New Hampshire rulebook · checked October 2026

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

In New Hampshire, you may watch up to 3 counted children before a license is required — and New Hampshire counts your own children (under 10) in that number.

Run the free New Hampshire check

The New Hampshire line, in facts

Licensing agency: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services — Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU)

The line: In New Hampshire, you may watch up to 3 counted children before a license is required — and New Hampshire counts your own children (under 10) in that number.

Your own children: counted — New Hampshire includes your own children (under 10) in the numbers that decide your category.

The categories above the line

Category	Capacity	What it means
Family Day Care Home (licensed)	up to 6	Up to 6 children — the count includes foster children in the home and children related to you, except those age 10 or older — plus up to 3 additional children in a full-day school program, if fire code and local ordinance allow.
Family Group Day Care Home (licensed)	up to 12	12 preschool children plus 5 school-age, with a provider and an assistant/worker (He-C 4002).

What comes with the license

Ratios: One provider alone: at most 6 preschool children plus 3 school-age; of the 6 preschool children, no more than 4 younger than 36 months and no more than 2 younger than 24 months (He-C 4002).
Training before you open:
Training to stay open: 12 hours of professional development a year under the 2025 He-C 4002 amendments (8 hours for staff working under 25 hours a week, at least 3 of them in health and safety).
State fees:
Realistic timeline:

What catches people in New Hampshire

New Hampshire counts almost everybody: your own, foster and related children are inside the family home's 6 until they turn 10.
The 2025 rule amendments cut annual training from 18 hours to 12 — older guides showing 18 are stale.

Rules checked October 2026 · Sources: RSA 170-E:2 IV, IV(a) (family day care home defined; own/foster/related counting); He-C 4002 (family-based program capacity and ratios; 2025 amendments); He-C 6349.06 (license-exempt providers for subsidy payment: 3 or fewer unrelated children). This page reads the published rules; it is not legal advice, and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services — Child Care Licensing Unit (CCLU) is the final word.

← All 50 state lines · Guides