Home Daycare Permit Requirements in Philadelphia, PA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. PA DHS Certificate of Compliance — Family Child Care Home

   Pennsylvania replaced the family child care home “certificate of registration” with a certificate of compliance effective December 19, 2020 (55 Pa. Code § 3290.11). The Department of Human Services' Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services, issues it to operate in your own home for four, five or six unrelated children at a specific location. Requirements include Department orientation training within the 12 months before issuance, a home inspection, FBI and Pennsylvania State Police criminal history plus child abuse clearances for the applicant and every resident aged 18 or older, pediatric first aid and CPR, and professional development covering ten specified health and safety topics.

   Official government source

   Free — 55 Pa. Code § 20.42(b): no fee is required for a facility type not listed in § 20.42(a), and child care homes are not listed·8-16 weeks

   Free — 55 Pa. Code § 20.42(b): no fee is required for a facility type not listed in § 20.42(a), and child care homes are not listed

   8-16 weeks

2. PA Child Abuse History Clearance

   Required for all adults residing in or working at the family daycare home. The PA Child Abuse History Clearance itself (issued by the PA Department of Human Services) costs $13. Adults without 10+ years of continuous PA residency must also complete a PA State Police Criminal Record Check (PATCH, $22) and FBI fingerprinting (about $23-25), bringing the typical total to roughly $35-60 per person.

   Official government source

   $13 (child abuse clearance) + $22 (PA State Police check) + ~$23-25 (FBI fingerprinting if required) — roughly $35-60/person total·2-6 weeks

   $13 (child abuse clearance) + $22 (PA State Police check) + ~$23-25 (FBI fingerprinting if required) — roughly $35-60/person total

   2-6 weeks

3. PA Business Entity Registration

   Required by the Pennsylvania Department of State for LLCs and corporations. Many home daycare operators register as sole proprietors or file a fictitious name (DBA) if operating under a business name. As of 2025, Pennsylvania also requires an Annual Report [DSCB:15-146] filed each year at file.dos.pa.gov — $7 for business corporations, LLCs, LPs and LLPs, and $0 for nonprofit corporations. The deadline depends on entity type: corporations by June 30, LLCs by September 30, and LPs, LLPs, business trusts and professional associations by December 31. Beginning with reports due in 2027, failure to file can lead to administrative dissolution.

   Official government source

   $70–$125 one-time formation or DBA filing ($125 LLC Certificate of Organization or Articles of Incorporation, $70 fictitious name), plus a $7 Annual Report each year from 2025 ($0 for nonprofit corporations)·1–2 weeks (initial filing)

   $70–$125 one-time formation or DBA filing ($125 LLC Certificate of Organization or Articles of Incorporation, $70 fictitious name), plus a $7 Annual Report each year from 2025 ($0 for nonprofit corporations)

   1–2 weeks (initial filing)

1. Special Exception (Group Day Care, 7-12 children)

   In Philadelphia zoning, a 'Family Day Care Home' (up to 6 children, or 4 in some districts) can operate in a residential zone with only a Use Registration Permit, no ZBA hearing required. A 'Group Day Care' (7-12 children) requires a Special Exception from the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, involving a public hearing and neighbor notification. A 'Day Care Center' (13+ children) has its own, generally more restrictive, zoning path.

   Official government source

   Fees vary; the Zoning Board of Adjustment raised its fee schedule effective August 1, 2026 — confirm current amount with L&I/ZBA·4-12 weeks

   Fees vary; the Zoning Board of Adjustment raised its fee schedule effective August 1, 2026 — confirm current amount with L&I/ZBA

   4-12 weeks

2. Certificate of Occupancy

   Philadelphia L&I requires a Certificate of Occupancy for projects that change the use or occupancy of a building, which covers converting part of a home to child care use. The approved number of children is set by the zoning permit — a maximum of four in Areas 1 and 2 and six in Area 3 and elsewhere in the city, up to 12 only by special exception — and family child care operators must also hold an L&I Child Care Facility License ($63, including a $20 non-refundable application fee applied toward it), a Commercial Activity License, a BIRT number, a Health Department License Eligibility Report, lead-safe certification and an annual fire safety inspection.

   Official government source

   $100 filing fee + $253 permit fee per building or space requiring its own certificate + $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges — $360.50 total·Processed within 20 business days; the certificate is issued after the required inspection passes

   $100 filing fee + $253 permit fee per building or space requiring its own certificate + $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges — $360.50 total

   Processed within 20 business days; the certificate is issued after the required inspection passes

Official Sources

• PA Department of Human Services - Child Care
• Philadelphia Dept of Licenses & Inspections
• PA Department of State

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