9 permits · verified 2026-09-29
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in St Clair County Al?
In short
A childcare centre in St Clair County Al, AL has 2 permits that apply 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). 2 of the 9 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 St Clair County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Establishment Health Permit | St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (Alabama Department of Public Health) | No fee | not published on the Health Department's pages | 2026-09-29 |
| 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 St Clair County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floodplain Development Permit (Special Flood Hazard Areas Only)only if it applies to you | St. Clair County Engineer / Floodplain Administrator | No fee | valid one year; void if the activity is not begun within 180 days | 2026-09-29 |
| Zoning, Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy — None in Unincorporated Area (County Commission Statement)only if it applies to you | St. Clair County Commission | No fee | not applicable; no county permit is issued | 2026-09-29 |
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 St Clair County Al?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a childcare centre in St Clair County Al, AL, 2 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.
2 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 5 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 St Clair County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in St Clair County Al?
Permits for a childcare centre in St Clair County Al, AL come from 7 separate offices: St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (Alabama Department of Public Health), St. Clair County Engineer / Floodplain Administrator, St. Clair County Commission, 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.
- St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (Alabama Department of Public Health)Issues 1 permit on this page: Food Service Establishment Health Permit1175 23rd Street North, Pell City, AL 35125 · 659-500-4490www.alabamapublichealth.gov/stclair/environmental-services.html
- St. Clair County Engineer / Floodplain AdministratorIssues 1 permit on this page: Floodplain Development Permit (Special Flood Hazard Areas Only)31588 Highway 231, Ashville, AL 35953 · 205-594-2190www.stclairco.com/245/Flood-Management
- St. Clair County CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning, Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy — None in Unincorporated Area (County Commission Statement)165 5th Avenue, Suite 100, Ashville, AL 35953 · 205-594-2100www.stclairco.com/257/County-Commission
- 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 St Clair 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 St Clair County Al: Day Care Centre or Day Care Home License.
Food Service Establishment Health Permit
The St. Clair County Health Department's Environmental Health Division, an Alabama Department of Public Health field office at 1175 23rd Street North, Pell City, permits and inspects all food service establishments in the county. Inspections are scored on a 100-point scale: 95 and above every 180 days, 85 to 94 every 120 days, below 85 every 60 days, and below 60 closed until 85 or better is reached. The permit fee is not published: there is no published fee schedule for St. Clair County on the ADPH pages or in any public source, so this record shows no dollar figure. Ala. Code §45-59-170.01 says only that the county Board of Health may fix a fee schedule effective on County Commission approval. Call 659-500-4490 for the current fee and the application.
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 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Clair County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the St Clair 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 St Clair 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 Coffee and Soft Drink Dispensing License (State and County, §40-12-69(b)), Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Wet County; County Commission Approval Outside Cities, 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 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 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 St Clair County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- ADPH St. Clair County Environmental Services — food service permitting and inspectionAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- Code of Alabama §45-59-170.01 (St. Clair County Board of Health may fix a fee schedule, effective on County Commission approval) — ALISON Code of Alabama APIAlabama Legislature (ALISON) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- 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.