How to Start a Daycare in Georgia

Georgia is one of the clearer states to plan for, because DECAL publishes its fee table. Child care is licensed by Bright from the Start, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). The annual license fee runs from $50 for 25 children or fewer up to $250 for more than 200, and it is not due until after your initial licensing study, within 30 days of your final license being issued. The real requirement is the DECAL-approved 40-hour Director's training.

Every figure below is sourced to the agency that issues it.Updated October 9, 2026

The short version

Who licenses you
Georgia DECAL (Bright from the Start)
Two license types
Child Care Learning Center, or Family Child Care Learning Home
Fee, 25 children or fewer
$50
Fee, 26 to 50
$100
Fee, 51 to 100
$150
Fee, 101 to 200
$200
Fee, more than 200
$250
Director training
40 hours (DECAL-approved Director's training course)

The steps, in order

  1. Choose: Child Care Learning Center or Family Child Care Learning Home

    DECAL licenses these as two different things, with different applicant guides and different rules. A Child Care Learning Center (CCLC) is the larger, commercial-premises route, governed by Chapter 591-1-1. A Family Child Care Learning Home (FCCLH) is the in-home route.

    Starting at home is a legitimate and far cheaper way in, and at 25 children or fewer the license fee is $50. Decide this first, because every form you download after this point depends on it.

  2. Get the Director sorted, because the training is the real gate

    DECAL requires a certificate of completion of a 40-hour Director's training course approved by DECAL. The Director responsible for day-to-day operation of the center must complete it.

    DECAL defines the Director as the chief administrative or executive officer of a facility, responsible for daily on-premises supervision, operation and maintenance. That is a real job description, not a title you put on a form.

    Directors also provide education credentials and a 10-year employment history, plus CPR and First Aid cards or training.

    Start the 40 hours early. It is the item most likely to sit on your critical path while everything else waits.

  3. Read the rules that will govern your building and your ratios

    Chapter 591-1-1 contains the Rules and Regulations for Child Care Learning Centers. Ratios, space, staffing and program requirements all live there, and they determine your real economics far more than the license fee does.

    Read them before you sign a lease. A building that cannot meet the space requirements is not a problem you can paperwork your way out of.

  4. Register the business and get your EIN

    Separate from your child care license. Check the name and register with the Georgia Secretary of State if you are forming an LLC, and get a free EIN from the IRS so you can hire staff and open a business bank account.

  5. Apply, then pass the Initial Licensing Study

    Cost: $50 to $250, by capacity, after the licensing study

    DECAL conducts an Initial Licensing Study before your license is issued. Notably, the license fee is not due up front: it must be paid after the Initial Licensing Study has been conducted, and within 30 calendar days of the Final License being issued.

    Take that deadline seriously. DECAL states that failure to pay the required license fee will result in revocation of the license to operate. Fees are non-refundable.

    DECAL's fee page carries dated renewal deadlines and late fees that roll over each year. Check the current year's due date and late fee on that page rather than assuming last year's applies.

  6. Handle fire, health and zoning locally

    Your building also has to satisfy local requirements that DECAL does not set. Fire marshal sign-off, any health department requirements and zoning are all local, and they are usually the slowest part of opening.

    Call your city or county fire marshal and zoning office about the specific address before you sign a lease. A daycare is not permitted by right everywhere.

  7. Use the free advisors

    The Georgia SBDC offers no-cost business consulting. For a business where regulated ratios set your staffing cost, someone who has modeled it before will save you more than the time it costs you.

What it costs

ItemAmount
License fee, 25 children or fewerLate fee $25 if you miss the deadline$50
License fee, 26 to 50Late fee $50$100
License fee, 51 to 100Late fee $75$150
License fee, 101 to 200Late fee $100$200
License fee, more than 200Late fee $125$250
40-hour Director's trainingMust be DECAL-approvedVaries by provider
CPR and First AidVaries by provider
Georgia LLC registrationSee Secretary of State fee schedule
Federal EINFree from the IRS$0
Facility, fire and zoning compliance, staffThe dominant cost

Georgia's license fee is capacity-banded and tops out at $250, and you do not pay it until after your licensing study. The expensive parts are the building, the ratios and the staff, as everywhere.

This guide is the overview. A plan is the whole thing.

Everything above is free and it is the state-level picture. An Offramp plan is built around you: your city, your budget, the licenses that apply to your specific setup, the people near you to call, and the order to do it in so nothing stalls.

Build my Georgia plan$79 $49

Common questions

How much does a daycare license cost in Georgia?

DECAL's fee is banded by capacity: $50 for 25 children or fewer, $100 for 26 to 50, $150 for 51 to 100, $200 for 101 to 200, and $250 for more than 200. Late fees are half the license fee. The fee is paid after the Initial Licensing Study, within 30 days of the final license being issued.

Who licenses daycares in Georgia?

Bright from the Start, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). That is separate from registecall your business with the Secretary of State and separate again from local fire and zoning approval.

What training does a Georgia daycare director need?

A certificate of completion of a 40-hour Director's training course approved by DECAL. Directors also provide education credentials and a 10-year employment history, plus CPR and First Aid.

What is the difference between a Child Care Learning Center and a Family Child Care Learning Home?

They are two separate DECAL license types with different rules and application guides. A Child Care Learning Center is the larger commercial-premises route governed by Chapter 591-1-1; a Family Child Care Learning Home is the in-home route and the cheaper way in.

When do I pay the Georgia daycare license fee?

After DECAL has conducted the Initial Licensing Study, and within 30 calendar days of the Final License being issued. DECAL states that failing to pay will result in revocation of the license. Fees are non-refundable.

Can I run a daycare from my home in Georgia?

Yes, as a Family Child Care Learning Home. It is a separate DECAL license type with its own applicant guide, and at 25 children or fewer the license fee is $50.

What to confirm yourself

We would rather tell you what we don’t know than make it up. These are the parts that are local, that change, or that the agency does not publish.

  • DECAL's fee page carries dated deadlines and late fees that change each licensing year. Check the current year's due date on that page before you plan around it.
  • Fire marshal, health and zoning requirements are local and are usually the slowest part of opening. Call about the specific address before you sign a lease.
  • Ratios, square footage and staffing requirements in Chapter 591-1-1 drive your real costs. Read them before you commit to a building.
  • Background check requirements and costs per person are not detailed on the pages used here. Ask DECAL what each role requires.

Sources

Related guides

Offramp is not a law firm, an accountant or a government agency, and nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Fees and requirements change. Confirm with the agency before you file or pay. See all guides.