Wellington, FL Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning status
- Permitted by right wherever single-family use is allowed
- Enrollment cap
- Set by Florida DCF licensing, not a Village number
- Local requirement
- Village business tax receipt required (Code §21-11)
- LROZD rule
- Exterior signage banned in Little Ranches Overlay (§6.9.7)
- Governing definition
- Care for 2+ unrelated families for pay (§3.2.2)
Summary
In the Village of Wellington, a family day care home is a permitted home occupation, not a discretionary use: the Land Development Regulations let it operate anywhere a single-family residence is allowed, without needing a rezoning or conditional use approval. Wellington still requires a Village business tax receipt, and the number of children a home can care for tracks Florida Department of Children and Families licensing, not a locally set cap.
6.Day care, family:a.Shall be permitted wherever a single-family residence is permitted.b.Maximum number of children shall be established by Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Statutes.
Full Breakdown
Wellington's Land Development Regulations define a family day care home in Section 3.2.2 as a type of home occupation operated inside an occupied residence, where child care is regularly provided for children from at least two unrelated families in exchange for payment, a fee, or a grant. Section 6.2.2.B.6 then sets the zoning rule directly: a family day care home "shall be permitted wherever a single-family residence is permitted," so it is allowed by right across Wellington's single-family residential districts and pods rather than requiring a conditional use hearing before the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board.
The same section caps enrollment by reference rather than by a Village number, stating that the "maximum number of children shall be established by Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Statutes," so an operator's licensed capacity with DCF controls how many children the home may serve. Because the use is classified as a home occupation, operators still fall under Wellington's local business tax rules: Code of Ordinances Section 21-11 imposes the Village's business tax on "any person who engages in a home-based business, residential rental property, and/or equestrian stall rentals," meaning a family day care operator must hold a Village BTR in addition to any state DCF registration.
Within the Palm Beach Little Ranches Overlay Zoning District specifically, Section 6.9.7 adds one further restriction unique to that overlay: exterior signage is not permitted for family day care homes, even though the underlying home occupation itself remains allowed.
Violations & Fines
Operating a family day care home without the required state licensing and Village business tax receipt, or exceeding the DCF-set enrollment limit, exposes the operator to code compliance action; Wellington's Code Compliance Officers may cite unlicensed home-based businesses under Chapter 21's business tax provisions, and unresolved violations proceed to the special magistrate under Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinances. In the Little Ranches Overlay, posting exterior signage for the day care is a separate LDR violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special zoning approval to run a family day care home in Wellington?
How many children can I legally care for in my Wellington home?
Does Wellington require a business license for a home day care?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wellington
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Wellington to another location·View the Florida home business overview
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Home Daycare in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle home daycare.