Jacksonville Beach, FL Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

Section 34-718 of the Jacksonville Beach Land Development Code covers child day care services, a term that includes day nurseries, kindergartens and child care centers. Before anything else, the operator must provide proof of state licensure, and the five conditions in the section apply in addition to that license.

Lot area comes first. The minimum lot area is not less than 7,500 square feet, except for lots of record platted prior to the adoption of the LDC. A center cannot be placed on an undersized lot platted after that date, while older platted lots are excused from the minimum.

The outdoor play area must be fenced, must comply with all applicable state requirements, and must be provided in the rear yard. Fence construction in the city is separately regulated by Sec. 34-722, which requires all fences to receive approval by the planning and development department and to submit for a building permit, and which caps fence height in residential districts at six feet.

Subsection (c) requires all facilities, operation and maintenance to meet all applicable city and state regulations for such use. Subsection (d) on capacity does not set a city headcount: it states that capacity shall follow Florida State requirements and licensure requirements for centers with over five children. A center with over five children is therefore measured against the state licensure rules rather than a number printed in the city code.

Subsection (e) requires an adequate number of parking spaces for employees and business owners, as well as a sufficient drop off area for children. The code does not print a space-per-child ratio in this section, so the planning and development department judges adequacy.

Home-based care is handled elsewhere. The definitions section separately defines a family day care home, and the RS-1, RS-2 and RS-3 districts list those homes as permitted uses, so § 34-718 is the rule for center-scale operations.