Colusa County, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Small family day care
- No zoning permit required
- Large day care/child care center
- Discretionary permit required
- Minimum spacing
- 300 ft. from another day care
- Parking
- 1/employee + 1 per 5 children
- Fire code
- Title 24 CCR, Part 2, Ch. 2-12
- Max penalty
- $5,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
In unincorporated Colusa County, a small family day care home is treated exactly like any other residence and needs no special zoning permit. A large family day care, child care center, or group day care center needs a discretionary permit and must sit at least 300 feet from any other day care under Zoning Code Section 44-4.20.020.
44-4.20.020 Family Day Care, Large, and Child or Group Day Care Center. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a large family day care, a child care center (non-residential), or a group day care center (non-residential) shall be allowed only if the following standards are met and with the approval of the appropriate discretionary permit. A. Location. The large family day care or child care center shall not be located within three hundred feet of an existing family day care (large or small) or child care center as measured from any point upon the outside walls of the existing or proposed structure that will house the children or persons who will receive the care. B. Parking. Sufficient parking spaces exist that will provide at least one off-street parking space for each non-resident employee plus one parking space for every five children or persons authorized to be cared for at the facility. C. Fire Code. The existing structure meets all applicable regulations of the State Fire Marshall found at Title 24, California Administrative Code, Part 2, Chapter 2-12. D. Applicable Laws. The operation of the facility complies with all applicable laws and ordinances.
Full Breakdown
Colusa County's Zoning Code addresses day care under Article 44-4 (Special Use Provisions). 20 notes is required through the California Department of Social Services. ' The location standard bars siting within 300 feet of another day care or child care center, measured from the outside walls of the structure housing the children. The parking standard requires one off-street space per non-resident employee plus one more space for every five children or persons cared for. The facility must also meet State Fire Marshal rules under Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, Part 2, Chapter 2-12, and must comply with all other applicable laws.
The Department of Planning and Building processes the discretionary permit, and depending on the permit type the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission decides it, with appeal rights running up through the Board of Supervisors.
Violations & Fines
Operating a large family day care, child care center, or group day care center without the required discretionary permit, or in violation of its location, parking, or fire-code conditions, is enforced as a Zoning Code violation. Section 44-1.130.030 makes any violation a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment of not more than six months, or both, and the county can also pursue abatement of the violation as a public nuisance under County Code Chapter 42.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a small home daycare in unincorporated Colusa County?
How far must a large family day care be from another day care?
How much parking does a large day care need?
What happens if a large day care operates without the required permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colusa County
California rules heatmap·Compare Colusa County to another location·View the California home business overview
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