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Alachua County, FL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Light Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Zoning status: Limited use, permitted by right
Districts: A, RE, RE-1, R-1aa, R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-2, R-2a, R-3, RP
Local caps: None: defers entirely to F.S. Ch. 402
Adult/child care centers: Separate rule, § 404.31, has its own hour cap

Summary

Alachua County treats a family child care home as a limited use permitted by right in eleven residential and mixed districts, from Agriculture through R-3 and RP, once it satisfies Florida Statutes Chapter 402. County Code § 404.32 sets no independent local caps on children, hours or lot size, unlike the county's separate rules for stand-alone child care centers.

City-specific rules exist: Gainesville has its own home daycare rules that differ from Alachua County's county-level regulations. If you live in Gainesville, check the city-specific page instead.

Family child care homes, as defined by F.S. Ch. 402, are allowed as limited uses in the A, RE, RE-1, R-1aa, R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-2, R-2a, R-3, and RP districts, and in traditional neighborhood and transit oriented developments. A family child care home shall comply with all applicable requirements of F.S. Ch. 402.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).

Full Breakdown

32 of the Unified Land Development Code allows a family child care home, as defined by Florida Statutes Chapter 402, as a limited use in the A, RE, RE-1, R-1aa, R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-2, R-2a, R-3 and RP zoning districts, and within traditional neighborhood and transit-oriented developments. S. Ch. 402,' meaning the number of children, staffing, and licensing thresholds come entirely from state law, not the county. in residential districts), plus landscaping, setback and parking standards, none of which apply to a home-based family child care operation.

A family child care home therefore needs no county-issued conditional use approval beyond ordinary residential occupancy in one of the listed districts, but it must hold whatever license or registration Florida Chapter 402 requires before operating.

Violations & Fines

Because § 404.32 folds directly into state law, a home operating without the Florida Chapter 402 license or registration is a state licensing violation as well as a local ULDC violation for using land inconsistently with the requirements of this Chapter. The county can refer the matter to Code Enforcement under County Code Chapter 24 and F.S. Ch. 162, issue a citation, or withhold building and zoning permits on the property until the violation is resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a home daycare in unincorporated Alachua County?

Yes, in most residential districts. County Code § 404.32 allows a family child care home as a limited use, permitted by right, in the A, RE, RE-1, R-1aa, R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-2, R-2a, R-3 and RP districts, provided you meet the requirements of Florida Statutes Chapter 402.

Does the county cap how many children I can care for?

No. Section 404.32 sets no local numeric limit; it simply requires compliance with Florida Statutes Chapter 402, which is where the state sets group-size and staffing thresholds and issues the operating license.

Are there hours-of-operation limits like the county's daycare centers have?

No. The 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. operating restriction in § 404.31 applies only to stand-alone adult or child care centers, not to a family child care home run out of a residence under § 404.32, which carries no hours restriction of its own.

Do I need a special zoning permit before I can start?

No separate county use permit is required beyond the 'limited use' zoning status itself: you don't need a special exception or special use permit. You do need whatever license Florida Chapter 402 requires before you can lawfully operate, and the home must sit in one of the eleven listed districts.

Sources & Official References

[1]Alachua County Code § 404.32

Other rules in Alachua County

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All Alachua County rules

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