Home-based child care in Tucson is regulated by Arizona Department of Health Services under ARS 36-882 and ARS 36-897. Providers caring for 5 or more unrelated children must be licensed as a group home. Providers caring for 1 to 4 unrelated children must be DES-certified if they accept state child care subsidies.
Tucson allows licensed home daycares as a home occupation with special review. Fire, health, and zoning inspections occur before license issuance. The UDC permits up to 10 children in a group home setting subject to parking, outdoor-play, and fencing standards. Required features include a 5-foot pool barrier if a pool exists, smoke and CO alarms, emergency-exit plans, and approved outdoor play space. Programs must be accessible for DHS inspection at any time during hours of operation.
Operating an unlicensed group child care home is a state-level criminal misdemeanor under ARS 36-896. Zoning violations add city penalties of 250 to 1,000 dollars per day.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Tucson, AZ
Tucson collects garbage weekly and recycling every other week (week A or B) on the same address-based weekday. Use the city's Find My Trash Day tool. In 2026...
Tucson, AZ
Tucson short-term rentals are subject to Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax of 5.5 percent, Pima County excise of 0.5 percent, and Tucson city privilege tax o...
Tucson, AZ
Tucson's Outdoor Lighting Code requires fully-shielded fixtures, caps color temperature at 3000K, and sets a strict per-acre lumen budget tied to observatory...
Tucson, AZ
Tucson has no city ordinance restricting lawn ornaments, statuary, or year-round decorations on residential property. Tucson Code Chapter 16 (Neighborhood Pr...
Tucson, AZ
Tucson has no city ordinance regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Size, height, lighting hours, and blower noise are governed by HOA CC&Rs. Tu...
Tucson, AZ
Tucson has no municipal ordinance regulating residential holiday lights. Timing, brightness, and animated displays are governed by HOA CC&Rs in master-planne...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Pima County.
See how other cities in Pima County handle home daycare.
See how Tucson's home daycare rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.