A family child care home operates under the County's home occupation standards (HCC 25-4-13) plus State licensing. The State Department of Human Services licenses/registers family child care homes; the county home-occupation rules govern the residential zoning side.
On the Big Island, running a daycare from home is treated as a home occupation under HCC 25-4-13 - it must be incidental and subordinate, stay within the dwelling or be screened, and follow the one-employee, no-sign, and parking standards. Group instruction triggers the Home Occupation Declaration filing under 25-4-13(c). Note the code prohibits 'care, treatment or boarding of animals' for compensation as a home occupation, but child care is not among the prohibited uses. Separately, State law requires a Department of Human Services license or registration to operate a family child care home caring for unrelated children.
Operating outside the home-occupation standards is a Zoning Code violation with a civil fine up to $500 per day (HCC 25-2-35). Unlicensed child care also violates State DHS licensing law.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Hawaii County's home daycare rules stack up against other locations.
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