Gilroy, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Gilroy's Zoning Ordinance treats family day care homes as a listed residential use rather than a home occupation. The residential use table at City Code § 30.11.10(c) marks 'Family Day Care Home' with an 'X' in the RR, R1, R2, R3, R4 and RH columns, meaning the code's own legend applies: 'X = Principally permitted (see Article L for related planning application requirements).' That places family day care in the same by-right category as single-family dwellings and duplexes in those six zoning districts, so a provider does not need a conditional use permit from the Gilroy Planning Commission to open one in an eligible home.

The table leaves the A1 Agriculture District cell blank for this use, meaning family day care homes are not a listed use on agriculturally zoned parcels, and the Neighborhood District (ND) column carries an asterisk, meaning ND parcels are instead governed by 'the master plan or specific plan adopted for the neighborhood district area in which the property is located,' per the table's notes. Providers still have to make the Article L planning application referenced in the legend, and any accessory improvements, like an addition to accommodate the daycare, remain subject to the residential site and building requirements at § 30.11.20(c), including the district's setback and lot coverage standards, and to building permits through Community Development.