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8 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A childcare centre in Montgomery County Al, AL has 1 permit that applies to every business of this type, plus 7 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 Montgomery County Al

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
MCHD Day Care Health Permitonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Health Department / Montgomery County Board of Health, Environmental Health Division$85–$175 a year, by enrollment — 40 children or fewer $85 (code 646), more than 40 children $175 (code 647); MCHD Environmental Health Division Fee Scheduleannual2026-09-28
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.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Montgomery County Al

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building Permit — Unincorporated Montgomery Countyonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Engineering DepartmentVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Al pageone-time, per permit2026-09-28

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

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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Al, AL, 1 apply to every business of this type and 7 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:

MCHD Day Care Health Permit: $85–$175 a year, by enrollment — 40 children or fewer $85 (code 646), more than 40 children $175 (code 647); MCHD Environmental Health Division Fee Schedule

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Montgomery County Al permits page and the AL state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County Al?

Permits for a childcare centre in Montgomery County Al, AL come from 6 separate offices: Montgomery County Engineering Department, Montgomery County Health Department / Montgomery County Board of Health, Environmental Health Division, 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 Montgomery County Al that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Montgomery County Al: MCHD Day Care Health Permit and Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License.

MCHD Day Care Health Permit

A Montgomery County childcare center that prepares or serves food on-site needs this MCHD day care health permit, in addition to its state Department of Human Resources childcare license, recorded at the state layer. MCHD's own Environmental Health Division Fee Schedule prices this by enrollment: $85 a year for 40 children or fewer, and $175 a year for more than 40 children. This is the same MCHD fee schedule, printed 'Effective Date July 1, 2004', that MCHD currently publishes on its own website. A childcare center that neither prepares nor serves any food on-site would not trigger this particular MCHD permit, though it would still need its state DHR 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 other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Montgomery County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Al?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs MCHD Day Care Health Permit and Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License. A auto repair shop needs General County Privilege License — Junk Dealers and Car Crushers, General County Privilege License — Automobile Garages and Shops, Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License and Store License, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Montgomery County Al, AL, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops4024
Coffee shops6026
Contractors and trades3023
Fitness studios2022
Food trucks3023
Restaurants5025
Retail stores4024
Salons and barbers3023
Veterinary clinics3023

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 Montgomery County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. MCHD Environmental Health Division Fee Schedule (printed effective date July 1, 2004; confirmed unchanged via Wayback Machine CDX snapshots, Aug 2024-Nov 2025)Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Food Establishment Sanitation program pageAlabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  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.