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

Walton County treats a day care center as a zoning use with its own site-safety conditions layered on top of state licensing. Section 6-1-260 governs Day Care Centers, Adult and Child, and starts by requiring compliance with all applicable state day care requirements for standards, licensing, and inspections. On top of that state layer, the county requires at least one hundred square feet of outdoor recreation area for every child enrolled, and that outdoor play area has to be enclosed by a fence at least six feet high.

The Department also reviews the site plan for paved driveways with drop-off areas and turnarounds, specifically so that traffic generated by drop-off and pickup does not spill into or block the flow of traffic on the streets around the facility. A separate but related use, Day Care Facility, Adult and Child, is governed by Section 6-1-270 and applies the same state-compliance rule along with additional conditions: the facility has to keep a residential appearance compatible with its neighborhood, cannot post a sign, and must hold a Walton County Occupational Tax Certificate to operate as a business in the unincorporated area. Both provisions sit in Article 6's Supplemental Use Regulations, meaning they apply in addition to whatever zoning district otherwise allows the day care use.