How to check a daycare’s violations in Texas
Texas inspects every licensed child care center at least once a year and posts every rule its inspectors find broken. Here is how to find a center’s record, what the risk levels mean, and which citations deserve a closer look.
Seven steps to check a Texas daycare
Find the center
Every licensed center in Texas has a page on Daycare Record. Start from Texas and pick a city, county or ZIP code, or open a chain to see all its locations. Each page lists every state visit and citation since October 2021.
Read each citation
A citation is one rule an inspector found broken. Each one shows the date, the rule number, the state’s risk level, the inspector’s own notes, and whether the center fixed it on the spot. Citations found while investigating a report are marked separately from routine inspections.
Check the risk level
Texas weights every rule High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low or Low, based on how much risk breaking it poses to children. The weight belongs to the rule, not the incident: state staff judge how serious each specific violation was separately. For example, Texas rates its supervision, background-check and caregiver-conduct rules High, the basic staff-ratio rule Medium-High, and the rule on reporting the number of employees Medium-Low.
Look for patterns
One citation rarely tells you much. Watch for the same rule cited again and again, high-risk citations in the last 12 months, and citations found during investigations. Statewide, 12% of citations were corrected during the inspection itself.
Compare with nearby centers
Each center is ranked against all 9,147 Texas licensed centers by risk-weighted citations per inspection, and its page lists the closest licensed centers. See how scores work.
Confirm with the state
Daycare Record republishes Texas HHS data daily, but the official record is on Search Texas Child Care. Search by the operation number shown on each center’s page.
Ask the director
Ask what changed after any citation that worries you, how many caregivers will be in your child’s room, how staff are background-checked and trained, and whether you can visit unannounced. A good director will answer plainly.
The rules Texas daycares break most often
The ten rules Texas inspectors cited most at licensed centers since October 2021.
| # | Rule | What it covers | Citations | Centers cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | §746.1205(a)(4) | Supervision ensures each child’s safety, well-being, including physical proximity and auditory or visual awareness of each child’s on going activity | 2,969 | 1,923 |
| 2 | §745.641 | AP Background check results - Must receive notification prior to allowing subject to be present at your operation | 2,148 | 1,690 |
| 3 | §746.5101(a) | Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months | 2,061 | 1,642 |
| 4 | §746.1201(1) | Responsibilities of Employees and Caregivers -Demonstrate Competency, Good Judgment, Self-control | 1,822 | 1,303 |
| 5 | §746.3407 | Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment | 1,785 | 1,251 |
| 6 | §746.1601 | Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children | 1,504 | 1,040 |
| 7 | §746.603(a)(4) | Children's Records - Immunizations | 1,354 | 1,105 |
| 8 | §746.303(b) | Report Number of Employees | 1,312 | 1,099 |
| 9 | §746.3701 | Safety - Areas Free From Hazards | 1,248 | 979 |
| 10 | §746.2421(b) | Written Feeding Instructions - Review and Update Every 30 Days | 1,228 | 1,028 |
Rule numbers refer to Texas Administrative Code Title 26, Chapter 746 (Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers) and Chapter 745. Counts from Texas HHS data as of Sep 30, 2026.
Common questions
Are daycare violations public in Texas?
Yes. When Texas Child Care Regulation finds a violation it issues a deficiency, notifies the operation in writing and posts it on the operation’s public online record (Texas HHS).
How often are daycares inspected in Texas?
Texas must inspect every licensed child care center at least once a year, and at least one of those visits must be unannounced. A center with a history of substantial compliance can be designated for an unannounced inspection every two years instead. The state must also investigate every complaint it receives (Texas Human Resources Code §42.044).
What does a high-risk citation mean?
It means the rule broken is one Texas rates as posing the most risk to children, such as supervision, background checks or caregiver conduct. Read the inspector’s notes to see what actually happened.
How do I report a daycare in Texas?
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. To report suspected abuse or neglect, or someone caring for children without a permit, call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 (for urgent situations) or report online at txabusehotline.org (online reports can take more than 48 hours to process). Texas Child Care Regulation investigates complaints about possible violations of minimum standards.
How far back do Texas daycare records go?
Texas’s public inspection data covers about the last five years, currently back to October 2021. Since October 2026, Daycare Record has kept records after they drop off the state’s site and shows them on the center’s page under “Older records.”
Sources: Texas HHS Child Care Regulation inspection data; Texas Human Resources Code §42.044; Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers (revised December 2025); Texas Abuse Hotline.