Redding, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Small family day care
- 6 or fewer children, permitted (P)
- Large family day care
- 7-14 children, permitted (P)
- Districts covered
- RL, RE, RS, RM
- Permit required
- None, zoning table lists P
- Larger daycare centers
- Need use permit, Section 18.43.070
Summary
Redding's zoning code lists family day care homes as an outright permitted use, not a conditional one, in every residential zoning district. Schedule 18.31.020-A designates both "Family Day Care, 6 or fewer" and "Family Day Care, 7-14" as "P" in the RE, RS and RM districts, and Schedule 18.30.020-A does the same for the RL rural-lands district.
Schedule 18.31.020-A: Use Regulations—Other "Residential" Districts. Use Classifications "RE" "RS" "RM" Additional Regulations. Residential Uses. Single Family P P P (4). ... Family Day Care, 6 or fewer P P P. Family Day Care, 7-14 P P P. Accessory Dwelling Units P P P See Section 18.43.140.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
020: "P" designates a permitted use requiring no discretionary review, while "S," "Sd," and "U" require a site development permit or use permit reviewed by the Board of Administrative Review, the director, or the planning commission. Family day care falls squarely in the "P" column. 020-A, governing the "RE," "RS," and "RM" residential districts, lists "Family Day Care, 6 or fewer" as "P" in all three districts with no additional-regulation footnote attached, and lists "Family Day Care, 7-14" the same way, again "P" across "RE," "RS," and "RM" with no extra conditions.
020-A. 60's use classifications define "Family Day Care" as "a day-care facility located in a single-family residence where an occupant of the residence provides care and supervision for children," splitting it into "Small Family" (six or fewer children) and "Large Family" (seven to twelve children). Because both tiers land in the "P" column rather than requiring a site development permit or use permit, Redding imposes no zoning-level cap on the number of family day care homes per neighborhood and no discretionary hearing before one opens in a house on any residential lot. , and a use permit before opening.
Violations & Fines
Because family day care homes are a permitted "P" use, there is no zoning enforcement trigger for operating one in a house within a residential district. The city's role is limited to Chapter 18.25's general Title 18 enforcement authority for a use that departs from what the tables allow, such as a facility that in practice exceeds the twelve-child large-family ceiling and functions instead as an unpermitted daycare center under Section 18.43.070.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a zoning permit to run a home daycare in Redding?
How many children can a family day care home in Redding serve?
When does a home daycare need a use permit instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redding
California rules heatmap·Compare Redding to another location·View the California home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.