Bulloch County, GA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lot size
- 2 acres
- Spacing between facilities
- 1,000 feet, property line to property line
- Hours of operation
- 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Outdoor play area
- 50 sq ft per child
- Play area fence
- solid wall or fence, 6 feet minimum
- Residential-zone signage
- no external signage permitted
- General penalty
- up to $1,000 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
Unincorporated Bulloch County requires any day care facility, whether in a residential or commercial zone, to sit on at least two acres and stay 1,000 feet from another day care measured property line to property line. Hours run 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. only, and a fenced outdoor play area of 50 square feet per child is mandatory under the Zoning Ordinance (Appendix C).
(a)Minimum lot size of two acres.(b)No new establishment shall be located within 1,000 feet of an existing establishment measured across a straight line from property line to property line.(c)A buffer area and screening are required on side and rear lot lines.(d)Hours of operation are limited to 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., including all deliveries.(e)Outdoor play or passive recreation areas shall be provided in a rear or side yard consisting of 50 square feet per person, and shall be enclosed by a solid wall or fence at least six feet in height.(f)The facility shall provide adequate areas for the safe drop-off and pick-up of children in a driveway, turnaround or parking area. Specifically for residential zones: There is no external signage or other evidence of the use of the dwelling as other than a residential dwelling unit.
Full Breakdown
Section 1418 of the Zoning Ordinance (Appendix C) sets supplemental development standards for a 'day care facility, residential and commercial zones' that apply on top of the base district rules. A facility needs a minimum two-acre lot, and no new day care may open within 1,000 feet of an existing one, measured in a straight line from property line to property line, so operators cannot cluster in the same subdivision or commercial strip. A buffer area and screening are required along the side and rear lot lines to shield neighbors.
, which limits early drop-off and late pick-up traffic. Outdoor play or passive recreation space must total 50 square feet per child and sit in a rear or side yard enclosed by a solid wall or fence at least six feet tall. The facility must also provide a driveway, turnaround or parking area sized for safe drop-off and pick-up so vehicles do not queue into the road. A day care sited in a residential zone carries an extra condition: no external signage or any other outward sign that the dwelling is being used as anything but a home.
Bulloch County Planning and Development reviews these standards through the building and zoning permitting process before an occupancy certificate issues, and the section was amended twice, on April 4, 2023 and again on August 1, 2023, to fold both residential and commercial-zone day cares into one standard rather than treating them separately.
Violations & Fines
Section 402 of the Zoning Ordinance makes compliance with district and supplemental standards mandatory before any use is allowed, and the county's general penalty at Code Section 1-11 applies: a fine of up to $1,000, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. Citations are issued by county code enforcement and returnable to Bulloch County Magistrate Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big must a day care lot be in unincorporated Bulloch County?
What hours can a Bulloch County day care operate?
Can a home-based day care in a residential zone put up a sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bulloch County
Compare Bulloch County to another location·View the Georgia building safety overview
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