Multnomah County, OR Building Safety: Childcare Center Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- Day care for 3+ children, MCC § 38.0015
- Zones allowed
- GGRC, GGR-2, GGR-5/GGR-10 (church/community bldg only)
- Review required
- Conditional use per MCC § 38.0045, 38.7300
- Commercial floor cap
- 5,000 sq ft per building/use, § 38.7300(D)(1)
- Outside Gorge zones
- Not listed as a permitted or conditional use
- Noncompliant use
- Blocks all permits on parcel, § 38.0560
Summary
Unincorporated Multnomah County's zoning code allows a stand-alone child care center only as a conditional use, and only within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area: on GGRC-designated land, on GGR-2 land, or on GGR-5/GGR-10 land inside an existing church or community building. A child care center is defined as a facility serving three or more children.
§ 38.2430 CONDITIONAL USES The following conditional uses may be allowed on lands designated GGRC, pursuant to the provisions of MCC 38.0045 and 38.7300: ... (F) Accredited child care centers ...
§ 38.3030 CONDITIONAL USES
(A) The following conditional uses may be allowed on lands designated GGR, pursuant to the provisions of MCC 38.0045 and MCC 38.7300 (C):
(1) An accredited child care center on land designated GGR- 2.
(2) A child care center on land designated GGR- 5 or GGR- 10 within an existing church or community building.
Full Breakdown
0015 defines a "child care center" as a facility providing day care to three or more children, carving out programs that are primarily educational (unless offered to a preschooler for more than 4 hours a day), single-subject supervised training such as dance, gymnastics or music lessons, and short-term care tied to group activities. That definition sits inside Chapter 38, the county's Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area overlay, and the use is only listed as approvable there. 2430(F) lists "Accredited child care centers" among the conditional uses the county may allow on land designated GGRC.
7300, a discretionary Type II or Type III land-use review, not a by-right permit. 7380. Outside these specific Gorge-designated zones, the general county zoning code (Chapter 39) does not list a stand-alone child care center as a permitted or conditional use; only small in-home family day care is separately addressed there.
Violations & Fines
MCC § 38.0560 bars the county from issuing a building permit, land division approval, zoning review approval, or any other approval under the county code for a property that is not in full compliance with the code and its prior permit conditions. Operating a child care center in a Gorge zone without first securing the required conditional use / Community Service approval therefore is a code compliance failure that blocks any further permitting on that parcel until it is resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a child care center anywhere in unincorporated Multnomah County?
What counts as a "child care center" under the county code?
Is there a size limit on a Gorge-zone child care center?
What happens if I run a child care center without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon building safety overview
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