Lakewood, WA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

110(B)(6) permits family day care outright in residential zones, without requiring a conditional use permit, so long as three conditions are met. 216 RCW and comply with all building, fire, safety and health code requirements plus the City's own business licensing rules. Second, the home must conform to the lot size, setback, building coverage, hard surface coverage, and other design and dimensional standards of whatever zoning classification applies to that address, meaning a day care cannot expand its footprint or paved area beyond what the underlying zone allows.

Third, if a safe passenger loading area is needed for drop-off and pickup, it must be certified by the office of child care policy licensor, tying the zoning approval to the state's own child care safety review rather than a separate City inspection. 40's residential use table, it is distinct from a larger commercial day care center, which would be reviewed under Lakewood's nonresidential use standards instead. A day care operator in Lakewood also needs a City business license under Title 5 LMC, since operating a licensed child care business from a residence is treated as a business activity for municipal licensing purposes even though the zoning code permits it as a residential use.