Will County, IL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Children's home cap
- 12 children, incl. provider's own kids
- Adult home cap
- 5 adults maximum
- Residency rule
- Provider must live in the dwelling
- Permit status
- Permitted by right, no special use permit
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated Will County only
Summary
In unincorporated Will County, home day care for up to 12 children is permitted by right in every agricultural, estate, residential and commercial district if the provider lives on site and the facility holds required licensing.
(A) General regulations. Day care homes and day care centers must be licensed and/or certified by the appropriate federal, state, or local agencies. ... (B)(1) Day care homes for children provide care for no more than 12 children, including the family's (provider's) natural, foster or adopted children and all other persons under the age of 12. ... (4) The owner and operator of the day care home must reside in the dwelling unit in which day care services are provided.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County Zoning Ordinance § 155-9.100 lists 'Adult or Child Day Care Home' as a P (permitted by right) use-table entry in every A, E, R and C zoning district of unincorporated Will County; only the I-1, I-2, I-3 and SP-PO districts exclude it. Section 155-9.100(B) caps a children's home at 12 kids, including the provider's own children under 12, caps an adult home at five adults, and requires the owner/operator to live in the dwelling where care is given. Homes and centers alike must be licensed or certified by the appropriate federal, state or local agency. The rule reaches unincorporated land only -- Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport zone home day cares under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 12-child or five-adult cap, operating without the provider residing on site, or running unlicensed violates § 155-9.100 and can draw zoning enforcement action and citations from the Will County Land Use Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a special use permit for a home daycare in Will County?
How many children can a Will County home daycare serve?
Does this apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois home business overview
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