11 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in El Paso County Co?
In short
A childcare centre in El Paso County Co, CO has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. El Paso County Planning and Community Development charges $196 per application, including the $37 technology fee (2026 Fee Schedule, effective May 1, 2026) for the daycare permit (zoning, unincorporated areas). 5 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in El Paso County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Facility Health Inspections | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division | Per visit: child care center routine inspection $366; school-age routine $256; pre-school routine $291; group home routine $269; pre-operational inspection $185; plan review and pre-op $135 plus $53 an hour; follow-up inspection $203 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024). | routine inspections every two years for existing facilities, each billed per visit | 2026-10-10 |
| Daycare Permit (zoning, unincorporated areas)only if it applies to you | El Paso County Planning and Community Development | $196 per application, including the $37 technology fee (2026 Fee Schedule, effective May 1, 2026) | per application | 2026-10-10 |
| 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 El Paso County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy (PPRBD)only if it applies to you | Pikes Peak Regional Building Department | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Floodplain Development Permit (PPRBD)only if it applies to you | Pikes Peak Regional Building Department | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Zoning and Land-Use Approvals (unincorporated areas)only if it applies to you | El Paso County Planning and Community Development | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | per application | 2026-10-10 |
| Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division | $961 per new OWTS permit, including one reinspection; modification or major repair permit $891; minor repair permit $554 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule) | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
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 El Paso County Co?
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 El Paso County Co, CO, 2 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 11 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 Facility Health Inspections: Per visit: child care center routine inspection $366; school-age routine $256; pre-school routine $291; group home routine $269; pre-operational inspection $185; plan review and pre-op $135 plus $53 an hour; follow-up inspection $203 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024).
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 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the El Paso County Co permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in El Paso County Co?
Permits for a childcare centre in El Paso County Co, CO come from 5 separate offices: El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, El Paso County Planning and Community Development, Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, 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.
- El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Child Care Facility Health Inspections, Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd, Suite 2044, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 · (719) 578-3199 option 3www.elpasocountyhealth.org/licenses-permits-inspections-water-testing/retail-food/retail-food-establishments
- El Paso County Planning and Community DevelopmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Daycare Permit (zoning, unincorporated areas), Zoning and Land-Use Approvals (unincorporated areas)planningdevelopment.elpasoco.com
- Pikes Peak Regional Building DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy (PPRBD), Floodplain Development Permit (PPRBD)2880 International Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80910 · (719) 327-2880www.pprbd.org/Home/About
- 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 El Paso County Co 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 El Paso County Co: Child Care Facility Health Inspections, Daycare Permit (zoning, unincorporated areas) and Child Care License.
Child Care Facility Health Inspections
El Paso County Public Health inspects child care facilities for compliance with the Colorado Regulations Governing Health and Sanitation of Child Care Facilities; its Child Care page links the state child care license to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. The county's fees are charged per visit: $366 for a child care center routine inspection, $256 for a school-age program, $291 for a pre-school, $269 for a group home, $185 for a pre-operational inspection, $135 plus $53 an hour for plan review and pre-op, and $203 for a follow-up inspection. The schedule states that existing facilities receive routine inspections every two years and that all fees are on a per-visit basis. The figure is from the El Paso County Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024), which is the schedule currently posted on the EPCPH Regulations page; no successor schedule is posted.
Daycare Permit (zoning, unincorporated areas)
A child care operation in unincorporated El Paso County applies to Planning and Community Development for a Daycare Permit. The 2026 Fee Schedule lists the Daycare Permit at $196.00, and its footnote 3 states that the daycare permit includes childcare, adultcare and group home permits. A variance for daycare spacing goes to the Board of Adjustment, listed in the same schedule at $1,649.00. The figure is from the El Paso County Planning and Community Development 2026 Fee Schedule (effective May 1, 2026), linked from the department's home page as its '2026 Fee Schedule'; per its footnote 1, application fees include a $37.00 technology fee.
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 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in El Paso County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the El Paso County Co 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 El Paso County Co?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Facility Health Inspections, Daycare Permit (zoning, unincorporated areas) and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs 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 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the El Paso County Co permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- El Paso County Board of Health, Chapter 3 — Fee Schedule and Civil Penalties (approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024)El Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- Child CareEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- 2026 Fee Schedule (effective May 1, 2026)El Paso County Planning and Community Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Planning and Community DevelopmentEl Paso County Planning and Community Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- 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.