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12 permits · verified 2026-10-09

What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in San Mateo County?

In short

A childcare centre in San Mateo County, CA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division charges $20 per filing, biennial for the statement of information (llc). 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in San Mateo County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
State-Licensed Care Facility Fire Inspection / Fire Clearance (San Mateo County Fire service area)only if it applies to youSan Mateo County Fire Department (operated cooperatively with CAL FIRE), Fire MarshalThe annual inspection fee (with separate lines for a state-licensed care facility of six or fewer clients and for I- and R-occupancy care facilities) and the hourly Standard 850 fire clearance inspection fee are set by the San Mateo County Fire Department service fee schedule established by Board of Supervisors Resolution 080751, which provides for automatic consumer-price-index adjustment effective no earlier than April 1 of each year. Contact the San Mateo County Fire Marshal, (650) 345-1612 or smcfdfiremarshal@fire.ca.gov, for the current amount.annual inspection; fire clearance per application2026-10-09
Child Day Care Food Service — outside the Retail Food Code permitonly if it applies to youSan Mateo County Health, Environmental Health ServicesNo feenot applicable — under Health & Safety Code §113789(c)(8) a child day care facility is not a food facility2026-10-09
Child Care Centre LicenseCalifornia Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division$484–$2,420 original application, banded by licensed capacityno expiry; an annual fee falls due on each anniversary of the license2026-09-03

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 San Mateo County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youSan Mateo County Planning and Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the San Mateo County pageper project (one-time)2026-10-09
Use Permit / Kennel-Cattery Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youSan Mateo County Planning and Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the San Mateo County pageper permit; renewals and inspections billed when due2026-10-09

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

CA 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
Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$20 per filing, biennialbiennial2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$70 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually2026-09-03
Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$25 per filing, annualannual2026-09-03
Seller's Permitonly if it applies to youCalifornia Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationNo fee — no fee to applyno expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller2026-09-03
Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to youCalifornia Franchise Tax BoardVaries — formula on the CA pageannual, until the entity is cancelled2026-09-03
General Business License — California position (city or county, not state)California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county2026-09-03

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 San Mateo County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a childcare centre in San Mateo County, CA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 10 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

5 of the 12 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:

State-Licensed Care Facility Fire Inspection / Fire Clearance (San Mateo County Fire service area): The annual inspection fee (with separate lines for a state-licensed care facility of six or fewer clients and for I- and R-occupancy care facilities) and the hourly Standard 850 fire clearance inspection fee are set by the San Mateo County Fire Department service fee schedule established by Board of Supervisors Resolution 080751, which provides for automatic consumer-price-index adjustment effective no earlier than April 1 of each year. Contact the San Mateo County Fire Marshal, (650) 345-1612 or smcfdfiremarshal@fire.ca.gov, for the current amount.

Child Care Centre License: $484–$2,420 original application, banded by licensed capacity

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

Which offices issue these permits in San Mateo County?

Permits for a childcare centre in San Mateo County, CA come from 7 separate offices: San Mateo County Planning and Building Department, San Mateo County Fire Department (operated cooperatively with CAL FIRE), Fire Marshal, San Mateo County Health, Environmental Health Services, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board, California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing 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 San Mateo County that other businesses do not?

3 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in San Mateo County: State-Licensed Care Facility Fire Inspection / Fire Clearance (San Mateo County Fire service area), Child Day Care Food Service — outside the Retail Food Code permit and Child Care Centre License.

State-Licensed Care Facility Fire Inspection / Fire Clearance (San Mateo County Fire service area)

A child care facility licensed by the State inside San Mateo County Fire's service area — which its About Us page describes as 'most unincorporated areas (those not covered by a municipal fire department or local fire district) of San Mateo County', including San Mateo Highlands, Emerald Lake Hills, Palomar Park, La Honda, Pescadero and the other communities it names — is inspected by County Fire. The County Fire fee schedule lists a State Licensed Care Facility Annual Inspection for six or fewer clients, a separate annual inspection for I-1 to I-4, R-2.1, R-3, R-3.1 and R-4 occupancies, and an hourly Standard 850 Fire Clearance Inspection. A facility in a city or another fire district gets its inspection from that fire agency. The State's child care license itself comes from the California Department of Social Services.

Child Day Care Food Service — outside the Retail Food Code permit

No fee applies. Health & Safety Code §113789(c)(8) provides that 'Food facility' does not include 'A child day care facility, as defined in Section 1596.750', so under that statute a licensed child day care facility serving meals or snacks to the children in its care needs no retail food facility permit from Environmental Health Services, which §114381 requires only of food facilities. Food safety at a child day care facility is part of its state license from the California Department of Social Services. A business that also sells food to the public, such as a cafe run alongside a centre, is a food facility for that operation and needs the retail food permit. A centre inside San Mateo County Fire's service area still has the County Fire care-facility inspection.

Child Care Centre License

Banded by licensed capacity, and the annual fee is always half the application fee. 1 to 30 children costs $484 to apply and $242 a year; 31 to 60 is $968 and $484; 61 to 75 is $1,210 and $605; 76 to 90 is $1,452 and $726; 91 to 120 is $1,936 and $968; 121 or more is $2,420 and $1,210. A family child care home in a residence is the separate, much cheaper track: $73 for 1 to 8 children and $140 for 9 to 14, with the annual fee equal to the application fee. Watch the add-ons, which are where budgets slip: changing licensed capacity costs $25, relocating costs half the application fee again, a department orientation is $50 a person, a late annual fee adds 50 per cent, and failing to implement a plan of correction by its stated date costs $200. Non-payment is itself grounds to deny or forfeit the license.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in San Mateo County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the San Mateo County permits page. The 7 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CA and are covered on the CA state page.

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in San Mateo County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs State-Licensed Care Facility Fire Inspection / Fire Clearance (San Mateo County Fire service area), Child Day Care Food Service — outside the Retail Food Code permit and Child Care Centre License. A auto repair shop needs Hazardous Materials Business Plan Permit (CUPA), Hazardous Waste Generator Permit (CUPA), Underground Storage Tank / Aboveground Petroleum Storage Permit (CUPA) and 2 more, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in San Mateo County, CA, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops5035
Coffee shops100310
Contractors and trades4034
Fitness studios2032
Food trucks7037
Restaurants9039
Retail stores100310
Salons and barbers4034
Veterinary clinics3033

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 San Mateo County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. San Mateo County Fire Department service fee schedule (Resolution 080751)San Mateo County Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  2. San Mateo County Fire — About Us (service area)San Mateo County Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  3. Resolution No. 080751 — Planning, Building and County Fire Marshal service fee schedules, with automatic CPI adjustment (adopted 19 November 2024)San Mateo County Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  4. California Health and Safety Code §113789 (definition of food facility)California Legislative Information · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  5. California Health and Safety Code section 114381 — food facility permit required, fee determined by the local governing bodyCalifornia Legislative Information · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  6. California Health and Safety Code section 1596.803 — child day care facility application and annual fees by licensed capacityCalifornia Legislative Information · 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.