Lake County, IL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 7 or fewer children = home occupation
- Permit
- Zoning certificate, not conditional use
- Visitor cap
- 6 customers/day, 8am-8pm
- Employees
- Max 2 nonresident employees
- Scope
- Unincorporated Lake County only
Summary
Unincorporated Lake County treats care for seven or fewer children as "babysitting," allowed by right as a customary home occupation rather than a regulated day care facility use.
Day care for seven or fewer individuals at any one time is considered "babysitting" and is regulated as a home occupation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 26-0618, passed 6-9-2026 | State legislation current through ILCS Pamphlet 2025 #5).
Full Breakdown
The county's zoning code splits day care by size. Facilities for more than seven people need a conditional use permit under UDO § 151.112(Q). But § 151.270(D)(4)(d) says "Day care for seven or fewer individuals at any one time is considered 'babysitting' and is regulated as a home occupation," pulling small in-home providers under § 151.113(E)'s customary home occupation standards: a zoning certificate, a full-time resident operator, no more than two nonresident employees, visits limited to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. with no more than six customers per day, and no exterior signage. This applies only to unincorporated county land. Waukegan, Highland Park, Gurnee, Libertyville and other Lake County municipalities zone under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required home occupation zoning certificate, or exceeding the customer/employee/hour limits, is a zoning violation; the Planning, Building and Development Director can withhold permits, revoke approvals, or issue a stop-work order under § 151.253, with each week of an uncorrected violation a separate offense under § 151.252.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small home daycare need a conditional use permit in Lake County?
Does this apply inside Waukegan or Highland Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Compare Lake County to another location·View the Illinois home business overview
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