Hillsborough County and Tampa
Hillsborough County Department of Childcare Licensing
In short
Hillsborough County Department of Childcare Licensing issues 2 permits we publish for Hillsborough County and Tampa, last verified 2026-09-28. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
Issued in Hillsborough County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Childcare Licensing (local licensing agency under Fla. Stat. §402.306) | Hillsborough County Department of Childcare Licensing | The statewide-standard framework published for Florida's local licensing agencies is $1.00 per child of licensed capacity, minimum $25.00 and maximum $100.00, for both the initial license and each annual renewal. Confirm with the Hillsborough County Department of Childcare Licensing whether the county charges exactly this figure or a separately set county amount. | 1 year, following the statewide licensing-cycle rule at Fla. Admin. Code 65C-22.001; a renewal application is due at least 45 days before expiration | 2026-09-28 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Issued in Tampa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Childcare Licensing (local licensing agency under Fla. Stat. §402.306) | Hillsborough County Department of Childcare Licensing | Set by Hillsborough County Department of Childcare Licensing rather than a flat state-published figure; the statewide-standard framework other self-licensing Florida counties use is $1.00 per child of licensed capacity (minimum $25.00, maximum $100.00) for both initial application and annual renewal, but Hillsborough's own fee is not published in the sources cited for this record; contact the Department of Childcare Licensing at 813-264-3925 for the current amount. | 1 year, following the statewide licensing-cycle rule at Fla. Admin. Code 65C-22.001; a renewal application is due at least 45 days before expiration | 2026-09-05 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Hillsborough County Childcare Licensing (local licensing agency under Fla. Stat. §402.306)Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County is one of Florida's five counties that elected under Fla. Stat. §402.306 to run its own local child care licensing agency in place of direct state licensure by the Department of Children and Families — Broward, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota. A Florida Department of Health/DCF program guide names all five directly, and Hillsborough County's own Tax Collector page states, independently and separately, 'Child Care Facilities must be registered by Hillsborough County Dept of Childcare Licensing (813-264-3925).' Any facility meeting Florida's 'child care facility' definition — caring for more than five unrelated children for pay — must hold this county license, not a state DCF license, before the county Local Business Tax Receipt can issue. Under §402.306's own design, a county's designation as a local licensing agency covers all child care facilities within the county, including those inside its incorporated cities, unless the designation itself carries a narrower carve-out; no Hillsborough-specific carve-out for Tampa, Plant City or Temple Terrace was found, so this requirement is treated here as countywide. Prerequisites include a pre-licensure inspection, an annual fire inspection report on file both before licensure and every year after, FBI/FDLE background screening for all personnel, Director Credential and staff credentialing, and local zoning approval. Call the Department directly at (813) 264-3925 to confirm current fee and application specifics; a second phone number circulating in secondary sources, (813) 272-5250, was never corroborated on a primary Hillsborough County page and is not published here.
Hillsborough County Childcare Licensing (local licensing agency under Fla. Stat. §402.306)Tampa
A child care facility inside Tampa is licensed by Hillsborough County, not by the Florida Department of Children and Families directly. Hillsborough County's own Tax Collector page states plainly that 'Child Care Facilities must be registered by Hillsborough County Dept of Childcare Licensing,' and a Florida Department of Health / DCF program guide independently names Hillsborough alongside Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota as one of five Florida counties that elected to run their own local licensing agency under Fla. Stat. §402.306 rather than deferring to direct DCF licensure. Reach the county office through the Tax Collector's cross-reference page and its phone line, 813-264-3925. See the separate Hillsborough County jurisdiction record for the full county-level finding and local ordinance citations.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Hillsborough County and Tampa
- Phone
- 813-264-3925
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Fla. Admin. Code Ch. 65C-22 — child care facility licensing-cycle and standards rules referenced by local licensing agenciesFlorida Department of State, Administrative Code · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Florida Statutes section 402.306 — counties may designate a local licensing agency, re-affirmed annually by the county commissionThe Florida Senate · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Hillsborough County Code of Ordinances (elaws.us mirror) — Ch. 46, Art. III (Business Tax, incl. §46-158 countywide requirement, §46-183/184/199/201 fee schedule, §46-186 dance hall Fire Marshal clearance); Ch. 28, Art. VI §§28-196-28-203 as amended by Ord. No. 19-6 (Family Child Care Homes) and Art. VII §§28-211-28-223 (Child Care Facilities Ordinance)Hillsborough County (codified, via elaws.us) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- New Regulated Businesses — states 'Child Care Facilities must be registered by Hillsborough County Dept of Childcare Licensing (813-264-3925)' and lists other state/county pre-clearance requirements by industry; independently re-fetched and confirmed during this buildHillsborough County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Opening a Licensed Child Care Facility — names Broward, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota as the five counties that 'have elected to designate a local licensing agency... to regulate child care licensing programs in their area,' in place of direct DCF licensureFlorida Department of Health / Department of Children and Families · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
Other offices serving Hillsborough County and Tampa
- Hillsborough County Development Services (Zoning, Building, Land Use Hearing Officer)
- Hillsborough County Tax Collector, Business Tax Services
- Hillsborough County Business Licensing & Regulation (Regulatory Compliance)
- City of Tampa Construction Services Division, Development and Growth Management Department
- Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) of Hillsborough County
- City of Tampa Business Tax Division, Neighborhood Empowerment Department
- Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, Environmental Public Health Division
- Hillsborough County Contractor Licensing Board
- Hillsborough County Development Services, Contractor Licensing
- Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office
- Hillsborough County Public Utilities, Industrial Pretreatment, Dental Amalgam and Grease Management Program
- Tampa Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office
Jurisdictions this office serves
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Florida jurisdictions
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