Nashua, NH Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Principal-use street access
- Collector or arterial street required
- Outdoor fence height
- Up to 6 feet, wood or similar
- Home-based care
- By right if it meets He-C 4002
- Outdoor play hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. only
- State law layered on top
- RSA 170-E licensing also applies
Summary
Nashua zoning requires child day-care facilities to sit on a collector or arterial street, fence outdoor play areas up to six feet high, and cap outdoor play in residential districts to 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
All child day-care facilities shall be located on lots that have direct access to and from a collector or arterial street... Outdoor activity areas for child day-care facilities shall be enclosed by fences and shall not be located in the front yard of a residential district... the enclosure shall be a solid fence made of wood or other suitable material not more than six feet in height... Outdoor play for any child day-care facility located within any residential district is restricted to the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4805762; v29 updated 2026-02-10; through 02-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
Nashua's zoning code (§ 190-36) layers city site standards on top of state day-care law, RSA 170-E. A day-care facility as a principal use must sit on a lot with direct access to a collector or arterial street, and its outdoor play area must be enclosed by a fence: solid wood or similar material up to six feet high where the site is in or next to a residential district. Day care run out of a dwelling unit is allowed by right as an accessory use if it meets the state Health and Human Services rule He-C 4002. In any residential district, outdoor play is limited to 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Violations & Fines
Zoning violations, including breaches of the day-care facility standards, are enforced by the Administrative Officer under RSA 676:11 through 676:13 and 676:15 through 676:19, not a fixed city fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a day care out of my Nashua home?
How high can the fence be around a Nashua day-care facility's outdoor play area?
What hours can kids play outside at a Nashua day-care center in a residential area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashua
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Childcare Center Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle childcare center rules.