Redlands, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Small family daycare cap
- 8 children or 6 adults, by right
- Large family daycare cap
- 9-14 children or 7-12 adults, CUP required
- Neighbor notice radius
- 100 feet, 10 days advance
- Fees
- Business tax, registration, use permit and fire fees exempt
- Spacing rule
- 300 ft from 2+ existing daycare centers/large homes
- Appeal window
- 10 days to planning commission
Summary
Redlands lets a small family daycare home operate by right in any residential zone as an accessory use to the house, but a large family daycare home needs a conditional use permit and mailed notice to neighbors within 100 feet before it can open.
A small family daycare home is a permitted use in any residential zoning district of the city as an accessory use to a principal residential use and shall be exempt from business taxes, local registration fees, use permit fees and fire inspection fees, provided that the use complies with all of the standards defined in section 18.156.610 of this article. ... A large family daycare home is a permitted use in any single-family residential zoning district subject to the approval of a conditional use permit. The use shall be exempt from business taxes, local registration fees, use permit fees and fire inspection fees, provided it complies with all applicable standards.
Full Breakdown
156 splits home-based child and adult care into two tiers. 610. 590(B), though it keeps the same fee exemptions. The planning department must mail notice of the CUP application to every property owner within 100 feet at least ten calendar days before a decision, and either the applicant or an interested party can demand a public hearing. Absent a hearing request, the community development administrator decides the permit; that decision is final unless appealed to the planning commission within ten days, with a further appeal available to the city council.
610 separately requires every family daycare home, small or large, to hold a valid California Department of Social Services license and to notify the police department of its licensed clientele and capacity for the city's emergency response system. Large family daycare homes also cannot be located within 300 feet of two or more existing daycare centers or large family daycare homes unless special circumstances show the area will not be harmed by noise or traffic.
Violations & Fines
Operating a large family daycare home without an approved conditional use permit, or expanding a small home daycare past the eight-child/six-adult threshold without securing one, exposes the provider to permit revocation under Chapter 18.192 and enforcement referral to the city's code enforcement division. Structural changes that alter the residential character of the neighborhood are barred outright for large family daycare homes, aside from a wheelchair ramp and rails for adult care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a small daycare out of my Redlands home without a permit?
Does a large family daycare home need city approval?
Who do I notify if I open a licensed home daycare?
Can two large family daycare homes operate near each other?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redlands
California rules heatmap·Compare Redlands to another location·View the California home business overview
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Home Daycare in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle home daycare.