St. Louis County Public Health & Human Services — Child Care Licensing

Family Child Care License (county licensing fee)

A provider caring for children in a family or group family child care home applies through St. Louis County. The county's Family Child Care Licensing page states: "St. Louis County is responsible for licensing family childcare homes in the county. Providers who care for children from more than one family must be licensed. The county conducts orientations, background studies, home interviews, safety checks, recommends licensure, conducts investigations, and supports providers"; the county recommends licensure and the state issues the license, and the page says the process generally takes between 5 and 9 months. The county's 2026 Fee Schedule sets a $50 initial license fee and a $50 renewal fee. Minn. Stat. §142B.12 subd. 1(b) bars application or license fees for family and group family child care except as subd. 2 allows, and subd. 2(a) lets a county agency charge a license fee "not to exceed $50 for a one-year license or $100 for a two-year license." Child care centres are licensed by the state and are covered by the Minnesota state records, not this county record. The figure is from the St. Louis County 2026 Fee Schedule (amended by the County Board after the public hearing on January 27, 2026; originally adopted November 4, 2025 by Resolution No. 25-527), which is in effect through December 31, 2026.