Utah Childcare Licensing
Utah Childcare Square Footage Requirements (2026)
Indoor activity space is a measured Utah licensing requirement: a center's licensed capacity is capped by the usable indoor square footage available per child. Utah requires at least 35 square feet of indoor space per child in care, plus an outdoor play area of at least 40 square feet per child using the area at one time, for both family child care homes (Utah Admin. Code R430-90-9 [Facility]) and child care centers (Utah Admin. Code R381-100-9 [Facility]).
Last updated: April 2026
Researched by the TotReady Research TeamUtah Square Footage Requirements: The Specifics
Utah requires at least 35 square feet of indoor space per child in care, plus an outdoor play area of at least 40 square feet per child using the area at one time, for both family child care homes (Utah Admin. Code R430-90-9 [Facility]) and child care centers (Utah Admin. Code R381-100-9 [Facility]).
Utah Admin
A Utah Licensed Family Child Care home may serve up to 8 children in care with one caregiver and 9 to 16 children with two caregivers (maximum capacity 16)
maximum capacity 16
when caring for children younger than two, there must be at least one caregiver for every three children younger than two, each caregiver may care for no more than two children younger than 18 months, and at least two caregivers are required if more than three children younger than two are present and more than six children are in care (Utah Admin. Code R430-90-10).
Utah Admin
Utah child care centers set maximum group sizes per age band: infants and younger toddlers (0-17 months) 8, older toddlers (18-23 months) 10, two-year-olds 16, three-year-olds 24, four-year-olds 30, and school-age (5+) 40 (Utah Admin. Code R381-100-10, Table 1)
Utah Admin
family child care homes are capped by overall capacity (max 16) rather than per-band group size (R430-90-10).
R430-90-10
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Utah Square Footage Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions
How much indoor space per child does Utah require?
Utah requires at least 35 square feet of indoor space per child in care, plus an outdoor play area of at least 40 square feet per child using the area at one time, for both family child care homes (Utah Admin. Code R430-90-9 [Facility]) and child care centers (Utah Admin. Code R381-100-9 [Facility]).
Does Utah require outdoor play space too?
Utah requires at least 35 square feet of indoor space per child in care, plus an outdoor play area of at least 40 square feet per child using the area at one time, for both family child care homes (Utah Admin. Code R430-90-9 [Facility]) and child care centers (Utah Admin. Code R381-100-9 [Facility]).
What space is excluded when calculating capacity in Utah?
Most states exclude hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, offices, and storage from the usable indoor activity space used to compute capacity. Confirm the exact exclusions in the cited Utah rule above.
Utah childcare licensing rules are amended regularly. This page is compiled from published Utah administrative codes and statutes for informational purposes only — always verify current requirements with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC), Office of Licensing — Child Care Licensing before relying on them. TotReady provides information and document templates, not legal or regulatory advice.