Anne Arundel County, MD Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Child cap
- 12 children as a home occupation
- Location rule
- Must operate inside the principal dwelling
- Floor area limit
- Under 25% of dwelling floor area
- Critical Area cap
- 8 children in the RCA subdistrict
- First-offense fine
- $125 civil fine, Section 18-17-203
Summary
Anne Arundel County treats in-home child care as a home occupation, capping it at 12 children under County Code Section 18-10-142, with a lower cap inside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area's Resource Conservation Area.
Home occupations are limited to the following: ... (xiv) child care for a maximum of 12 children in accordance with the requirements of the State Child Care Administration;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
County Code Section 18-10-142 lists child care for up to 12 children among the permitted home occupations. Like every home occupation, a home daycare must be conducted entirely inside the principal dwelling, stay under 25% of the home's floor area, be run by a resident operator with no more than one nonresident employee, and keep outside storage and off-site retail sales off the property. The 12-child cap runs alongside licensing under the State Child Care Administration. Inside the Resource Conservation Area of the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, Section 18-13-206(24) lowers the home-occupation child care cap to eight children.
Violations & Fines
The Office of Planning and Zoning enforces zoning violations under Section 18-17-201 through administrative orders, then civil citations under Section 18-17-203: $125 for a first offense, $500 for a second, $1,000 for any later one ($500/$1,000 in the Critical Area).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a daycare out of my home in Anne Arundel County?
Does the child limit change near the Chesapeake Bay?
What happens if I exceed the zoning limits for a home daycare?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland home business overview
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