Home child care in North Carolina is licensed by the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education under NC Gen Stat Sec 110-101 et seq. Family Child Care Homes (up to 5 children) and Child Care Homes (6-8 with regulation) require state licensure. Raleigh UDO Sec 6.7 treats licensed family child care as a permitted home occupation by right in all residential districts.
North Carolina regulates home-based child care under Chapter 110, Article 7 of the General Statutes (NC Gen Stat Sec 110-85 through 110-111), administered by the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). Two home-based categories exist: a Family Child Care Home serves up to 5 children (including the provider's own children under 5) and a Child Care Home serves 6 to 8 children with enhanced regulations. Both require state licensure. Application includes a home inspection by DCDEE, fire and sanitation inspections, criminal background check of the provider and all household members 15 and older, CPR/First Aid certification, completion of the NC Early Care and Education course, and a $100 annual fee. Raleigh UDO Sec 6.7.3 explicitly permits licensed family child care homes as a home occupation by right in all residential districts, and they are exempt from the 4-customer-per-day limit that applies to other home occupations. Drop-off and pick-up traffic is expected and allowed within reasonable daytime hours. Exterior signage remains prohibited beyond the standard 1-square-foot professional nameplate. Outdoor play areas must comply with UDO setback requirements for accessory uses (typically 5 feet from side/rear property lines) and any pool on site must meet UDO 6.7.5 enclosure standards and state child care pool rules. Raleigh Fire Department conducts a separate inspection for homes serving 6 or more children to verify smoke alarms, CO detectors, fire extinguisher, and unobstructed exits. Violations of state licensure result in DCDEE enforcement, not city action.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Raleigh code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh encourages EV charging infrastructure through its UDO, which allows Level 1 and Level 2 charging in residential driveways without special permits and...
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh does not have a blanket overnight on-street parking ban, but restrictions apply in posted zones, downtown, and residential permit parking districts. ...
Raleigh, NC
Under North Carolina General Statute §20-137.7 and Raleigh City Code, a vehicle is considered abandoned if left on a public street more than 7 days, on priva...
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh regulates residential driveway widths, materials, and curb cuts through its Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Driveways must be surfaced with appr...
Raleigh, NC
Retaining walls in Raleigh are regulated separately from fences. Walls over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top) require a building perm...
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh permits wood, vinyl, composite, masonry, wrought iron, and chain-link fencing in residential districts but prohibits barbed wire, razor wire, and ele...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Wake County.
See how other cities in Wake County handle home daycare.
See how Raleigh's home daycare rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.