Augusta-Richmond County, GA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Group size
- 3 to 6 unrelated children
- Permit required
- Special Use Permit (administrative)
- Minimum lot size
- 10,000 square feet
- Hours allowed
- 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Sex offender buffer
- None within 1,000 feet
Summary
Augusta-Richmond County lets a private home care for 3 to 6 unrelated children if the operator gets a Special Use Permit: issued administratively by Planning staff when strict siting and safety criteria are met.
Family day care homes - may be granted Special Use Permit administratively by staff...if they conform to the criteria set at 8-3(b), 26-1(f), and the following special criteria...Applicant must live in the home...Home has public sewerage or applicant has a letter of approval from the Richmond County Board of Health...Home is not in the floodplain...The lot...is 10,000 square feet in area or greater...Hours of operation would not be greater than 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M...No persons listed with Richmond County Sex Offenders Registry reside within 1,000 feet of the property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
Under the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance's R-1 rules, a family day care home, 3 to 6 unrelated children under 18, fewer than 24 hours a day, needs a Special Use Permit. Planning and Development staff can approve it administratively if the operator lives in the home, the lot is at least 10,000 square feet, hours run no later than 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., the home has public sewerage or Board of Health approval, sits outside the floodplain, and no registered sex offender lives within 1,000 feet. Applications that miss these thresholds still can seek a Special Exception. The same use is allowed by right in B-1 zones.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family day care home without an approved Special Use Permit is a zoning violation; the Augusta Planning and Development Department can issue a notice and pursue code enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home daycare in Augusta-Richmond County?
What lot size does a home daycare need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Augusta-Richmond County
Compare Augusta-Richmond County to another location·View the Georgia home business overview
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