Troup County, GA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Child cap
- Max 6 children in a home day care
- Hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only
- Licensing order
- No business license until state license issued
- Spacing
- 1,000-ft from another day care facility
- Site requirement
- Driveway space to avoid backing onto road
- Max penalty
- Up to $1,000 per day of violation
Summary
In unincorporated Troup County, a family day care home operating inside a single-family dwelling is treated as a home occupation under Section 7.8(1)(c) of the Unified Development Ordinance: no business license until the state issues its own day care license, no more than six children, adequate driveway space, and operating hours limited to 6:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m.
(1)Day care facility.(a)Where a day care facility, except an adult day care center, is allowed or requires a special permit, an outdoor play area must be provided and must meet the size, location, and fence requirements for playgrounds set forth in the Rules for Child Care Learning Centers as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 20-1A-1 et seq. ... (v)No such facility shall be located within 1,000 feet of any other such facility.(c)Where a day care facility is located within a single-family residential dwelling, the use is allowed as a home occupation, subject to the following:i.No business license until the Department of Human Services of the State of Georgia issues a state license.ii.No more than six (6) children.iii.Property shall have sufficient driveway space so that no car has to back into a public road or street.iv.Day care operation does not begin before 6:00 a.m. or later than 8:00 p.m.
Full Breakdown
Troup County's UDO addresses day care under Section 7.8, "Public/institutional uses," and treats a home-based operation differently from a stand-alone day care facility. Under subsection (1)(b), anyone seeking to operate a day care facility in the county, home-based or not, must file an application with the county, including a description of the program, and the Community Development Director reviews it for compliance with state, federal, and local law; a business license under subsection (1)(b)(iii) is required, no permit is transferable under (1)(b)(iv), and no facility may locate within 1,000 feet of another such facility under (1)(b)(v).
Where the day care operates out of a single-family residential dwelling, subsection (1)(c) folds it into the home occupation framework with four specific conditions: the operator cannot get a business license until the Georgia Department of Human Services issues the required state license; the home can care for no more than six children; the property must have enough driveway space that no car has to back out into a public road or street; and the day care cannot start before 6:00 a.m. or run later than 8:00 p.m.
A day care facility that isn't in a single-family dwelling also needs an outdoor play area meeting the size, location, and fencing requirements of the state's Rules for Child Care Learning Centers under subsection (1)(a). Certificates of occupancy or approval to operate aren't issued until the operator has submitted proof of registration or authorization from the applicable Georgia state department, layering the county's own permitting on top of state licensing rather than replacing it.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family day care home without the required business license, over the six-child cap, outside the 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window, or within 1,000 feet of another day care facility violates Section 7.8 of the UDO and is enforced under Appendix A Section 2.1: the Community Development Director issues a written notice of violation, and a conviction is punishable under Troup County Code Section 1-19 by a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to six months imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued operation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many children can I care for in a home day care in unincorporated Troup County?
What hours can a home day care operate?
Do I need county approval in addition to a state day care license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Troup County
Compare Troup County to another location·View the Georgia home business overview
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