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7 permits · verified 2026-09-29

What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Lauderdale County Al?

In short

A childcare centre in Lauderdale County Al, AL has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services charges $200 one-time filing for the certificate of formation (llc). 2 of the 7 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-29 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Lauderdale County Al

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Food Service Health Permit (Lauderdale County Health Department)Lauderdale County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health)No feeannual2026-09-29
Day Care Centre or Day Care Home LicenseAlabama Department of Human Resources, Child Care Services DivisionNo fee2 years, for centres and homes alike2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

AL registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to youAlabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the AL pageannual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November2026-09-03
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youAlabama Secretary of State, Business Services$200 one-time filingperpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 20242026-09-03
Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to youAlabama Secretary of State, Business Services$200 one-time filingperpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 20242026-09-03
Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to youAlabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesNo feenot applicable — the filing no longer exists2026-09-03
Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to youAlabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the AL pageannual — due when the matching federal return is due2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a childcare centre in Lauderdale County Al?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 7 records listed for a childcare centre in Lauderdale County Al, AL, 2 apply to every business of this type and 5 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

2 of the 7 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lauderdale County Al permits page and the AL state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Lauderdale County Al?

Permits for a childcare centre in Lauderdale County Al, AL come from 5 separate offices: Lauderdale County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health), Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division, Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services, Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division, Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Care Services Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a childcare centre need in Lauderdale County Al that other businesses do not?

1 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Lauderdale County Al: Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License.

Food Service Health Permit (Lauderdale County Health Department)

A restaurant, coffee shop, food truck or childcare kitchen that prepares or serves food in Lauderdale County needs a food permit from the Lauderdale County Health Department, an Alabama Department of Public Health office at 4112 Chisholm Rd., Florence, phone 256-764-7453 (ask for the Environmental Office). ADPH directs applicants to their county health department for the application. The permit fee is not published in any public source, so this record lists no dollar amount; call the Health Department for the current fee before budgeting. The county business privilege license for restaurants and delis requires the health permit first, and Florence requires the county food permit before it issues its city license.

Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License

No fee, and this is a genuine zero rather than a gap: the two licensing chapters contain no dollar figure at all except the criminal penalties for operating without a license, and the application form names no fee beyond the criminal history check. The license runs two years for every category — a day care centre, a nighttime centre, a day care home taking up to six children, or a group day care home taking seven to twelve with at least two adults supervising. A six-month permit is available where standards are not yet fully met. One large exemption to know about: a preschool that is an integral part of a local church ministry or a religious nonprofit elementary school need not be licensed, but must notify the department thirty days before opening, submit to inspection, carry a million dollars of liability cover per occurrence, and post publicly that it is not regulated or licensed by the department.

The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across AL and are covered on the AL state page.

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Lauderdale County Al?

The closest match is a food truck, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License. A food truck needs Delicatessen / Off-Premises Food Privilege License (Title 40-12, §91), Sandwich Shop / Barbecue / Hot Dog Stand Privilege License (Title 40-12, §153), Food Establishment Permit and Certified Food Protection Manager, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Lauderdale County Al, AL, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Food trucks5114
Coffee shops7116
Restaurants7116
Auto repair shops3023
Contractors and trades3023
Retail stores3023
Salons and barbers3023
Veterinary clinics2022

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lauderdale County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. ADPH Food and Lodging — contact your county health department for a food permit applicationAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. ADPH Lauderdale County Health Department — services and contactAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. Alabama Administrative Code chapter 660-5-26 — day care centre and nighttime centre licensing, with the two-year termAlabama Department of Human Resources · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. Alabama Administrative Code chapter 660-5-27 — day care home and group day care home licensingAlabama Department of Human Resources · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.