Nashville Home Daycare License: Davidson County Zoning and Permits

State Licensing Comes First

Every Nashville home daycare starts with the same state process: contact the TDHS Pre-Licensure Unit, complete the 8-hour virtual orientation, finish the 2-day Small Business Academy, and work through the 10-step licensing workflow. That process typically takes two to six months regardless of where you live in Tennessee.

What makes Nashville different is the local layer — Davidson County zoning classifications, Metro Nashville business licensing, and specific conditions that apply to home-based child care within the Metro Nashville-Davidson County consolidated government.

Davidson County Zoning Classifications

Davidson County categorizes home-based child care into two tiers:

In Home (1–7 children): Classified as "permitted with conditions." You must reside in the home, submit a site and floor plan to the Metro Zoning Examiner, and operate between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The local code restricts swimming pools and dogs on the premises, and only allows one home daycare per block.

Group Home (8–12 children): Requires approval through the Metro Codes office, a neighborhood meeting with your area's Metro Council representative, and the same 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday–Friday restriction.

How Public Chapter 980 / SB 2509 Changes the Picture

Tennessee's Child Care Red Tape Reduction Act (Public Chapter 980 / SB 2509), fully effective July 1, 2026, classifies licensed family child care homes in occupied residential dwellings as standard residential properties statewide. Local governments cannot impose special use permits, restrictive zoning variances, or sanitation regulations beyond what applies to a regular single-family home.

This creates tension with some of Davidson County's local conditions — the block-limit restriction, the dog prohibition, and the fixed operating hours. If you're opening a family child care home (5–7 children), the state preemption protects your right to operate as a residential use. Keep a copy of the enacted statute on hand when you meet with local codes officials, and document every interaction in writing.

Group child care homes (8–12 children) are not covered by the same residential-use preemption. If you plan to serve eight or more children, expect the full Davidson County approval process including the neighborhood meeting.

Metro Nashville Business License

Regardless of your provider class, Nashville requires a standard local business license with an annual fee of $15. File through the Metro Nashville Clerk's office. This is separate from your state TDHS license — you need both.

Home Occupation Rules Under Metro Code

Metropolitan Code Section 17.16.250 governs home-based businesses in Nashville. A home business must occupy no more than 20% of the home's floor area (maximum 1,000 square feet), customer visits must be scheduled between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and you cannot hire more than one non-resident employee.

For a family child care home, the state preemption under Public Chapter 980 / SB 2509 takes precedence over these local home occupation limits. But the rules still matter for group homes and for understanding how Nashville codes enforcement thinks about home-based businesses.

Fire and Building Inspections in Nashville

Nashville is an exempt jurisdiction that performs its own electrical inspections under the 2017 NEC rather than relying on state inspectors. All local electrical, mechanical, and building permits go through the Metro Codes online portal.

For the state-required fire inspection, the TDHS Program Specialist routes the request to the State Fire Marshal's Office. Since April 2025, family child care homes can meet the residential-focused Appendix AM of the 2021 International Residential Code — you won't need commercial fire safety installations like voice evacuation systems.

Getting Your Nashville Home Daycare Started

The practical sequence for Nashville providers:

1. Contact the TDHS Pre-Licensure Unit at [email protected]
2. Complete the state orientation and Small Business Academy
3. Submit your site plan and floor plan to the Metro Zoning Examiner
4. Obtain your $15 Metro Nashville business license
5. Complete all background screenings through IdentoGO
6. Schedule your TDHS measuring visit and state fire inspection
7. Pass both the initial and joint final walk-throughs

The state licensing process and Davidson County's local requirements run on separate timelines, so start both tracks early. Budget two to six months for the full process.

The Tennessee Home Daycare Licensing Guide walks through every step of both the state and local processes, including the usable-space calculation worksheet and a pre-audit checklist you can complete before your first TDHS contact.

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