Little Rock, AR Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning approval
- Special use permit required
- Max children
- 10, including caregiver's own
- Min for permit
- 6 non-household children
- Spacing rule
- 300 ft from other day cares
- Business license
- Required annually, Ch. 17
Summary
Running a family day care home in Little Rock requires a special use permit, caps at 10 children, and comes with a 300-foot spacing rule from other day cares.
(3)Day care family home: a. This use may be located only in a single-family home, occupied by the caregiver and which is the full-time residence of the caregiver...c. The use is limited to ten (10) children including the care givers. d. The minimum to qualify for special use permit is six (6) children from households other than the care givers. e. This use must obtain a special use permit in all districts where day care centers are not allowed by right.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
Little Rock zoning treats a day care family home as a special use requiring planning commission approval in any district where day care centers aren't already permitted by right. The home must be the caregiver's full-time single-family residence, capped at 10 children including the caregiver's own, and needs at least 6 children from outside households to qualify. New permits are barred within 300 feet of an existing licensed day care center or another approved day care family home.
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved special use permit, exceeding the 10-child cap, or locating within 300 feet of another day care use are all code violations enforceable by the city; a prior controlled-substances conviction also disqualifies an applicant unless pardoned or expunged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Little Rock home daycare need a zoning permit?
How many kids can a Little Rock family day care home have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
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