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Vacaville, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
VMC §14.02.060.010.B, Family Day Care
Small tier
Sized under Cal. H&S Code §1597.44
Large tier
Sized under Cal. H&S Code §1597.465
Local permit chapter
None; unlike Animal Keeping, Home Occupations
Zoning status
Permitted by right, every district's use table
Nonresidential day care
Separate classification, §14.02.060.020.G

Summary

Vacaville's Land Use and Development Code classifies family day care homes, Small and Large, as a residential use permitted in every zoning district. Municipal Code Section 14.02.060.010.B ties the tiers directly to state Health and Safety Code licensing thresholds, and every zoning district's land use table sends the Family Day Care entry straight back to that same classification section rather than to a separate permit chapter.

B. Family Day Care. A day care facility licensed by the state of California, located in a residential unit where the resident of the dwelling provides care and supervision for children under the age of 18 for periods of less than 24 hours a day. 1. Small. A facility that provides care for children, including children who reside at the home, in accordance with Section 1597.44 of the California Health and Safety Code. 2. Large. A facility that provides care for children, including children who reside at the home, in accordance with Section 1597.465 of the California Health and Safety Code.

View official code

Full Breakdown

465. 270, Family Day Care has no equivalent chapter. ' That cross-reference is the entire local rule; the City layers no minor use permit, conditional use permit, or additional siting standard on top of the state license. A resident caring for children in a single-family home under the state's Small or Large tier does not need a separate Vacaville land use entitlement beyond what any residential use requires, such as a building permit for physical alterations to the home.

Violations & Fines

Because the rule sends Family Day Care straight to the state-tied definition with no added local permit layer, there is no separate city approval to violate: a home that stays within its state Small or Large license operates by right in every zoning district. A home that lacks the state license required by Section 14.02.060.010.B, or that exceeds the Large tier's licensed capacity, no longer meets the Family Day Care classification and instead becomes a Day Care Center, the distinct nonresidential classification defined at Section 14.02.060.020.G, which is not permitted by right in residential zones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Vacaville require a separate permit for a home daycare?
No. Municipal Code Section 14.02.060.010.B classifies family day care as a residential use, and every zoning district's land use table sends the entry back to that same section instead of to a supplemental permit chapter like the ones covering animal keeping or home occupations. As long as the facility holds the state license required for its Small or Large tier, it operates in the home without a separate city land use permit.
What is the difference between Small and Large family day care in Vacaville?
The code ties the size directly to state law: Small facilities are sized under California Health and Safety Code Section 1597.44, and Large facilities are sized under Section 1597.465. Vacaville's own code does not restate a numeric child count; both tiers are defined entirely by cross-reference to whichever state Health and Safety Code section governs that license class.
Is a commercial day care center allowed in a Vacaville residential zone the same way?
No. A day care center, meaning nonmedical care provided outside a resident's home under Section 14.02.060.020.G, is a different use classification from Family Day Care and is not sent back to the residential-use section; the City's land use tables instead require a Minor Use Permit or other approval in several districts before a center can open.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Vacaville

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsCustomer Traffic RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsZoning & Home Occupation PermitsSome RestrictionsSignage RulesHeavy RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome Restrictions

All Vacaville rules

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