Auburn, AL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Home daycares in Auburn are regulated as "family child care homes" under Zoning Ordinance Section 511.05, separate from ordinary home occupations. Any resident providing family childcare must apply for and receive a zoning certificate from the Planning Director. The childcare activity must be licensed to and operated by a resident of the dwelling (Section 511.05(A)) and be clearly incidental to the residential use (B). Child care services are limited to a maximum of six non-resident children at any one time (Section 511.05(C)). The appearance of the dwelling may not be altered (D), the activity must operate in the existing dwelling with no new or existing accessory structure used for it (E), and no sign is permitted (F). The total number of persons engaged in operating the home may not exceed four, of whom up to two may be non-residents, provided there is sufficient off-street parking for non-resident employees (Section 511.05(G)). Off-street parking must be provided per Section 513 (H), and the home may not create a nuisance such as excessive traffic, on-street parking, or noise (I). Critically, Section 511.05(J) requires the home to hold an appropriate Alabama state license at all times - issued through the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) - and revocation or expiration of the state license automatically voids the city zoning certificate. A home caring for more than two persons in day/night care is not treated as an ordinary home occupation (Section 511.04(D)(1)).