Corvallis, OR Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Child limit
- 16 or fewer children, resident family included
- Zoning classification
- Day Care, Residential, an accessory use
- Permit needed
- None; permitted outright ('A') in RS zones
- State classification
- Family child care home under ORS 329A.440
- Above 16 children
- Becomes Day Care, Commercial Facility (Conditional Development)
Summary
In the City of Corvallis, babysitting or caring for 16 or fewer children, including the caregiver's own resident family members, is zoned as 'Day Care, Residential,' an accessory use allowed outright in every residential zone. The Land Development Code treats it separately from a Home Business and instead classifies it under Oregon's family child care home law, ORS 329A.440.
Day Care, Residential - Babysitting or care of 16 or fewer children, including resident family members, as Accessory to any Residential Use Type. Day Care, Residential is not subject to the definition of Home Business, as contained in Chapter 1.6 - Definitions. This Use Type is classified per ORS 329A.440 as a family child care home. ... "P" - Primary use permitted outright. "CD" - Primary use subject to approval in accordance with Chapter 2.3 - Conditional Development. "A" - Accessory use permitted outright. ... Day Care, Residential A
Full Breakdown
The Corvallis Land Development Code lists 'Day Care, Residential' as one of the Residential Use Types defined in LDC § 3.0.30.01.b: babysitting or care of 16 or fewer children, counting the provider's own resident family members, run as accessory to any residential use. Because the Code expressly states this use is not subject to the Home Business definition, a family childcare provider does not need to meet the separate standards that apply to a Home Business, such as client-visit limits; instead, the state's classification under ORS 329A.440 as a family child care home controls how the use is licensed.
Zoning-wise, Table 3.1-2 (RS-6 Zone Permitted Use Types) marks 'Day Care, Residential' with an 'A,' meaning it is an accessory use permitted outright, with no Conditional Development review or public hearing, and the same 'A' marking recurs in the other single-family zone tables across the Code. Once a home childcare operation grows past 16 children, it is no longer 'Day Care, Residential' at all; it falls instead into the 'Day Care, Commercial Facility' Use Type defined in LDC § 3.0.30.03.j, which is reviewed as a Conditional Development in residential zones. Homeowners should confirm zoning eligibility with the Community Development Department's Planning Division before enrolling more children than the residential accessory-use limit allows.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family child care home with more than 16 children without shifting to the Commercial Facility classification and its Conditional Development review is an unpermitted use under the RS-zone use tables, since only 'Day Care, Residential' is listed there as an accessory use permitted outright. The Community Development Department can require the operator to reduce enrollment to the residential limit or apply for Conditional Development approval as a Day Care, Commercial Facility, and unresolved cases are handled through the Code's general zoning enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a zoning permit to run a home daycare in Corvallis?
Does my home daycare count as a Home Business in Corvallis?
What happens if I care for more than 16 children at home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corvallis
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