Columbus, GA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Client cap
- 6 clients (Type I)
- Operator
- Must reside in the dwelling
- Employees
- Non-residents prohibited
- Governing section
- UDO § 3.2.23
- Parking
- 1 extra pick-up/drop-off space
Summary
Columbus, Georgia treats a home daycare as a 'Day Care, Type I' accessory use, capped at six clients, run only by a resident of the house with no non-resident employees.
A. Accessory Use. A Type I shall operate only as an accessory use to the principal residential use of a dwelling. ... C. Operator. The operator of the day care facility shall be a resident of the dwelling unit. D. Additional Employees. Additional employees, unless residents of the dwelling unit, are prohibited. ... F. Maximum Number of Clients. 1. Number of Children. The maximum number of clients shall not exceed six.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
UDO § 3.2.23 governs 'Day Care, Type I', the code's term for a family home daycare, and permits it only as an accessory use to a residential dwelling. The operator must live in the home, and non-resident employees are prohibited. Caring for six or more clients requires the dwelling to meet building code standards for institutional use, while five or fewer only needs standard residential code compliance. At least one extra parking space is required for pick-up and drop-off, and the operator's own relatives don't count toward the six-client cap so long as total clients stay at eight or fewer.
Violations & Fines
Employing a non-resident caregiver, exceeding six unrelated clients, or skipping the required drop-off parking space violates § 3.2.23 and can draw a zoning enforcement action against the home daycare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a home daycare in Columbus, Georgia?
Can I hire outside help for a home daycare?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
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