Marin County, CA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Section 22.32.050 sets the County's standards for child day-care facilities, adopted to work alongside the state licensing scheme in Health and Safety Code Section 1596.78. Every child day-care center in unincorporated Marin needs Use Permit approval under Chapter 22.48 (Conditional Use Permits) before it can operate, and every facility must also hold a California Department of Social Services license; a copy must be given to the Community Development Agency before the use begins.

Once permitted, Subsection C.2 layers on three physical safety standards. Fencing: a six-foot-high fence or wall is required along all property lines or around the outdoor activity areas, with an exception for the front yard or any required traffic-safety visibility area, and every fence or wall must include a controlled point of entry that complies with the County's general fencing standards in Section 22.20.050. Outdoor lighting: exterior fixtures are limited to safety purposes only, must be low-wattage, and must be directed downward and shielded, subject to the Director's approval, so a center cannot floodlight its yard or spill light onto neighboring parcels. Swimming pools and spas: none may be installed after the center is established, 'due to the high risk and human safety considerations,' and any pool or spa already on site before the day-care use is approved must be removed unless the Director finds adequate, secure separation exists between the water feature and the areas used by children.

These standards apply on top of, not instead of, the Article II zoning-district use tables and Chapter 22.48 use-permit findings, so a proposed center can be denied or conditioned further at the Director's or Zoning Administrator's discretion.