Texas rulebook · checked October 2026
Watching Kids at Home in Texas: How Many Before You Need a License?
In Texas, there is no unlicensed tier for regular paid care of unrelated children: the first child on a regular schedule already needs the state's permit. The only question is which tier.
Run the free Texas check
The Texas line, in facts
Licensing agency: Texas Health and Human Services — Child Care Regulation (CCR)
The line: In Texas, there is no unlicensed tier for regular paid care of unrelated children: the first child on a regular schedule already needs the state's permit. The only question is which tier.
The categories above the line
| Category | Capacity | What it means |
|---|
| Listed Family Home | up to 3 | Up to 3 unrelated children on a regular schedule. The lightest Texas permit — background checks and a listing with the state, no full license. |
| Registered Child Care Home | up to 6 | Up to 6 unrelated children, plus up to 6 more school-age children — never more than 12 children in care at once, your own related children included in that 12. |
| Licensed Child Care Home | up to 12 | 7 to 12 children total. The full home license, with an on-site inspection before you open. |
What comes with the license
- Ratios: Registered homes: no more than 12 children at once, and infant counts pull the practical cap down — one infant in care lowers how many toddlers you can take. Age-by-age ratio tables are in 26 TAC Chapter 747 and your permit class decides which table applies.
- Training before you open: Pre-application orientation with Child Care Regulation, plus pre-service training hours before children arrive (8 hours for registered and licensed home caregivers).
- Training to stay open: 30 clock hours of training a year for the primary caregiver of a registered or licensed home.
- State fees: Listed family home: $20. Licensed home: $35 plus $1 for each child of capacity. Fees are on CCR's published fee schedule.
- Realistic timeline: CCR works to decide within about 2 months of accepting a complete application; the background check and home inspection set the real pace.
Your path in Texas, step by step
- Pick your tier honestly from the head count: listed (up to 3 unrelated), registered (up to 6 unrelated plus school-age), or licensed home (7–12 total).
- Take the Child Care Regulation pre-application orientation for your tier.
- Submit the application and fee; every adult in the home completes the background check.
- Complete pre-service training (8 hours) and line up your annual training plan (30 hours a year for registered and licensed homes).
- Prepare the home to the Chapter 747 minimum standards — safe sleep, supervision sightlines, outdoor space, records.
- Pass the CCR inspection (licensed homes) or listing/registration review, and post your permit where parents can see it.
What catches people in Texas
- Texas has NO unlicensed tier: regular paid care of even one unrelated child needs one of the three permits. 'Without a license' in Texas really means 'which permit.'
- One infant changes the math: an infant in a registered home pulls the total cap down from 12 toward 10 — capacity is an interaction, not a single number.
Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: Tex. Human Resources Code ch. 42, §42.002 (definitions of regulated care); 26 TAC ch. 745 (permit tiers); 26 TAC ch. 747 (registered and licensed homes); Texas HHS Child Care Regulation handbooks and fee schedule. This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Texas Health and Human Services — Child Care Regulation (CCR) is the final word.
← All 50 state lines · Guides