Chatham County, GA Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)

County Code Article VI defines a child day care agency as any day nursery, nursery school, kindergarten, or play school where four or more children outside the third degree of kinship to the operator are received for temporary custody for more than one day, or part of a day, a week, whether paid or not; recognized elementary and secondary schools without kindergarten or nursery programs are excluded (Sec. 16-601). Before opening, the operator must apply in writing to the Occupational Tax Section and must reapply every year to keep the license current; failing to renew means the operator may not keep operating (Sec.

16-602). The application must include a current 'Bright From the Start' certificate from the State of Georgia and is referred to the Chatham County Zoning and Fire Inspector for their own inspections and recommendations, which must be on file before the County acts, though the County may proceed if 30 days pass without a recommendation (Sec. 16-603). An unfavorable inspection report must state exactly what makes the proposed agency unsuitable; the operator has two weeks to fix the problems and request reinspection, and can appeal an unfavorable ruling first to the Director of Building Safety and Regulatory Services and then to the County Manager.

Once licensed, an agency stays subject to inspection at any time, with or without notice, and a license found unsuitable can be revoked if defects are not corrected within two weeks of written notice (Secs. 16-605, 16-606). The license fee is set in the County's Business Regulations and Licensing Ordinance fee schedule referenced at Sec. 16-105 (Sec. 16-607).