Maricopa, AZ Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Operating a home daycare from a Maricopa residence is governed largely by Arizona state child-care law rather than a unique city ordinance. Under Arizona's framework, a person may care for up to four children for compensation in a home without being required to hold an AZDHS license; certification through the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) for a family child care provider is available but optional at this small scale. Once a home regularly provides care for compensation for five to ten children through age twelve for periods of less than 24 hours per day, it becomes a child care group home and must be licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services under its Office of Child Care Licensing rules. The distinction between an unlicensed family child care home (up to four children) and a licensed group home (five to ten children) is the key regulatory line, and relative-only care is treated separately. At the local level, a home daycare typically operates as a home occupation or residential accessory use, so it must fit the City of Maricopa's home-occupation standards in MCC 18.120.120 (incidental to the residence, no street-visible business sign, limited employees and traffic) and may, depending on size, require a zoning permit or conditional use approval. Because licensing thresholds, ratios, and certification requirements are set by the state, providers should confirm the exact requirements with AZDHS Child Care Licensing and DES, and confirm local zoning treatment with the city's Planning & Zoning staff.