Maple Grove, MN Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Home daycare in Maple Grove is shaped primarily by Minnesota state law. Under Minnesota Statutes section 462.357, subdivision 7, a licensed day care facility serving 12 or fewer persons, and a group family day care facility licensed under Minnesota Rules parts 9502.0315 to 9502.0445 to serve 14 or fewer children, must be considered a permitted single-family residential use of property for zoning purposes. That means Maple Grove cannot zone these licensed home daycares out of its residential districts. Licensing itself is handled by the state through DHS Rule 2 (family child care), with the application process administered locally by Hennepin County: family child care is for 10 children or fewer at one time (no more than six younger than school age), and group family child care can serve up to 14 children at any one time. A provider caring for children from more than one family must be licensed. From the city's side, an in-home daycare operating as a home-based business is also subject to the home occupation conditions in Sec. 36-3, and the city does not require home occupations to register. Larger facilities serving 13 to 16 persons are treated under subdivision 8 as a multifamily use and may require a conditional or special use permit. Providers should confirm fire-inspection and zoning steps with Hennepin County and the city's Community and Economic Development Department.