Yavapai County, AZ Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- Ordinance 2025-3 (2024 IBC amendments)
- Effective date
- January 1, 2026
- Occupancy class
- Group R-3 for 5-10 children
- Age threshold
- Children through age twelve
- Enforcing office
- Yavapai County Development Services
- Penalty
- Class 2 Misdemeanor
- Replaces
- Ordinance 2019-2
Summary
Yavapai County's amended building code sets the occupancy class for small child care group homes in the unincorporated county. Homes caring for five to ten children fall under Section 305.2.4, classified Group R-3 residential rather than Group E educational, if exit rules are met.
305.2.4: Five to ten children. A child care group home complying with the requirements ARS §36-897 and providing child care for less than twenty-four (24) hours per day for not less than five (5) children but no more than ten (10) children through the age of twelve (12) years shall be classified as Group R-3, provided that all child care rooms are located on the level of exit discharge and each child care room has an exit door directly to the exterior.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance 2025-3, adopted by the Board of Supervisors and effective January 1, 2026, repealed Ordinance 2019-2 in its entirety and adopted the International Building Code, 2024 Edition, with local amendments for the unincorporated area of Yavapai County. § 36-897 and providing care for less than 24 hours a day for not less than five but no more than ten children through age twelve as Group R-3 (residential), rather than the stricter Group E educational occupancy, provided all child care rooms sit on the level of exit discharge and each has an exit door directly to the exterior.
§ 15-761), CHILD CARE, CHILD CARE FACILITY, and CHILD CARE GROUP HOME. 4, Residential Group R-3, was amended to add Item 15 listing "child care group homes with not less than five but no more than ten children through the age of twelve years" as an enumerated R-3 use. The Yavapai County Development Services building official administers and inspects under this classification; homes with fewer than five children fall outside this special classification, and larger operations remain subject to Group E requirements.
Violations & Fines
Section 114.1, rewritten by this same ordinance, makes it unlawful to erect, alter, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure, including a child care group home, in violation of the amended building code; a violation is punishable as a Class 2 Misdemeanor and is handled through the Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Ordinance. Under Section 114.2 the building official first serves a notice of violation on the responsible party and records a Notice of Code Violation; under Section 114.3, if the notice is not complied with in the time prescribed, the county may institute a court proceeding to restrain, correct or abate the violation or require removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What occupancy classification applies to a small child care group home in unincorporated Yavapai County?
How does the county define a child for these rules?
What happens if a child care group home violates the building code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yavapai County
Compare Yavapai County to another location·View the Arizona building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.