Aurora, CO Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Under the Aurora Unified Development Ordinance, an Adult or Child Day Care Center may not keep any client (other than the operator's own child or adult) for more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period, and overnight occupancy by clients is prohibited outright. Centers may operate in church buildings, publicly owned community centers, or other non-residential or mixed-use structures that are lawfully permitted in the underlying zone district, and the structure must sit at least 25 feet back from interior side and rear property lines. The UDO's definitions article splits centers into 'Large' (16 or more children under 16, or 16 or more elderly adults) and 'Small' (5 to 15), and every center must hold a valid state license. Separately, in-home day care for children from birth to 16 is allowed as an accessory use under UDO § 146-3.3.6.I and must follow Colorado Department of Human Services rules: a distinct scheme from the stand-alone center use addressed here.