Arizona rulebook · checked October 2026

Watching Kids at Home in Arizona: How Many Before You Need a License?

In Arizona, you may watch up to 4 counted children before a license is required.

The Arizona line, in facts

Licensing agency: Split system: Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) certifies group homes; the Department of Economic Security (DES) certifies family providers for assistance

The line: In Arizona, you may watch up to 4 counted children before a license is required.

The categories above the line

Category	Capacity	What it means
ADHS Certified Child Care Group Home	up to 10	5 to 10 children for whom compensation is received. Your own children do NOT count toward the certification cap — but the total children present, including children related to you, may never exceed 15 (A.R.S. §36-897.02).
DES Certified Family Child Care Home Provider	up to 4	Certification for providers at 4 or fewer paid children who want Child Care Assistance money (A.R.S. §46-807) — the certification is a funding door, not an operating requirement.

What comes with the license

Ratios: Group home: at least 2 adults must be present when 6 to 10 children are in care — so one adult may care for at most 5 (A.R.S. §36-897.02(B)).
Training before you open: Group home staff: training on the rule's 14 topics within 10 calendar days of starting (A.A.C. R9-3-302(A)).
Training to stay open: Group home staff: 12 or more hours of training every 12 months (A.A.C. R9-3-302(C)).
State fees:
Realistic timeline:

What catches people in Arizona

Arizona runs TWO doors from two departments: ADHS certifies group homes (5–10 paid children); DES certifies small family providers — but only for assistance money, never as an operating requirement at 4 or fewer.
The group-home ceiling is a pair of numbers: 10 PAID children max, 15 TOTAL children present max. A home can break the second without breaking the first.

Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: A.R.S. § 36-897.01 and § 36-897.02 (group home certification; own children excluded from cap; 15 total present; 2-adult rule); A.R.S. § 41-1967.01 (providers at 4 or fewer paid children: registration only for the referral listing); A.R.S. §§ 46-801(6), 46-807 (DES family provider certification for assistance); A.A.C. R9-3-302 (staff training). This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Split system: Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) certifies group homes; the Department of Economic Security (DES) certifies family providers for assistance is the final word.

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