8 permits · verified 2026-09-28
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Lee County Al?
In short
A childcare centre in Lee County Al, AL has 3 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). 4 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Lee County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service / Health Permit | Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health Department | Food-service establishment permits in Lee County are issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health's Lee County Health Department, part of ADPH's eleven-county East Central District (Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Russell and Tallapoosa), under statewide ADPH food-service rules at Alabama Administrative Code Ch. 420-3-22. Neither Lee County's own environmental-fees.html page nor the statewide ADPH Fee System Manual PDF is reachable online — both redirect (HTTP 302) to ADPH's generic 404 page, confirmed on a direct check — so no dollar figure for this permit is published on ADPH's public web pages. Call the Lee County Health Department, (334) 745-5765, for the current permit fee before opening. | annual | 2026-09-28 |
| Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License | Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Care Services Division | No fee | 2 years, for centres and homes alike | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Lee County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County General Privilege License | Lee County Probate Judge's Office | Varies — formula on the Lee County Al page | annual | 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.
AL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | No fee | not applicable — the filing no longer exists | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — due when the matching federal return is due | 2026-09-03 |
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 Lee County Al?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a childcare centre in Lee County Al, AL, 3 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.
4 of the 8 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Service / Health Permit: Food-service establishment permits in Lee County are issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health's Lee County Health Department, part of ADPH's eleven-county East Central District (Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Russell and Tallapoosa), under statewide ADPH food-service rules at Alabama Administrative Code Ch. 420-3-22. Neither Lee County's own environmental-fees.html page nor the statewide ADPH Fee System Manual PDF is reachable online — both redirect (HTTP 302) to ADPH's generic 404 page, confirmed on a direct check — so no dollar figure for this permit is published on ADPH's public web pages. Call the Lee County Health Department, (334) 745-5765, for the current permit fee before opening.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lee County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Lee County Al?
Permits for a childcare centre in Lee County Al, AL come from 6 separate offices: Lee County Probate Judge's Office, Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health Department, 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.
- Lee County Probate Judge's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Lee County General Privilege License215 S. 9th St., Opelika, AL 36801 (mail: PO Box 2266, Opelika, AL 36803-0811) · 334-737-3670 (Opelika); 334-737-7297 (Auburn satellite office); 334-448-3299 (Smiths Station satellite office)www.leecountyal.gov/government/probate_judge/index.php
- Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Service / Health Permit334-745-5765www.alabamapublichealth.gov/lee
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: State and County Business Privilege License2545 Taylor Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 · (334) 353-7827www.revenue.alabama.gov/business-license
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation (LLC), Certificate of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report (abolished)770 Washington Avenue, Suite 580, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 242-5324www.sos.alabama.gov/business-entities
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Privilege TaxPO Box 327710, Montgomery, AL 36132-7710 · (334) 242-1490www.revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/business-tax-online-registration-system
- Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Care Services DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License50 North Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130 · (866) 528-1694dhr.alabama.gov/child-care/child-care-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Lee 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 Lee County Al: Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License.
Food Service / Health Permit
This is a state ADPH function, not a Lee County department — the Lee County Health Department is ADPH's own local field office for the eleven-county East Central District, and it covers food-service establishments, mobile food units, and childcare facilities that prepare or serve food on-site throughout Lee County, including inside Auburn, Opelika, Smiths Station and every smaller municipality. A childcare center in Lee County that prepares or serves food on-site needs this same ADPH permit, or written health-department approval of its food-service plan, as part of its state DHR childcare-licensing application — that is why childcare is included among the industries covered here. This permit is separate from, and in addition to, the general county privilege license recorded above and any municipal business license that also applies at the same location.
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 other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Lee County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Lee County Al permits page. 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 Lee County Al?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License. A coffee shop needs Food Establishment Permit and Certified Food Protection Manager, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
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 Lee County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Lee County Health Department — services overview, East Central DistrictAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- District and County Roster — East Central District membership (11 counties, including Lee)Alabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- 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
- 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.