El Paso County, CO Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- LDC § 5.2.16(A)
- Separation distance
- 500 linear feet
- Measured
- Along the same road
- Code compliance
- Building, fire, health codes required
Summary
El Paso County bars most new family care homes, child care centers, and group homes from sitting within 500 feet of another such facility along the same road, unless the facility qualifies as a small single-family use or sits in a commercial zone.
No family care homes, child care centers, or group homes, excluding group homes for handicapped or disabled persons, shall be located on an adjacent lot or parcel or within 500 linear feet along the same road from the lot or parcel boundary lines as another family care home, child care center, or applicable group home except for those facilities that: (1) qualify as a single-family dwelling and have an occupancy...of fewer than 6; or (2) ...located within a commercial zone district.
Full Breakdown
LDC §5.2.16(A) sets a 500-linear-foot separation between family care homes, child care centers, and applicable group homes measured along the same road, with exceptions for facilities under 6 occupants that qualify as single-family dwellings or those sited in a commercial zone district. Subsection (C)(3) additionally requires these facilities to maintain compliance with applicable building codes, fire codes, and health codes based on occupancy classification.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family care home, child care center, or group home that violates the 500-foot separation rule, or that fails required building, fire, or health code compliance, is a Land Development Code violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can two child care centers be in unincorporated El Paso County?
Do child care centers still need to meet building and fire codes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
Compare El Paso County to another location·View the Colorado building safety overview
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