Idaho rulebook · checked October 2026

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

In Idaho, you may watch up to 6 counted children before a license is required.

The Idaho line, in facts

Licensing agency: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare — Basic Day Care Licensing (applications via IdahoSTARS)

The line: In Idaho, you may watch up to 6 counted children before a license is required.

The categories above the line

Category	Capacity	What it means
Family Daycare Home	up to 6	6 or fewer children — no license required; a voluntary state license is available if you want one (for subsidy or parent confidence).
Group Daycare Facility	up to 12	7 to 12 children — license required. At 13 or more the program is a daycare center.

What comes with the license

Ratios: A point system (Idaho Code §39-1109): maximum 12 points per staff member — each child under 24 months = 2 points; 24 to under 36 months = 1.5; 36 months to under 5 years = 1; ages 5 to under 13 = 0.5. So one provider tops out at 6 infants, or 12 children ages 3–5, by points — inside the category caps. In a home, the provider's own children age 5 and older are not counted in the points.
Training before you open: At least one adult on the premises at all times with current pediatric rescue breathing/CPR and first aid certification.
Training to stay open:
State fees: Group facility (7–12) license: $100. Family daycare home voluntary license: $100. Licenses run 2 years (IDAPA 16.06.02.320; Idaho Code §39-1106).
Realistic timeline:

The local check you cannot skip

Idaho's local option: if your city or county has adopted a daycare ordinance meeting the state floor (Idaho Code §39-1108), the LOCAL ordinance licenses you instead of the state chapter — check your city and county before you apply anywhere.

What catches people in Idaho

Idaho's line needs BOTH halves: 7 or more children AND compensation. Seven children with no pay is outside the facility definition; six paid children are a family daycare home.
Occasional care of a neighbor's, relative's or friend's child by someone not ordinarily in the child care business is expressly exempt.

Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: Idaho Code § 39-1102 (daycare facility = 7 or more children not related to the provider, for compensation); Idaho Code §§ 39-1103 (exemptions), 39-1108 (local-option ordinances), 39-1109 (point-system ratios); IDAPA 16.06.02.320 (fees); Idaho DHW — Becoming a Child Care Provider. This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare — Basic Day Care Licensing (applications via IdahoSTARS) is the final word.

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