Lake Havasu City, AZ Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Development Code § 14.03.03B.3 sets the use-specific standard that governs every day care facility use in the city, including those run from a residence. A facility that accommodates more than 10 persons total must obtain a conditional use permit before Development Services will approve it; that threshold applies regardless of the underlying zoning district. For facilities serving children specifically, the code fixes a band: no fewer than 5 and no more than 10 children through age 12 may be accommodated, and an outdoor play area must be enclosed by a fence at least 5 feet high.

The code layers a third requirement on top of the zoning limits: every day care facility, home-based or not, must comply with all Arizona state licensing and certification requirements, so a valid Department of Health Services or Department of Child Safety credential is a prerequisite the Zoning Administrator will check alongside the local permit. Day care facility is listed as its own land use category in the Permitted Use Table (Table 3-1) at § 14.03.03B.3, appearing as a permitted or accessory use across most residential and mixed-use districts, with the accommodation and fencing standards applying wherever it is sited.

Operators should read the fence height and headcount numbers together with the state license requirement before opening, since the city treats all three as conditions of legal operation rather than optional guidance.