Toledo, OH Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Indoor space
- 35 sq ft per person in care
- Outdoor space
- 60 sq ft per person in care
- Licenses per operator
- One Type A facility citywide
- Location rule
- Must front a major street
- First-offense fine
- $75, rising to $600
Summary
Toledo zoning caps a Type A Family Day Care Home at one license per operator, requires building frontage on a major street, and sets fixed space minimums: 35 square feet of indoor space and 60 square feet of screened outdoor space for every child or adult in care.
A. Applicability. In residential zoning districts, the owner or lessee of the subject dwelling shall be both the licensee and the administrator of the Type A Home. Each licensee/administrator is limited to one (1) Type A Family Day Care facility in the City of Toledo... C. Location. In residential zoning districts, a Type A Family Day Care must have building frontage on a major street. D. Indoor Space. 35 square feet of useable indoor space per person in care must be regularly available for the day care operation. E. Outdoor Space. 60 square feet of useable outdoor space must be provided for each person in care using the outdoor area at any one time. A Type B landscape buffer shall be provided around the outdoor space.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-105: Complete to June 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
0701, a Type A Family Day Care Home may only operate in a residential zoning district if the property owner or lessee is personally both the state licensee and the administrator, and that person must live in the home. Each licensee/administrator can hold only one Type A license citywide, you cannot stack multiple home daycares under one operator. Getting zoning approval requires filing the same site plan and descriptive plan of operation submitted to the Ohio Director of Job and Family Services along with a copy of the applicant's deed or lease, as part of a Special Use permit or Site Plan Review application.
The home itself must front a major street, not a purely residential side street. 0203(F). 1000. 0701 applies specifically to the larger Type A operation.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Type A home without the required Special Use permit or Site Plan Review approval is a Zoning Code violation under TMC § 1115.0204 (activity requiring a permit undertaken without one). Zoning violations under §§ 1115.0201–1115.0211 are first-degree misdemeanors, with escalating civil fines of $75 for a first offense, $150 for a second, $300 for a third, and $600 for a fourth or later offense, enforced by the Director of Building and Code Compliance and/or the Planning Director (TMC § 1115.0506–.0507). Each uncorrected day after notice counts as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Toledo require a zoning permit for a home daycare?
How much outdoor space does a Toledo home daycare need?
Can one person operate two home daycares in Toledo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Toledo
Compare Toledo to another location·View the Ohio home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.