Lewis County, WA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Provider cap
- 12 adults or children per 24 hours
- Non-family staff limit
- No more than two employees
- Governing sections
- LCC §§ 17.10.060 and 17.142.120
- Yard-use exception
- 10 or fewer children may use yard
- Vehicle limit
- No more than two business vehicles on site
- Enforcement
- Civil infraction and misdemeanor, § 17.07.010
Summary
Unincorporated Lewis County treats a family day care provider as a home-based business under LCC § 17.142.120. The use must stay accessory to the residence, cap non-family staff at two, and generally may not change the home's outward appearance, though state-licensed day cares of 10 children or fewer may use the yard for recreation.
"Family day care provider" means an establishment for group care of nonresident adults or children which is accessory to a single-family residence that is the abode of the person or persons under whose direct care and supervision the clients are placed. Day care consists of both adult day care and child day care facilities, licensed by the state. A maximum of 12 adults or children in any 24-hour period, including children who reside at home, are permitted. ... (1) All home-based businesses must be located on the parcel or contiguous to the parcel upon which the owner or manager resides. ... (3) No more than two persons, other than the family residing on the premises, shall be engaged in such occupation. (4) There shall be no change in the outside appearance of the building or premises, or other visible evidence of the conduct of such home business, other than one sign meeting the standards of LCC § 17.142.207; except that day care facilities with 10 children or less may use yard areas for recreation. ... No more than two vehicles used for the operation of the business may be parked on the site at any time.
Full Breakdown
Lewis County classifies in-home day care as a form of home-based business rather than a standalone commercial use. 060 LCC, defines a "family day care provider" as an establishment for group care of nonresident adults or children that is accessory to a single-family residence and remains the abode of the person providing direct care and supervision; it covers both licensed adult day care and child day care, capping enrollment at 12 adults or children in any 24-hour period, counting any children who already live in the home.
207 LCC, except that a day care serving 10 or fewer children may use the yard for recreation. 42 LCC list "Family day care, childcare provider" as a permitted use across most rural residential and urban growth area districts, though in the RDD-20 rural development district the table instead defers to the home-based business standards. Traffic and parking generated by the day care cannot exceed what a residential neighborhood would normally see, and no more than two vehicles tied to the operation may park on site at any time.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family day care outside these limits, such as exceeding the 12-client cap or the two-employee limit, or altering the home's appearance beyond the sign and yard-use exceptions, is a violation of Title 17 LCC. Under § 17.07.010 LCC each violation is both a civil infraction processed under Chapter 1.20 LCC and a misdemeanor, with every day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many children can a home day care in Lewis County serve?
Do I need a special permit to run a day care from my house?
Can a home day care use the backyard for the kids?
Is home day care parking restricted in Lewis County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
Compare Lewis County to another location·View the Washington home business overview
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