Pasco, WA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing accessory-use clause
- PMC 25.45.030(6)
- Client visit hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only
- Max visit length
- 4 hours per client per day
- Vehicle cap
- 8 customer vehicles per day
- Daytime noise limit
- 55 dBA at property line
- Home area cap
- 20% of gross floor area
Summary
Pasco allows family day care homes as a permitted accessory use in every single-family zone, but only if the operator complies with state licensing under WAC 388-73 and the same operating standards as home occupations in PMC 25.150. That means a City home occupation license, client visits capped at four hours and confined to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., no more than eight customer vehicles a day, and a 55 dBA daytime noise ceiling.
(9) Client access to residential location shall be limited to the following restrictions: (a) Client visits shall be limited to four hours per client visit per day; (b) Client visits shall be limited to the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.; (c) Client automobile traffic shall be limited to two client vehicles on site at any given time; (10) No more than eight customer vehicles may visit the dwelling in a given day; (11) Noise generated by the home occupation, detectable at any property line, shall not be in excess of the following standards: (a) 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.: 55 dBA;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
PMC 25.45.030(6) lists "family day care homes in conformance with Chapter 388-73 WAC as now existing and as amended and Chapter 25.150 PMC" among the permitted accessory uses in the R-1 Low Density Residential District, and the identical clause appears in every other single-family zone, including R-15 (PMC 25.30.030(7)), R-T (PMC 25.25.030(7)), R-S-12 (PMC 25.35.030(7)), and R-S-1 (PMC 25.40.030(7)). Because the ordinance folds day care into Chapter 25.150's Home Occupations rules, operators must obtain a home occupation license through the City's Business Licensing Service under PMC 25.150.030 in addition to their state child-care license, and pay the fee set in PMC Title 5.
Once licensed, PMC 25.150.040's environmental standards control daily operations: client access is limited to four hours per client visit per day, restricted to the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., with client automobile traffic limited to two client vehicles on site at any given time and no more than eight customer vehicles visiting in a given day. Noise detectable at the property line cannot exceed 55 dBA between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., or 45 dBA overnight. The operation must stay clearly subordinate to the principal residential use, cannot alter the home's residential exterior, is barred from outdoor storage or signage, and cannot occupy more than 20 percent of the home's gross floor area, or more than 600 square feet of an attached or detached garage.
The Director of Community and Economic Development decides license applications within 10 working days (30 days maximum), and PMC 25.150.070 lets the City Planner revoke a license that stops meeting these standards or becomes a public nuisance under Chapter 9.90 PMC.
Violations & Fines
A day care that violates its home occupation license, such as running past the 8 p.m. curfew or exceeding eight customer vehicles daily, can have its license revoked by the City Planner under PMC 25.150.070, with appeal rights under PMC 25.150.060. Operating without the required license or outside its terms is also a zoning violation subject to a notice of civil violation and Code Enforcement Board penalties under PMC 1.40.050, with a $200 minimum fine for repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a home day care in Pasco?
What hours can clients drop off or pick up children?
Can the City shut down my home day care?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
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