Knox County, TN Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance 4.91
- Minimum lot
- 10,000 square feet
- Indoor play
- 30 sq ft per child
- Fenced play area
- 2,500 sq ft / first 20 kids
- State licensing
- Tennessee DHS
Summary
A small family home daycare fits within a home occupation, but a group day care home in unincorporated Knox County is a use-permitted-on-review under Zoning Ordinance 4.91, requiring a 10,000 sq ft lot, 30 sq ft of indoor play space per child, and a fenced play area. State DHS licensing
A fenced play area of not less than two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet for the first twenty (20) children shall be provided. For every additional child, an additional one hundred (100) square feet shall be provided... The minimum height of the fence shall be four (4) feet.
Full Breakdown
Knox County Zoning Ordinance section 4.91 sets conditions for child day care centers and group day care homes approved as uses permitted on review. The total lot area must be at least 10,000 square feet. The building must provide 30 square feet per child of usable indoor play space, excluding halls, kitchen, and office. A fenced play area of at least 2,500 square feet is required for the first 20 children, plus 100 square feet per additional child, kept at least 35 feet from any public right-of-way, with a fence at least four feet high. Separately, the Tennessee Department of Human Services licenses child care by the number of children cared for.
Violations & Fines
Operating a group day care home without use-on-review approval or state licensing is subject to county zoning enforcement and state DHS action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a daycare from my home in Knox County?
How big must the play area be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
Compare Knox County to another location·View the Tennessee home business overview
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