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9 permits · verified 2026-10-10

What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Jefferson County Co?

In short

A childcare centre in Jefferson County Co, CO 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. Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division charges $50 one-time filing, online only for the articles of incorporation. 5 of the 9 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 Jefferson County Co

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Child Care License (state, CDEC) and JCPH Child Care Centre InspectionColorado Department of Early Childhood, Division of Early Learning Licensing and AdministrationNo fee amount is published on CDEC's Child Care Licensing and Administration page or on JCPH's Other Regulated Facilities page; CDEC license applications are completed, submitted and paid online in CDEC's Provider Hub.set by the CDEC license2026-10-10
Child Care LicenseColorado 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 $100annual — renewal is called a continuation2026-09-03

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 Jefferson County Co

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building Permit and Plan Review (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youJefferson County Division of Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Jefferson County Co pageper permit, for the project2026-10-10
Zoning Review, Sign, Special Event and Site Plan Fees (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youJefferson County Planning & ZoningVaries — formula on the Jefferson County Co pageper application2026-10-10
Public Health Land Use Referral Fees (added to Planning & Zoning applications)only if it applies to youJefferson County Public Health, Environmental Health ServicesVaries — formula on the Jefferson County Co pageper application referred2026-10-10

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business Division$50 one-time filing, online onlyperpetual, but a periodic report is due every year2026-09-03
General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business Division$50 one-time filing, online onlyperpetual, but a periodic report is due every year2026-09-03
Periodic Reportonly if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business Division$25 a year; $50 more if filed lateannual — due in the entity's own periodic report month2026-09-03

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 Jefferson County Co?

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 Jefferson County Co, CO, 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.

5 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 (state, CDEC) and JCPH Child Care Centre Inspection: No fee amount is published on CDEC's Child Care Licensing and Administration page or on JCPH's Other Regulated Facilities page; CDEC license applications are completed, submitted and paid online in CDEC's Provider Hub.

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 Jefferson County Co permits page and the CO state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Jefferson County Co?

Permits for a childcare centre in Jefferson County Co, CO come from 5 separate offices: Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration, Jefferson County Division of Building Safety, Jefferson County Planning & Zoning, Jefferson County Public Health, Environmental Health Services, Colorado Secretary of State, Business 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 Jefferson County Co 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 Jefferson County Co: Child Care License (state, CDEC) and JCPH Child Care Centre Inspection and Child Care License.

Child Care License (state, CDEC) and JCPH Child Care Centre Inspection

A child care centre or family child care home in Jefferson County, Colorado is licensed by the state: the Colorado Department of Early Childhood's Division of Early Learning Licensing and Administration, whose licensing page states that licensing forms, applications and background check applications can be completed, submitted and paid for online in the Provider Hub. Jefferson County Public Health's Other Regulated Facilities page states that Environmental Health Services staff perform routine inspections of child care centres, group homes, treatment facilities and day camps, to establish and enforce sanitary standards for their operation and maintenance. No fee amount is published on either page; contact CDEC for the license fee and JCPH Environmental Health Services (303-232-6301) about the inspection.

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 Jefferson County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Co?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care License (state, CDEC) and JCPH Child Care Centre Inspection and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules), which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Jefferson County Co, CO, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops6026
Contractors and trades3023
Fitness studios0020
Food trucks4024
Restaurants9029
Retail stores4024
Salons and barbers1021
Veterinary clinics1021

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 Jefferson County Co permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Colorado Department of Early Childhood — child care licensing and its fee scheduleColorado Department of Early Childhood · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  2. Other Regulated Facilities page (child care and other facility inspections)Jefferson County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.