Billings, MT Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Family day-care home size
- 3 to 6 children
- Group day-care home size
- 7 to 12 children
- Licensing authority
- Montana DPHHS
- Zoning status
- Permitted by-right, most districts
- Governing section
- BMCC Sec. 27-1005(A)
Summary
Billings allows family day-care homes (3-6 kids) and group day-care homes (7-12 kids) by right in residential zones under Sec. 27-1005, as long as the operator holds a Montana DPHHS child care license.
Adult and child day care. Day care facilities, including day care centers, family day care homes, and group day care homes both for adults and children, shall comply with all applicable Montana statutory requirements. Site development shall comply with the design requirements in the zone districts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
The zoning code's commercial-use standards (Sec. 27-1005.A) fold day care into state regulation rather than adding a city permit: day care centers, family day-care homes, and group day-care homes for both adults and children just have to meet Montana's statutory licensing requirements and the site's normal zone-district design standards. Table 27-1000.1 lists "Family Day Care Home" and "Group Day Care Home" as a permitted (P) use across essentially every residential and mixed-use district in the city, citing back to Sec. 27-1005 as the governing standard.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required DPHHS license, or in a way inconsistent with the zone's site standards, is a zoning-code violation: a misdemeanor under Sec. 27-1704, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, plus municipal-infraction civil penalties under BMCC 18-1300.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Billings require a separate city permit for a home daycare?
How many kids can a Billings family day-care home have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
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