What You're Required to Post on the Wall in a Licensed Home Daycare

There's a difference between having something on file and having it on the wall, and it's a distinction a lot of home daycare providers don't think about until an inspector points it out. You might have a spotless emergency binder, a folder of licensing paperwork, everything an auditor could ask for — and still get a note on your inspection report because your actual license certificate is in a drawer instead of somewhere a parent walking in the door can see it.

This is a different problem than getting ready for an inspection visit. An inspection is a one-time event you prepare for; our checklist for that and our inspection-ready kit guide both cover what to have assembled and ready to hand over. Required postings are different: they're supposed to be visibly up, every day, whether or not anyone's coming to check — because the person they're really for isn't the inspector. It's the parent standing in your entryway, or the paramedic who just walked in during an emergency and needs a phone number now, not after you've found the folder.

Why this is a genuinely separate requirement

Most licensing rules distinguish between records you must keep and items you must post — meaning displayed somewhere visible and accessible, typically without anyone having to ask for it. A file cabinet satisfies the first requirement. It does not satisfy the second. An inspector who asks "where's your license posted" and watches you go dig through a drawer has already found a finding, even if the license itself is perfectly valid and current.

The exact list of what needs to be posted, and where, varies meaningfully by state — this is one of those licensing details with no single national standard, so treat everything below as the common shape of the requirement, not your specific state's checklist. Confirm the actual list against your own state's licensing handbook or regulations before you consider this settled.

The common core: what most states expect posted

Your license or registration certificate

This is the most consistently required posting across states: the current license itself, displayed in a conspicuous, easily observable place — somewhere a parent, guardian, or inspector encounters it without having to ask. "Conspicuous" generally means near the entrance or in a main gathering space, not filed away with your other business paperwork. If your license has been renewed, make sure the posted copy is the current one — a lapsed or outdated certificate on the wall can look worse at a glance than no certificate at all, since it suggests nobody's checking.

• Current license or registration certificate, visibly posted, not the expired one from your last cycle

Emergency contact numbers

A posted list of emergency numbers is a near-universal requirement: police, fire, emergency medical services, and poison control at minimum, with some states also requiring your local child protective services number or your licensing agency's own contact information. The point of posting these — rather than relying on a phone's contacts list — is that in a genuine emergency, anyone in the house (a substitute, a family member helping out, even an older child) can find the number without knowing your phone's passcode or app layout.

• Police, fire, and EMS numbers
• Poison control
• Your state's specific additions (CPS hotline, licensing agency number), if required

A written evacuation or fire escape plan

Most states require a written emergency and evacuation plan, and many specifically require it to be posted rather than just kept on file — sometimes on every floor of the home, not just near the main exit. This is distinct from the drills themselves: our fire drill log guide covers the recurring practice and the record you keep of it, while this is about the plan being visibly posted as a standing reference, not something you pull out only when you're actually running a drill.

• Written evacuation plan posted, not just kept in a binder
• Posted on each level of the home, if your state requires that

Inspection-related notices

Some states require you to post the most recent inspection report, a notice of any cited deficiencies for the current licensing period, or — more commonly — a notice informing parents of their right to request and review your inspection history from the licensing agency. These requirements vary widely: some states post deficiency notices for the length of the current license cycle, others simply require you to make records available on request rather than displayed outright. This is one of the items most worth confirming directly with your state, since "posted" versus "available on request" is a meaningful difference in practice.

• Confirm whether your state requires the inspection report itself posted, or just a notice of parents' right to request it

A non-discrimination notice, in some situations

This one is the most state- and program-dependent item on this list, and it's easy to either over- or under-apply. A general licensing requirement to post a non-discrimination notice isn't universal the way a license-posting requirement is. Where it does show up most reliably is tied to participation in a federally funded program — for example, providers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operate under USDA civil rights requirements, though the posted "And Justice for All" notice itself is typically the responsibility of your sponsoring organization rather than something every individual home provider has to display separately. Some states layer their own civil-rights posting requirement on top of that for licensed child care generally. Don't assume this applies to you by default, and don't assume it doesn't — check both your state's licensing rules and, if you participate in a food program, your sponsor's requirements.

• Confirm with your state licensing handbook whether a non-discrimination notice is required for your license type
• If you participate in CACFP, confirm with your sponsoring organization what they require you to post

What this checklist doesn't cover

This is deliberately narrow — it's about the ongoing, visible postings a licensed home should maintain day to day, not the broader universe of records you need on hand. It doesn't cover what to have ready when an inspector actually shows up (see the inspection checklist), the fuller binder of records worth keeping assembled in one place (see the inspection-ready kit), or the separate cycle of keeping your license itself current (see our license renewal guide). Those three cover the event of an inspection and the mechanics of staying licensed. This one covers what should already be on your wall regardless of whether anyone's checking today.

Making this a five-minute check, not a scramble

The easiest way to keep this current is to treat it the same way you'd treat any other recurring licensing habit: pick a spot — near your main entrance is typical — and do a quick pass a few times a year to confirm everything posted there is still accurate. A license that renewed six months ago but is still showing the old certificate, an evacuation plan that hasn't been updated since you rearranged a room, or an emergency number list with your old address on it are all the kind of small, easy-to-miss gaps that a few minutes of checking catches before an inspector does.

• Walk your entryway or main posting area once a quarter and confirm every item is current
• Replace the posted license immediately after any renewal — don't wait for the old one to be "obviously" expired
• Ask a fellow provider in your area, or your licensing agency directly, exactly what's required if you're at all unsure — this is a low-stakes question to ask before an inspection, and a much higher-stakes one to guess wrong on during one

Where DaycareFlow fits

DaycareFlow doesn't tell you what your state requires posted, generate the notices themselves, or replace anything that has to physically be on your wall — a license certificate and a posted evacuation plan are real, physical items that need to exist where a parent or inspector can see them, and no software changes that. What it does keep current is the data behind some of these postings: your per-child profiles with parent contact information, and a live children roster, so if a posted notice or a conversation with a parent ever references who's currently enrolled, that number is accurate without you having to reconstruct it from memory.

Free during early access, no per-child fees. Start free →

Frequently asked questions

What am I required to post in a licensed home daycare?

Requirements vary by state, but the common core includes your current license or registration certificate, a list of emergency numbers (police, fire, EMS, poison control), and a written evacuation or fire escape plan. Some states also require posting inspection-related notices or a non-discrimination notice depending on your license type and whether you participate in programs like CACFP. Confirm the specific list with your state's licensing handbook.

Is having my license on file enough, or does it need to be posted?

For most states, having it on file isn't enough — the license or registration certificate typically needs to be visibly posted in a conspicuous place, such as near your entrance, where a parent or inspector can see it without asking. Keeping it in a drawer or folder, even if it's current and valid, is commonly treated as a compliance gap during an inspection.

Do I need to post my most recent inspection report?

It depends on your state. Some require the report itself, or a notice of any cited deficiencies, posted for the current licensing period. Others only require that you make your inspection history available if a parent asks. This is one of the more state-specific items on this list, so confirm directly with your licensing agency rather than assuming either version applies to you.

Do I have to post a non-discrimination notice in my home daycare?

Not universally — this isn't a standard requirement the way posting your license is. It's most likely to apply if your state layers a civil-rights posting requirement onto child care licensing generally, or if you participate in a federally funded program like CACFP, where the posting obligation is often on the sponsoring organization rather than every individual provider. Check both your state's licensing rules and your CACFP sponsor's requirements if this applies to you.

How is this different from getting ready for a licensing inspection?

Getting ready for an inspection is about assembling records and doing a walkthrough before a specific visit — covered in our inspection checklist and inspection-ready kit guide. Required postings are about what should already be visibly displayed every single day, whether or not an inspection is happening, because the audience for a posted emergency number or evacuation plan is often a parent or a substitute caregiver, not an inspector.