California daycare license lookup: how to check inspections and violations
California’s Community Care Licensing Division licenses every child care center, inspects it unannounced, and investigates complaints. Here is how to look up a center’s license, read its citations and complaint findings, and spot the records that deserve a closer look.
Eight steps to check a California daycare
Find the center
Every licensed child care center in California has a page on Daycare Record. Start from California and pick a city, county or ZIP code, or open a chain. Each page lists every inspection, complaint investigation and citation since February 2021.
Check the license
Each page shows the license status (licensed, on probation, inactive or closed), the license type and the licensed capacity. California licenses infant care and preschool care separately, so a center that takes babies usually holds two licenses at the same address. Make sure the license covers your child’s age.
Read each citation
A citation (the state calls it a deficiency) is one rule the state found broken. Type A citations are the most serious: an immediate risk to children’s health, safety or personal rights. Type B citations are a potential risk. Each one shows the rule, what the licensing analyst found and the date the fix was due.
Look at complaints
Every complaint investigation is listed with the state’s finding. A substantiated complaint means the state confirmed it happened and action was required. Daycare Record shows the allegations only for substantiated complaints.
Look for patterns
One citation rarely tells you much. Watch for the same rule cited again and again, Type A citations in the last 12 months, substantiated complaints, and a license on probation.
Compare with nearby centers
Each center is ranked against all 10,948 ranked California centers by weighted citations per inspection, and its page lists the closest licensed centers. See how scores work.
Confirm with the state
The official record is the California Care Facility Search. Search by the facility number shown on each center’s page to read the full reports.
Ask the director
Ask what changed after any citation that worries you, how many teachers will be in your child’s room, how staff are background-checked and trained, and whether you can drop in unannounced. Parents in California have the right to visit their child’s center during care hours.
The rules California daycares break most often
The ten rules cited most at licensed California centers since February 2021.
| # | Rule | What it covers | Citations | Type A | Centers cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | §101223 | Personal rights | 2,698 | 1,178 | 1,827 |
| 2 | §1596.8662 | Mandated reporter training | 2,516 | 2 | 2,092 |
| 3 | §101229 | Care and supervision | 2,408 | 1,521 | 1,723 |
| 4 | §101216 | Staff health screening and personnel requirements | 1,849 | 81 | 1,414 |
| 5 | §101238 | Buildings and grounds | 1,715 | 277 | 1,327 |
| 6 | §1596.7995 | Staff immunizations | 1,696 | 3 | 1,438 |
| 7 | §101212 | Reporting requirements | 1,320 | 23 | 1,101 |
| 8 | §101700.3 | Lead in drinking water | 1,309 | 28 | 1,262 |
| 9 | §1597.16 | Lead testing of drinking water | 1,122 | 14 | 1,084 |
| 10 | §101170 | Criminal record clearance | 788 | 518 | 683 |
Rule numbers refer to California Code of Regulations, Title 22 (sections starting 101) or the Health and Safety Code (sections starting 1596 and 1597). Counts from California Department of Social Services reports as of Oct 2, 2026.
Common questions
How do I look up a daycare license in California?
Search the center’s name, city or ZIP on Daycare Record, or use the state’s Care Facility Search. Both show the license status, type, capacity and facility number. The state site also has the full inspection and complaint reports.
Are daycare violations public in California?
Yes. California posts child care inspection reports, citations and complaint investigation reports on its public transparency website. Complaint reports are posted unless the complaint was found unfounded (CDSS PIN 19-01-CCLD).
How often are daycares inspected in California?
State law requires an unannounced inspection of every licensed child care center at least once every three years, and every year for centers on probation, under a compliance plan or facing certain enforcement actions. The state also inspects a random 30% of the remaining centers each year (CDSS PIN 24-03-CCP). In practice, the typical licensed center on Daycare Record has had 3 inspections since February 2021.
What is the difference between Type A and Type B citations?
Type A citations are for violations that pose an immediate risk to children’s health, safety or personal rights. Type B citations are for violations that could become a risk if not corrected.
What do substantiated, unsubstantiated and unfounded mean?
Substantiated: the state found the complaint described real events that require action. Unsubstantiated: the events may have happened, but the evidence was not enough to require action. Unfounded: the state found the complaint without merit. Since February 2021, 4,332 of 10,536 complaint investigations at licensed centers (41%) were substantiated.
How do I report a daycare in California?
If a child is in danger, call 911. To report suspected child abuse, call your county child welfare agency or local police. To file a complaint about a licensed center, call Community Care Licensing’s complaint hotline at 1-844-538-8766 (1-844-LET-US-NO) or email letusno@dss.ca.gov. The state must visit the facility within 10 days of receiving a complaint.
How far back do California daycare records go?
Daycare Record shows California’s published reports back to February 2021 and keeps them even after the state stops showing them.
Sources: California Department of Social Services inspection and complaint reports; PIN 24-03-CCP (inspection frequency, January 2024); PIN 19-01-CCLD (complaint process and findings); California Care Facility Search.