Spokane Valley, WA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Day care 12 or fewer children
- Permitted (P) in every zoning district
- Day care 13+ children
- Conditional use in R-1 through R-4
- Day care 13+ children
- Permitted outright in MFR and beyond
- Business registration
- Required under SVMC § 5.05.020
- Supplemental home-business rules
- Do not apply (no 'S' flag)
Summary
Spokane Valley treats a home day care serving 12 or fewer children as a permitted use in every zoning district in the city, from the R-1 single-family zone through the I industrial zone, under the SVMC § 19.60.050 permitted uses matrix. No conditional use permit applies, though the operator must still register the business with the City under SVMC § 5.05.020.
Permitted uses are designated with a "P." Permitted uses are allowable uses within a zoning district. ... R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 MFR MU CMU NC RC IMU I POS ... Day care, child (12 children or fewer) P P P P P P P P P P P ... Every person engaging in business shall register such person's business with the City. ... If more than one business is located on a single premises, including residential home-based businesses, separate license registrations shall be required for each separate business conducted.
Full Breakdown
65 SVMC applies to some other listed uses. "Day care, child (12 children or fewer)" carries a "P" across every zone the matrix lists, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, MFR, MU, CMU, NC, RC, IMU, and I, so a licensed family child care home does not need a zoning hearing to open in a house on an ordinary residential street. 150 SVMC, in the four residential zones, R-1 through R-4, while it stays a straight "P" in MFR and the nonresidential zones. Adult day care carries a "P" across the same full set of zones as the smaller child day care category.
hours that apply to a generic home business, do not automatically govern a licensed day care. 020 requires every person engaging in business, including a residential home-based business, to register with the City and hold a valid annual City license registration.
Violations & Fines
Running a day care for 13 or more children in R-1 through R-4 without an approved conditional use permit under Chapter 19.150 SVMC is a zoning violation, enforced through the City's Chapter 17.100 SVMC compliance process. Operating any home-based day care without registering the business under SVMC § 5.05.020 is a separate licensing violation regardless of enrollment size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a conditional use permit for a home day care in Spokane Valley?
What happens once I want to care for more than 12 children?
Do I still need to register a home day care as a business?
Does the home-business permit rule apply to a licensed day care?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane Valley
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