director or teacher and required first-aid/CPR availability; new-license health and safety training includes the nutrition hour. CDSS’s September 2026 notice sets October 1, 2027 for the expanded rule: all center staff providing care, all family-home licensees and care staff, and substitute adults must complete at least 16 hours and maintain pediatric first-aid/CPR certification. Twelve hours of annual continuing education also begin then. See PIN 26-11-CCP and the California child care licensing changes we track.

Step 7: Pass Your Pre-Licensing Inspection

A CCLD licensing analyst conducts a walk-through before issuing your license. The inspector verifies:

• For centers, generally 35 square feet of usable indoor activity space and 75 outdoors per child of licensed capacity, with specified exclusions. Review any approved outdoor alternatives and the applicable fencing/surface requirements; family homes use separate rules.
• Sleeping accommodations meet safe sleep standards (especially infants — firm mattress, no soft bedding)
• Hand-washing sinks, diapering stations, and separation of diaper-change area from food prep
• Safe food handling and temperature control. Title 22’s center food-service rule specifies 45°F or below for covered perishable foods; stricter rules can apply to separately regulated food operations. Use the requirements applicable to your meal program.
• Hazardous supplies inaccessible to children, poisons in locked storage, and medications safely stored separately with required labels, permissions and refrigeration where needed
• Outdoor playground — fencing at least 4 feet, age-appropriate equipment, impact-absorbent surfacing under climbers/swings
• Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, first aid kit
• A current emergency/disaster plan and documented drills. CDSS’s new plan, staff/volunteer training and at-least-quarterly drill requirements take effect January 1, 2027.
• Required license, rights, complaint information and program notices, together with the records and menus applicable to the license
• Pools and other water hazards secured under the applicable center or family-home barriers and supervision rules; obtain approval for the actual layout

The CCLD inspector also interviews the director and staff to confirm knowledge of Title 22 basics, ratio compliance during nap time and transitions, and incident reporting procedures.

There is no single guaranteed approval period for every center or family home. Coordinate outstanding documents, clearances, inspections and any required corrections with CCLD; do not commit to an opening date based only on a generic 60–180-day estimate.

Step 8: EDD, Workers’ Comp, Insurance

Register with EDD within fifteen days after paying more than $100 in quarterly wages. For 2026, new-employer UI is 3.4% on the first $7,000 per employee, ETT is 0.1% on that base, and employee SDI withholding is 1.3% without a wage cap. Other payroll duties remain separate.

Workers’ compensation is generally required from the first employee. Ask the insurer to classify the actual work and quote payroll, experience and coverage. A WCIRB advisory pure premium is not an insurer’s quoted rate or a guaranteed minimum; do not calculate the bill from it alone. Coverage is available through commercial insurers and State Fund.

Ask an insurer about general and professional liability for your actual care program. Family child care homes have a statutory choice: qualifying liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence/$300,000 aggregate, a $300,000 bond, or the required signed parent affidavits explaining the absence of that coverage. The affidavit route does not provide insurance. Check these alternatives and any lease or contract conditions, then discuss:

• Whether abuse/molestation claims are covered or excluded, and whether a separate policy or endorsement is needed
• Conduct and discipline exclusions. Corporal punishment is prohibited by child-care rules; no insurance waiver authorizes it.
• Vehicle coverage and transport requirements if transporting children; disclose the use to the insurer
• Property insurance for the facility

Choosing coverage for a home daycare or a center? Read our California daycare insurance costs and coverage. Compare the family-home options, center exposures and exclusions before requesting your quote.

Step 9: Local Registration, Subsidy Programs, and Planning Around UPK

Resource & Referral Agencies

Contact your local Resource & Referral agency for referral listings, local care needs and help identifying relevant subsidy administrators. This is a planning and referral step, separate from obtaining the child-care license.

Subsidy Contracts

California’s subsidized programs have different administrators and funding models. CDSS administers child-care and development programs including CalWORKs child care, alternative payment and CCTR; the California State Preschool Program remains with CDE. Identify the particular agreement before assuming its requirements:

• CalWORKs child care: stages support eligible current and former cash-aid families under the applicable rules
• California Alternative Payment Program: voucher-based assistance; distinguish CAPP from the separate CalWORKs Stage 2 and Stage 3 programs
• CCTR General Child Care and Development: directly contracted services subject to eligibility and contract conditions
• CSPP California State Preschool Program: administered by CDE within the wider prekindergarten system

Subsidy participation does not guarantee a minimum income. Confirm eligibility, enrollment, attendance/payment rules, reimbursement, reporting and any additional staffing or program standards in the actual agreement. Direct-service contracts and vouchers are different arrangements.

The UPK Reality Check

From the 2025–26 school year, children turning four by September 1 qualify for public TK. CDE reports 213,313 TK pupils in 2025–26, a 20.1% increase over 2024–25. This does not by itself measure losses or gains in private daycare enrollment.

Use these questions to test your local business plan:

• How many four-year-old families need or prefer care outside the public TK schedule, and at what verified price? Do not assume either full private enrollment or its disappearance.
• What infant/toddler places are actually unavailable locally, and can the staffing, premises and fees support that age mix? Public TK enrollment alone does not establish rising infant demand.
• What before-school, after-school and holiday care remains unmet after checking school-provided expanded-learning programs? Schools may already offer extended care.
• Which local preschool or other early-learning partnerships are actually open to your license type? Mixed-delivery UPK is broader than TK and does not promise a private center a district contract.

CalSavers

CalSavers determines eligibility using prior-year EDD filings. Employers without a qualifying retirement plan must register when required; owner-only businesses and specified others are exempt. The one-to-four-employee deadline was December 31, 2025. Follow CalSavers registration/exemption instructions and your assigned deadline.

California Daycare Market Context

• Local demand: examine licensed capacity, age-specific vacancies, family schedules and competitor enrollment in the area you intend to serve. Statewide population or provider counts do not establish an unmet local market.
• Age mix: infant, toddler and preschool staffing requirements produce different costs per available place. Compare actual local tuition and occupancy with the staffing you must maintain rather than assuming a statewide coastal-market price.
• Dated price benchmark: the federal National Database of Childcare Prices’ 2022 California estimates list center-based infant care at $379.21 per week, about $1,643 monthly using 52/12. Home-based infant care is $284.37 weekly and center-based preschool $224.99. These are historical estimates, not current tuition quotes. Compare local prices and the childcare prices by state study.
• Payroll planning: BLS’s May 2025 California estimate for childcare workers is a median $19.24 per hour ($40,020 annual equivalent). This historical benchmark is not a recruiting quote or a legal minimum. Obtain current pay ranges for each required role and apply the higher applicable state/local wage floor, plus payroll taxes, benefits and replacement coverage.
• Premises: compare the actual approved space, rent, modifications and occupancy costs for a center with the costs of operating a qualifying family home. Neither license type has a proven statewide startup-price range.

Illustrative Daycare Startup Budget — Replace Allowances With Quotes

Planning input, not a current price survey	Small family home, up to eight subject to conditions	Center with 40–60 licensed places
Ordinary LLC filings and annual tax, only if choosing this structure	$890 ($70 + $20 + $800), subject to exceptions	$890, subject to exceptions
Initial CDSS license application; annual charge is separate	$73 initial; $73 annual	$968 initial; $484 annual
LiveScan fingerprinting (household + staff)	$150-$400	$1,000-$2,500
Required first aid, CPR and health/safety training	Illustrative $200–$500 allowance; replace with required persons × provider quotes	Calculate each covered staff member’s training; do not treat a per-person amount as the whole-center cost
Home/facility modifications (safety, play area, fencing, diaper station)	$3,000-$10,000	$40,000-$150,000
Lease deposits + first 2 months rent (center only)	N/A	$15,000-$50,000
Fire clearance and other premises approvals	Small-home formal-fire-clearance exemption; quote any other applicable work/approval. Large homes differ.	Illustrative $2,000–$15,000 allowance; verify actual approvals and charges
Furniture, cribs, toys, educational materials	$2,000-$5,000	$15,000-$40,000
Curriculum, training materials, assessments	$300-$1,000	$2,500-$7,000
Insurance (GL + PL + WC + abuse-molestation) yr 1	$1,500-$3,500	$8,000-$20,000
City business license	$0 — prohibited by HSC 1597.45(b)	$200-$800
Marketing + enrollment materials	$300-$1,500	$3,000-$12,000
Working capital (before full enrollment)	$2,000-$6,000	$20,000-$50,000
Your total	Add actual inputs, optional entity costs, training headcount and working capital	Add actual inputs, all staff training and payroll; the table is not a verified statewide total

Related California Business Guides

← Back to all California business guides

Additional Requirements and Upcoming Dates

• Expanded training starts October 1, 2027. CDSS identifies all center care staff, family-home licensees and care staff, and substitute adults. They must complete at least 16 hours of health/safety training (15 plus one nutrition hour), maintain pediatric first aid/CPR, and complete twelve hours of continuing education annually from that date. Topics include emergency planning, premises safety, safe sleep, abuse prevention, transport, infection control, allergic reactions, hazardous materials and medication. The new emergency-plan/quarterly-drill rules start January 1, 2027; compliance with the department’s anaphylaxis policy starts January 1, 2028. These are distinct deadlines. Read CDSS’s implementation notice.
• A large family child care home requires a year of prior experience. No home
  can be licensed as a large family child care home unless the provider has at least one
  year’s experience as a regulated small family child care home operator or as an
  administrator of a licensed child care center. The CDSS director may waive this on a finding of
  sufficient qualifying experience, but plan for it rather than assume the waiver.
  
• Your own children under 10 count toward capacity. A small family
  child care home is licensed for eight or fewer children including children under 10 years of
  age who reside at the home; a large home is 7 to 14 on the same basis. Providers routinely
  plan a roster as though their own kids are not in the count. They are.
  
• Going from 12 to 14 children in a large home has its own four conditions.
  A large family child care home may care for more than 12 and up to 14 children only if: at least
  one child is enrolled in and attending kindergarten or elementary school and a second child is at
  least six; no more than three infants are in care at any time more than 12
  children are present; the licensee notifies a parent that up to 13 or 14 children may be in the
  home at once; and, on leased or rented property, the licensee has the owner’s written
  consent.
  
• Going from six to eight children in a small home has four conditions, all of
  them. A small family child care home may care for more than six and up to eight
  children without an additional adult only if: at least one child is enrolled in and attending
  kindergarten or elementary school and a second child is at least six; no more than two infants
  are present at any time more than six children are in care; the licensee notifies every parent
  that up to seven or eight children may be in the home at once; and, if the home is rented or
  leased, the licensee has the property owner’s written consent.
  

Frequently Asked Questions

Who licenses daycares in California?

CDSS Community Care Licensing licenses nonexempt California child care centers and family child care homes. Exempt arrangements exist and need separate assessment. Complete the required orientation, use the current license-type application and follow CDSS’s submission instructions; the Centralized Application Bureau supports center applications and regional offices remain involved in licensing.

What are California’s daycare staff-to-child ratios?

Centers generally use one teacher per four infants, subject to §101416.5’s qualified-aide and sleeping-infant conditions. An approved 18–36-month toddler component uses one teacher per six and a maximum group of twelve with the specified two-person staffing. Preschool ordinarily uses 1:12, with permitted teacher/aide arrangements of 1:15 or 1:18 under their conditions. Capacity, space and supervision still apply. Family homes use separate age-mix and assistant rules. Additional funded-program standards depend on the actual contract; accepting vouchers does not automatically impose every Title 5 center rule.

Do I need TrustLine registration or CCLD background check for my daycare staff?

For licensed care, use the required CCLD/Guardian background-check and facility-association process. TrustLine applies to specified license-exempt arrangements and does not substitute for licensed-care clearance. Covered applicants, staff, residents and volunteers must meet the applicable clearance, exemption or transfer requirements before covered presence or work; statutory exemptions have specific conditions. Follow CDSS’s current instructions rather than a blanket rule for every visitor.

How long does it take to get a California daycare license?

The timing depends on the license type, application completeness, background review, premises approvals and inspection findings. Confirm the current process with the assigned CDSS office and resolve outstanding items before setting an opening date. Neither a generic 90–180-day center estimate nor a 60–120-day home estimate is an approval guarantee.

How has California’s Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) affected the daycare market?

Public TK eligibility expanded to children turning four by September 1 beginning in 2025–26. CDE reports 213,313 TK pupils in that year. That confirms public enrollment, not a quantified decline in private preschool or rising infant/toddler demand. Research local school schedules and extended care, family preferences, available places and prices before choosing your age mix or forecasting revenue.

Do I need an LLC to start a family child care home in California?

An LLC is not required merely to operate a family child care home. Formation does not replace the provider’s child-care license, residence requirements or insurance obligations, and does not protect someone from liability for their own conduct. Compare the available structures and tax treatment with qualified advice. An ordinary California LLC generally owes $800 annually, with specific exceptions; the right choice is not determined solely by serving eight versus fourteen children.

Sources

Source	What it covers
California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 12 (Barclays official edition); current toddler Written Directives	Center staff qualifications, teacher/aide ratios, approved capacity and activity space; family-home staffing/capacity and fire rules. Read the manual with newer CDSS directives: the 18–36-month toddler component is governed by PIN 24-02-CCP.
Health and Safety Code § 1596.803	The statutory fee schedule: family day care $73 original and annual for capacity 1-8 and $140 for 9-14; centers $484 original and $242 annual at capacity 1-30, rising to $2,420 and $1,210 above 120; orientation fees of $25 for a family child care home session and $50 for a center session
Health and Safety Code § 1596.866; PIN 26-11-CCP	Existing health/safety and nutrition training, pediatric first aid/CPR, the expanded sixteen-hour and annual twelve-hour requirements from October 1, 2027, and separate emergency-plan/anaphylaxis-policy implementation dates.
Health and Safety Code § 1597.44	The four conditions for a small family day care home to care for more than six and up to eight children without an additional adult attendant
Health and Safety Code § 1597.45	Family day care homes are a residential use by right, and a local jurisdiction may not impose a business license, fee or tax for operating a small or large family daycare home
Health and Safety Code § 1597.455	Small-family-home formal fire-clearance exemption; required extinguisher, smoke/CO detectors and other applicable safety and operating requirements remain.
California Department of Social Services, Child Care Licensing	Community Care Licensing Division regional offices, orientation registration and current application forms

Comparing states? See our daycare guides for all 50 states.