Merced, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Merced's zoning code treats licensed family day care as an outright residential use, not a special exception. 08-1 in the Land Use Regulations for Residential Zoning Districts (Sec. 020) lists 'Day Care Home Facilities, Small (1-8 children)' and 'Day Care Home Facilities, Large (9-14 children)' with a 'P' designation, meaning Permitted Use, across all six residential zoning districts: Rural Residential (R-R), Low Density Residential (R-1), Low Medium Density Residential (R-2), Medium Density Residential (R-3), High Density Residential (R-4) and Mobile Home Park (R-MH). No minor use permit, site plan review, or conditional use permit is triggered by operating a home day care of up to 14 children.

That contrasts with other child-care formats in the same table: stand-alone 'Day Care Centers' require a Minor Use Permit in R-3, R-4 and R-MH and are Not Allowed (X) in R-R, R-1 and R-2, while 'Day Care, Adult' for 1-12 persons requires a Conditional Use Permit in R-2, R-3 and R-4 and is barred outright in R-R, R-1 and R-MH. 14-1 (Sec. 020) lists both small and large Day Care Home Facilities as Permitted (P) in the Downtown Core, Downtown Office and Downtown Commercial districts, while a stand-alone Day Care Center in those same zones needs a Minor Use Permit.