Where is a child care center allowed in Los Alamitos?

Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Los Alamitos Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.

Zones where a child care center can go

Los Alamitos's code calls this use “Day Care Centers / Day Care Center”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.

Zone	Status	Code
R-2 Limited Multi-Family Residential Zone	Needs a conditional use permit	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations
R-3 Multi-Family Residential Zone	Needs a conditional use permit	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations
R-4 Multi-Family Residential Zone	Needs a conditional use permit	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations
C-O Commercial/Professional Office Zone	Needs a conditional use permit	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations
C-G General Commercial Zone	Needs a conditional use permit	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations
P-L-I Planned Light Industrial Zone	Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note Specific Use Regulations: See Section 17.28.130 (Day Care, General) In P-L-I zone, day care limited to use by employees of the primary use	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations
TCMU Town Center Mixed Use Zone	Needs a conditional use permit	Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations

Zones where it is not allowed

R-1, M-H.

What else applies

Standards for this use: § 17.28.130 Day Care, General.
Family Day Care Homes (Large, Small) are separate rows, permitted in R-1 to R-4.
State law: A licensed family child care home in a house is a residential use under state law (Health and Safety Code § 1597.45); this page covers child care centers only.
Not covered here: Specific Plan (SP) areas: no use table in the text. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.

Other uses in Los Alamitos

Who this affects

HomeownersBuyersReal estate agentsSmall developers

Frequently asked questions

Can I have a child care center in the R-2 zone in Los Alamitos?

Only with a conditional use permit. Los Alamitos's use table lists it that way in R-2 (Limited Multi-Family Residential Zone) (Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations).

Can I have a child care center in the R-1 zone in Los Alamitos?

No. Los Alamitos's use table does not allow it in R-1 (Single-Family Residential Zone) (Division II — Zones, Allowable uses, and Development Regulations).

General information, not legal advice.