Nashville, TN Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Small tier
- 5-7 individuals, permitted w/ conditions
- Large tier
- 8-12 individuals, needs BZA exception
- Accessory (no permit)
- Up to 4 individuals
- Spacing rule
- 1,000 ft from another day care use
- Enforcing agency
- Metro Codes Administration
Summary
Metro Nashville splits home daycare by headcount: 5-7 kids is a small day care home needing conditions review, 8-12 is a large one needing a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
D. Day Care Home—Large. 1. The day care home shall only be permitted in an occupied residence or accessory to another institutional use... 4. Spacing. Regardless of classification, no day care center or day care home shall locate on the same street block face or on an opposing street block face. Where a block face is over one thousand feet in length, no day care center or day care home shall locate within one thousand feet of another day care center or day care home...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Metro's zoning code defines a home daycare by how many unrelated individuals it serves: up to 4 counts as a routine accessory use, 5-7 is a 'Day care home, Small,' and 8-12 is a 'Day care home, Large.' In residential districts (AG, AR2a, RS80 through RS3.75, R80 through R6), the small tier is permitted with conditions administratively, while the large tier requires a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals. Both must be in an occupied residence, keep spacing of at least 1,000 feet from another day care home or center on a long block face (or not share a block face at all on shorter ones), and fence any outdoor play area. Above 12 individuals, the use reclassifies as a day care center under a separate table.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Large home daycare (8-12 individuals) without an approved BZA special exception is a zoning violation; Metro Codes Administration enforces through citation and can require the use to cease until permitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many kids can I watch at home in Nashville without a special permit?
When do I need a Board of Zoning Appeals exception?
Can two home daycares be next-door neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
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