Sacramento County, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning permit required
- None -- permitted by right
- Applies to
- All unincorporated zoning districts
- Governing section
- Zoning Code Sec. 3.5.1.F
- Last amended
- July 11, 2024
Summary
Family day care homes are a permitted use in every unincorporated Sacramento County zoning district and need no zoning permit at all -- the county code treats licensed in-home child care exactly like an ordinary residential use.
The use of a legally permitted and lawfully occupied dwelling as a family day care home shall be a permitted use in all zoning districts and shall not require any permit pursuant to this ordinance.
3.5.1.G. Transitional Housing, Supportive Housing Section titled “3.5.1.G. Transitional Housing, Supportive Housing”
[ADDED 06-06-2024]
Transitional Housing and Supportive Housing, as defined in Chapter Seven, shall be considered residential uses and are subject only to the restrictions that apply to other residential dwellings of the same type in the same zoning district per CA GOV §65583, Subdivision (c)(3).
Where residential dwellings are permitted and conditionally permitted, Transitional Housing and Supportive Housing of the same type are permitted and conditionally permitted in the same zoning districts, subject to applicable standards of this Code and pursuant to CA GOV §65583, Subdivision (c)(3).
For the purposes of this Section, "housing of the same type" means one of the following types of residential structures as provided in Section 3.2.5, Table 3.1, Residential Uses:
Dwelling, Duplex – 5 or fewer lots or Halfplex – 10 or fewer lots
Dwelling, Duplex – more than 5 lots or Halfplex – more than 10 lots
Dwelling, Multifamily – 10 or fewer units
Dwelling, Multifamily – more than 10 units
Dwelling, Single-family Attached – 10 or fewer lots
Dwelling, Single-family Attached – more than 10 lots
Dwelling, Single-family Detached
Full Breakdown
Section 3.5.1.F of the Sacramento County Zoning Code makes a legally permitted, lawfully occupied dwelling used as a family day care home a permitted use in all zoning districts, with no zoning permit, use permit, or discretionary review required under the ordinance. This applies countywide in the unincorporated area, from agricultural-residential parcels to multifamily zones, so a state-licensed provider caring for children in their own home faces no local zoning hurdle beyond the state Community Care Licensing requirements that already apply to the facility itself.
Violations & Fines
No zoning violation attaches to operating a licensed family day care home in a residential dwelling; enforcement issues instead arise only if the home operates without the required state Community Care Licensing certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a county permit to run a home daycare in Sacramento County?
Does this rule apply inside Sacramento, Elk Grove, or other cities in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California home business overview
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