11 permits · verified 2026-10-05
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Pima County?
In short
A childcare centre in Pima County, AZ has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division charges $45 a year for a corporation; $10 for a nonprofit — an LLC files none for the annual report. 2 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-05 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Pima County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment Permit (Fixed) | Pima County Health Department, Consumer Health and Food Safety Division | No fee | not stated in the cited sources | 2026-10-05 |
| Child Care Facility License | Arizona Department of Health Services | $330–$2,575 a year, banded by licensed capacity | no fixed expiry — the license runs from issue subject to the annual fee | 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 Pima County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Tucson Business License | City of Tucson License Section | No fee | not stated in the cited source | 2026-10-05 |
| Town of Marana Standard Business License | Town of Marana Finance Department, Business Licenses | No fee | annual; the Town's page states that business licenses expire annually | 2026-10-05 |
| Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility Construction Authorization and Discharge Authorizationonly if it applies to you | Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) | No fee | not stated in the cited sources | 2026-10-05 |
| Zoning Use Approval (Building Permit or Zoning Use Permit) | Pima County Development Services Department | No fee | not stated in the cited sources | 2026-10-05 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
AZ registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division | $45 a year for a corporation; $10 for a nonprofit — an LLC files none | annual, in the corporation's anniversary month on a date the Commission sets | 2026-09-03 |
| Publication of the Formation Noticeonly if it applies to you | Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division | No fee | within 60 days of approval, in three consecutive publications | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division | $50 one-time filing; $85 expedited | perpetual — Arizona LLCs file no annual report | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division | $60 one-time filing; $95 expedited | perpetual, but an annual report is due each anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| Transaction Privilege Tax License | Arizona Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the AZ page | calendar year — renewal is due 1 January and delinquent after January | 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 Pima County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a childcare centre in Pima County, AZ, 6 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 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 6 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Child Care Facility License: $330–$2,575 a year, banded by licensed capacity
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Pima County permits page and the AZ state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Pima County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Pima County, AZ come from 8 separate offices: Pima County Health Department, Consumer Health and Food Safety Division, City of Tucson License Section, Town of Marana Finance Department, Business Licenses, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ), Pima County Development Services Department, Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division, Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Pima County Health Department, Consumer Health and Food Safety DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment Permit (Fixed)3950 S. Country Club Road, Suite 2301, Tucson, AZ 85714 · (520) 724-7908www.pima.gov/2266
- City of Tucson License SectionIssues 1 permit on this page: City of Tucson Business LicensePO Box 27210, Tucson, AZ 85726-7210www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Business-Services-Department/Apply-for-a-Business-License
- Town of Marana Finance Department, Business LicensesIssues 1 permit on this page: Town of Marana Standard Business Licensewww.maranaaz.gov/Departments/Finance/Business-Licenses/Standard-Business-License
- Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ)Issues 1 permit on this page: Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility Construction Authorization and Discharge Authorizationwww.pima.gov/509/Fees-Payments-Instructions
- Pima County Development Services DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning Use Approval (Building Permit or Zoning Use Permit)www.pima.gov/1056/Requirements-for-Business-Startup-Operat
- Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Annual Report, Publication of the Formation Notice, Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation1300 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007 · (602) 542-3026ArizonaBusinessCenter.azcc.gov
- Arizona Department of Health ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Facility License150 North 18th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 · (602) 542-1025www.azdhs.gov/licensing/childcare-facilities/index.php
- Arizona Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Transaction Privilege Tax License1600 West Monroe Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007 · (602) 255-3381azdor.gov/transaction-privilege-tax/tpt-license
What does a childcare centre need in Pima County 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 Pima County: Child Care Facility License.
Child Care Facility License
Three bands — $330 up to ten children, $1,330 to fifty-nine and $2,575 above — and this replaced a very different structure in August 2025, when the department converted a three-yearly fee of $1,000, $4,000 or $7,800 into an annual one. Any source quoting those older figures is out of date. The license itself never expires; what keeps it alive is paying the annual fee, and a half-payment plan is available with the balance due within a hundred and twenty days of the anniversary. Licensing starts at five children — four or fewer is below the threshold entirely, and an unsubsidised four-child home needs no state license or certificate at all. A residential group home of five to ten children is certified by the same department at $330, and a subsidised family provider caring for four or fewer is certified free by the economic security department for three years.
Shared with other businesses in Pima County
- Food Establishment Permit (Fixed) — Pima County Health Department, Consumer Health and Food Safety Division, No fee, not stated in the cited sources. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Pima County, AZ; what each one involves is set out on the Pima County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across AZ and are covered on the AZ state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Pima County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Facility License. A retail store needs Liquor License Application: County Recommendation (Premises Outside Incorporated Cities), which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Pima County permits page and the AZ state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Arizona Administrative Code title 9, chapter 5, rule R9-5-206 — annual child care facility fees by capacity (Internet Archive capture of the official code, 17 October 2025)Arizona Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Arizona Revised Statutes section 36-882 — annual child care licensure fees and the validity of a licenseArizona State Legislature · 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.