Santa Rosa, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit level
- Zoning Clearance only (by right)
- Zones allowed
- RR, R-1, R-2, R-3, MH, TV-R
- Small home capacity
- 8 or fewer children (state license)
- Large home capacity
- 7 to 14 children (state license)
- Governing table
- City Code § 20-22.030, Table 2-2
- Centers instead need
- CUP review under § 20-42.050
Summary
Santa Rosa's residential land-use table lists small and large family day care homes as a Permitted (P) use requiring only a Zoning Clearance in every residential zone: RR, R-1, R-2, R-3, MH, and TV-R. No Conditional Use Permit, hearing, or neighbor notice applies, unlike a standalone child day care center.
TABLE 2-2 Allowed Land Uses and Permit Requirements for Residential Districts. P - Permitted Use, Zoning Clearance Required [...] LAND USE (1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY ZONE: RR, R-1, R-2, R-3, MH, TV-R, Specific Use Regulations [...] Child day care—Large family day care home (3): P P P P P P § 20-42.050. Child day care—Small family day care home (3): P P P P P P § 20-42.050.
Full Breakdown
030 governs land uses in the RR, R-1, R-2, R-3, MH, and TV-R residential districts. It lists 'Child day care—Large family day care home' and 'Child day care—Small family day care home,' each marked 'P,' meaning Permitted Use with only a Zoning Clearance required, across all six residential zones. That is the same administrative-only track used for by-right uses like single-family dwellings; it carries no discretionary hearing, no Director or Minor Conditional Use Permit, and no public notice requirement. 020 adopt the state license-tier split directly: a Large Family Day Care Home, per Cal.
465, cares for seven to 14 children including the provider's own children under age 10; a Small Family Day Care Home, per Cal. 44, cares for eight or fewer. Both tiers require the operator to hold the underlying California Department of Social Services license before the Zoning Clearance can issue. 050. 050 permit process, is what actually governs an in-home operator.
Violations & Fines
Operating past the state licensing ceiling, seven to 14 children for a large home or eight or fewer for a small home, forfeits the by-right Table 2-2 classification. At that point the use reverts to a child day care center under Section 20-42.050, meaning the operator needs a Director or Minor Conditional Use Permit before continuing; operating without it exposes the property to zoning code enforcement as an unpermitted use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a home daycare in Santa Rosa need a Conditional Use Permit?
How many children can a licensed family day care home serve in Santa Rosa?
What zones allow a family day care home in Santa Rosa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Rosa
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Rosa to another location·View the California home business overview
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Home Daycare in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle home daycare.