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How the guarantee works →Virginia camp licensing requirements.
Who licenses day camps and overnight camps in Virginia, under which rules, and who is exempt. Last checked November 2, 2026.
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Day camps and overnight camps in Virginia
| Camp type | What the state asks | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Day camps | Depends on the program | A summer day camp for school-age children is a child day center, licensed by the Department of Education unless a statutory exemption applies.Source: Chapter 780. Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers, Virginia General Assembly (Virginia Administrative Code). Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Overnight camps | State permit | Overnight summer camps must be permitted by the Virginia Department of Health and are inspected every year by local health departments.Source: Summer Camps - Environmental Health, Virginia Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026. |
Who oversees camps in Virginia
| Agency | What it does |
|---|---|
| Virginia Department of Health, Environmental Health (with local health departments) | Permits overnight summer camps; local health department staff inspect them every year.Source: Summer Camps - Environmental Health, Virginia Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026. |
| Virginia Department of Education, child day program licensing | Licenses child day centers, including summer day camps, under the Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers.Source: Chapter 780. Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers, Virginia General Assembly (Virginia Administrative Code). Checked November 2, 2026. |
Exemptions
- A program running no more than 20 program days a year needs no license, with extra limits for programs serving children under six.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Recreation programs run by local governments, staffed by their employees and attended by school-age children, need no license.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Single-focus instruction such as sports clinics or music is not a child day program if no child under six attends and attendance limits are met.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Instructional or recreational programs are not child day programs if children five and older attend no more than 12 hours weekly outside school sessions.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Religious instruction programs such as Sunday schools and vacation Bible schools are not child day programs.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Out-of-school time programs affiliated with a national organization that meet listed safety, training and background check conditions need no license.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Most license-exempt child day programs must file an annual statement of intent with the Superintendent before operating.Source: § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensure, Virginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- The Health Department permit covers camps housing 12 or more unrelated minors overnight during more than two consecutive days.Source: Summer Camps - Environmental Health, Virginia Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026.
Official rules
- Code of Virginia § 22.1-289.011
Licenses required; issuance, expiration, and renewal; maximum number of participants or children; posting of licensesVirginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026. - 8VAC20-780
Standards for Licensed Child Day CentersVirginia General Assembly (Virginia Administrative Code). Checked November 2, 2026. - Code of Virginia § 35.1-18
License required; name in which issued; not assignable or transferableVirginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026. - 12VAC5-440
Regulations for Summer CampsVirginia General Assembly (Virginia Administrative Code). Checked November 2, 2026.
Sources
Every source is an official government page.
- Summer Camps - Environmental HealthVirginia Department of Health. Checked November 2, 2026.
- § 35.1-18. License required; name in which issued; not assignable or transferableVirginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Chapter 440. Regulations for Summer CampsVirginia General Assembly (Virginia Administrative Code). Checked November 2, 2026.
- § 22.1-289.011. Licenses required; issuance, expiration, and renewal; maximum number of participants or children; posting of licensesVirginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Chapter 780. Standards for Licensed Child Day CentersVirginia General Assembly (Virginia Administrative Code). Checked November 2, 2026.
- § 22.1-289.030. Exemptions from licensureVirginia General Assembly. Checked November 2, 2026.
About this page
We read each source above on an official government site on November 2, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from.
Rules change, and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency before you open or change a program.
This page is a summary of public rules. It is not legal advice, and Bloomily does not file license applications.
Camp licensing in other states
- Alabama
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Arizona
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Arkansas
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- California
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Colorado
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Connecticut
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Delaware
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Florida
Day camps: no state license. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Georgia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Idaho
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Illinois
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Indiana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state camp rules.
- Kentucky
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Louisiana
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Maine
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Maryland
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- Massachusetts
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Michigan
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Mississippi
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Missouri
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Montana
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Nebraska
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: no state license.
- Nevada
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Hampshire
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- New Jersey
Day camps: state certificate. Overnight camps: state certificate.
- New York
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- North Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Ohio
Day camps: state registration. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Oregon
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- South Carolina
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- South Dakota
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: depends on the program.
- Tennessee
Day camps: state permit. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Texas
Day camps: state license. Overnight camps: state license.
- Vermont
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
- Washington
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state registration.
- West Virginia
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state permit.
- Wisconsin
Day camps: depends on the program. Overnight camps: state license.
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