Application Requirements for In-home Day Care Permit
When an owner of a one- or two-family dwelling wishes to use their dwelling to provide day care services for 4-12 children, for less than 24 hours per day, application must be made for a UCC Certificate of Occupancy following the process outlined below. The provision of these services must be secondary to the use of the dwelling as a residence.
It is the policy of the Department that, when day care services are approved in these dwellings, a UCC certificate of occupancy for an R-3 use group will be issued, if the facility satisfies the fire safety requirements specified in the UCC regulation at 403.23 and egress requirements spelled out in the applicable version of the International Residential Code (IRC). This means that, if day care services are provided on a second floor or in the basement, the facility will have to comply with the emergency escape provisions of the IRC.
Also note that, if the one- or two-family dwelling will undergo changes requiring a UCC permit, the owner will have to secure approval for this work from a certified Third-Party Agency. (The Department is not authorized to approve residential construction, alterations or repairs in opt-out municipalities.)
To obtain a UCC certificate of occupancy for an R-3 day-care facility, an applicant must submit:
- One (1) fully completed copy of the Department's UCC-24 APPLICATION FOR IN-HOME DAY CARE PERMIT.
- A check or money order made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the applicable fee.
The department is now offering expedited plan review performed within seven days of receipt of a written request for an additional cost. It is also offering inspections outside of normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5p.m., excluding holidays) upon written request from the applicant at an additional cost.
Mail the application to:
Buildings Section
Department of Labor and Industry
651 Boas Street, Room 1606
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17121-0750
If your application is complete, we will assign it to a Department field inspector. The inspector will call to schedule an inspection of the dwelling. Should it meet all UCC requirements, they will recommend that the Department issue a UCC certificate of occupancy for an R-3 day care.
Upon receipt of this certificate, the facility may be used for the provision of day care services, as long it also meets all other day care licensure requirements enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.