San Clemente · Land use · Child care center
Where is a child care center allowed in San Clemente?
In San Clemente, a child care center is needs a conditional use permit in 21 (RML, RM, RH, NC 1.1, NC 1.2 and 16 more, 19 with a condition) and not allowed in 3 (San Clemente use tables, read October 2026).
Key points
- Needs a permit: RML, RM, RH, NC 1.1, NC 1.2, NC 1.3, NC 2, NC 3 and 13 more
- Not allowed: RVL, RL and RMF 1
Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the San Clemente 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
San Clemente's code calls this use “Day Care Facilities, Children's: c. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| RML | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 4: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, of this title for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.32.030 |
| RM | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 4: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, of this title for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.32.030 |
| RH | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 4: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, of this title for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.32.030 |
| NC 1.1 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| NC 1.2 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| NC 1.3 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| NC 2 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| NC 3 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| CC 1 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| CC 2 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| CC 3 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| CC 4 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, this title, for special provisions for day care facilities. | § 17.36.020 |
| MU 1 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| MU 2 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| MU 3.0 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| MU 3.1 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| MU 3.2 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| MU 3.3 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| MU 5 | Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 5: Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities. | § 17.40.030 |
| CVC | Needs a conditional use permit | § 17.48.020 |
| P | Needs a conditional use permit | § 17.48.020 |
Zones where it is not allowed
What else applies
- Small and large family day care homes are separate P rows in every zone.
- 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: INST (institutional zones; see Marblehead Inland Master Plan); industrial and any other zones whose use tables are not in the text; Housing Overlay and Emergency Shelter Overlay (17.56.090, 17.56.100). Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.
Other uses in San Clemente
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a child care center in the RML zone in San Clemente?
Only with a conditional use permit. San Clemente's use table lists it that way in RML (§ 17.32.030). The code adds a condition: “Refer to Section 17.28.100, Child Day Care Facilities, of this title for special provisions for day care facilities.”
Can I have a child care center in the RVL zone in San Clemente?
No. San Clemente's use table does not allow it in RVL (§ 17.32.030).
General information, not legal advice.
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