Lakewood, CA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Written health permit, Sec. 5402.2
- Permit year
- July 1 through June 30 annually
- Renewal deadline
- Filed at least 10 days before July 1
- Application fee
- $25 standard, $5 for Foster Care Home
- Inspecting authority
- Health Officer (LA County Public Health)
- Separate from
- State Community Care Licensing requirement
Summary
Lakewood requires a written health permit before anyone may operate a day nursery, day nursery school, or day care home in the city, separate from any state childcare license, under Municipal Code Section 5402.2. The permit year runs July 1 to June 30, renewal applications are due at least 10 days before July 1, and the application fee is $25, or $5 for a foster care home.
§ 5402.2. Health Permit Required. No person, firm, or corporation, without having obtained a written health permit therefor, as provided in this Chapter, shall conduct or maintain any Home for the Aged, Mental Institution, Private Day School, Day Nursery, Day Nursery School, Private Boarding School, Children's Boarding Home, or Day Care Home or Parent-Child Boarding Home. This requirement is in addition to the requirements of Article IX and other provisions of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
2 for any Home for the Aged, Mental Institution, Private Day School, Day Nursery, Day Nursery School, Private Boarding School, Children's Boarding Home, or Day Care Home and Parent-Child Boarding Home operating in Lakewood, in addition to any business license and any state Community Care Licensing requirement. 8. 3 runs for a fixed year, from July 1 through the following June 30, and a renewal application must be filed at least 10 days before July 1 or the permit terminates outright, with no grace period described in the code.
4 sets the application fee at $25 for a standard permit and $5 for a Foster Care Home application. 1 to confirm compliance with sanitation and public health laws, and every covered institution must keep itself open to that inspection. Because Lakewood is a contract city, the Health Officer function is carried out by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health rather than a city health department, while the permit itself is administered under the city code.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Home for the Aged, Day Nursery, Day Care Home, or any other facility covered by this chapter without the written health permit required by Section 5402.2 violates the Municipal Code and is a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty section, punishable by a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum, up to six months in County jail, or both; the City may instead charge it as an infraction. A renewal filed after the June 30 deadline causes the permit to terminate, so late applicants must reapply as a new facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lakewood require a separate permit for a home day care?
How much does the Lakewood day care health permit cost?
When does a Lakewood child care health permit expire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Childcare Center Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle childcare center rules.