Walla Walla County, WA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

WWCC 17.08.179 defines and conditions family day care as a zoning use across unincorporated Walla Walla County. The definition caps enrollment at twelve children in a 24-hour period and requires state or county licensing before the use can operate, tying the zoning permission directly to the licensing requirements the state applies to home-based child care. Condition A confines the day care to the principal residential dwelling unit itself, meaning it cannot be run out of a detached accessory building or garage apartment. Condition B requires any outdoor play area to be completely enclosed by a wall or fence, a safety standard the county checks during building or land use permit review.

Condition C sets a specific setback for the play equipment itself: at least fifteen feet from side property lines that adjoin residential zoning districts, protecting neighboring homes from noise and visibility impacts. Condition D adds a use-mixing rule for properties inside an urban growth area, such as around Walla Walla or College Place: a family day care there cannot share a lot with an accessory dwelling unit or a home occupation. The county's land use tables in WWCC 17.16.014 mark Day Care, Family as a permitted, P, use across nearly every residential and rural zone in the unincorporated county, reflecting an intent to make home-based child care broadly available. Community Development reviews these conditions when the facility applies for its zoning approval.