9 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Aurora?
In short
A childcare centre in Aurora, CO has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections charges $69.50 a year for the fire inspection — institutional/residential daycare. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Inspection — Institutional/Residential Daycare | Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections | $69.50 a year | annual | 2026-09-08 |
| Child Care License | Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration | $200 for a centre of five to fifteen children, $175 plus $3 a child to thirty, $300 plus $3 a child above that, capped at $1,800; a family home pays $65 or $100 | annual — renewal is called a continuation | 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 Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Sales/Use Tax License | City of Aurora Business Licensing | Varies — formula on the Aurora page | 2 years | 2026-09-08 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | $850 flat; $500 is refunded if a standard Certificate of Occupancy issues before the temporary one expires | temporary, pending final approval | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Aurora page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
CO registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Periodic Reportonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $25 a year; $50 more if filed late | annual — due in the entity's own periodic report month | 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 Aurora?
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 Aurora, CO, 4 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.
Of the 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $69.50. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Child Care License: $200 for a centre of five to fifteen children, $175 plus $3 a child to thirty, $300 plus $3 a child above that, capped at $1,800; a family home pays $65 or $100
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Aurora permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Aurora?
Permits for a childcare centre in Aurora, CO come from 5 separate offices: Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections, City of Aurora Business Licensing, City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire InspectionsIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Inspection — Institutional/Residential Daycare(303) 326-8998www.auroragov.org
- City of Aurora Business LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Business/Sales/Use Tax License(303) 739-7057www.auroragov.org
- City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 2400, Aurora, CO 80012 · (303) 739-7420www.auroragov.org
- Colorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally), Articles of Organization (LLC), Periodic Report1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 · (303) 894-2200www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/businessHome.html
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Division of Early Learning Licensing and AdministrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care License710 South Ash Street, Denver, CO 80246 · (800) 799-5876cdec.colorado.gov/for-providers/child-care-licensing-and-administration
What does a childcare centre need in Aurora 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 Aurora: Fire Inspection — Institutional/Residential Daycare and Child Care License.
Fire Inspection — Institutional/Residential Daycare
A day care center is also billed under the building permit's Occupancy Group I (Institutional) rate — $2.40/sq ft, minimum $5,000/maximum $125,000 — if new construction or a qualifying alteration is involved. Arapahoe County Public Health separately inspects the food-service side: Full Day $255, Partial Day $190, Plan Review $120.
Child Care License
The same fee is charged for an original application and for each annual continuation, and the middle band is counter-intuitive: a centre for sixteen to thirty children has a lower base than one for five to fifteen, at $175 against $200, because the per-child element takes over. The whole thing caps at $1,800. A family child care home pays $65 for up to six children or $100 for a large home of seven to twelve, and an experienced provider license is also $100. Get the agency right — licensing moved to the new Department of Early Childhood when it was established in 2022, so guidance naming the human services department is stale. Continuation notices go out ninety days before the anniversary date on the license. Fingerprint background checks cost extra and are not in the license fee.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Aurora, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Aurora permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CO and are covered on the CO state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Aurora?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Fire Inspection — Institutional/Residential Daycare and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Commercial Sign Permit, Fire Inspection and Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules), which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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 Aurora permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Aurora — 2025 Service FeesCity of Aurora · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood — child care licensing and its fee scheduleColorado Department of Early Childhood · 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.