Pasadena, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- Zoning Administrator approval required
- Separation
- 300 ft from another large day-care home/center
- Parking
- 1 space per non-resident employee
- Play equipment
- Prohibited in the front yard
- Noise
- Must comply with Chapter 9.36
- 300-ft trigger
- Requires Minor Conditional Use Permit instead
Summary
Pasadena requires Zoning Administrator approval before anyone opens a large family day-care home for 9 to 14 children in a residential zone. Municipal Code Section 17.50.080.A sets a 300-foot separation from the next large family day-care home or child day-care center, mandates a loading plan for drop-off and pickup, and bars play equipment from the front yard.
A.Large family day-care home. The establishment of a large family day-care home shall require that an application be filed with and approved by the Zoning Administrator. The application shall be approved if the Zoning Administrator determines that the application complies with the following regulations.1.Minimum separation between day-care homes. Within a residential district, there shall be no more than one large family day-care home allowed within 300 feet of another large family day-care home or child day-care center. If a large family day-care home is within 300 feet of another large family day-care home or child day-care center, then a Minor Conditional Use Permit shall be required.2.Plan for loading. The applicant shall submit a plan showing the location of a loading and unloading area for children.3.Noise standards. A large family day-care home shall comply with the noise regulations of Municipal Code Chapter 9.36.4.Parking. Off-street parking shall be provided at a ratio of one parking space for each employee other than the resident. Parking may be tandem and located on a driveway that leads to covered parking.5.Play equipment. Play equipment shall not be located within the front yard.6.Signs. Signs shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 17.48 (Signs).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Pasadena treats large family day care differently from small family day care. A small family day-care home for one to eight children is a permitted use by right in every residential district under Table 2-2 of the Zoning Code and needs no discretionary review. A, and the Zoning Administrator must approve it once the application meets six numbered standards. 050. 36, and provide one off-street parking space for every employee besides the resident operator, with tandem parking on a driveway to covered parking allowed to satisfy that ratio.
48's sign standards. Because the underlying approval is a Zoning Administrator permit, a large family day-care home that later violates any of these six conditions is subject to the City's permit revocation process.
Violations & Fines
Operating a large family day-care home without Zoning Administrator approval, or violating the separation, parking, noise, or play-equipment conditions, is declared a public nuisance under Section 17.78.060 and can draw a Stop Work Order, administrative citations under Municipal Code Chapters 1.25 and 1.26, and summary abatement by the City. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense under Section 17.78.070, and the Zoning Administrator can revoke the permit under Section 17.78.090 if conditions are violated or the operator misrepresented facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a large family day-care home in my Pasadena house?
How close can two large family day-care homes be to each other?
Where can I set up outdoor play equipment for a home daycare?
How many parking spaces does a home daycare need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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