9 permits · verified 2026-09-03
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Washington?
In short
A childcare centre in Washington, DC has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. District of Columbia Department of Buildings charges $72.60 filing and issuance, including the 10 per cent enhanced fee for the home occupation permit. 4 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-03 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Washington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Development Facility License | District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Early Learning | $225–$1,500 per three-year license, banded by capacity, plus a $75 application fee | 3 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Home Occupation Permitonly if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Buildings | $72.60 filing and issuance, including the 10 per cent enhanced fee | not stated in the published schedule | 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 Washington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Business License | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division | Varies — formula on the Washington page | 2 or 4 years, or 6 months where eligible | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | District of Columbia Department of Buildings | Varies — formula on the Washington page | not stated in the published schedule | 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.
DC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biennial Reportonly if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $300 per filing, every two years | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500) | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | No fee | one-time registration | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | Varies — formula on the DC page | no expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $99 one-time filing | no expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Clean Hands | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | No fee | does not expire — validated in real time | 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 Washington?
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 Washington, DC, 5 apply to every business of this type and 4 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
4 of the 9 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:
Child Development Facility License: $225–$1,500 per three-year license, banded by capacity, plus a $75 application fee
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington permits page and the DC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Washington?
Permits for a childcare centre in Washington, DC come from 5 separate offices: District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division, District of Columbia Department of Buildings, District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Early Learning, District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division, District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Basic Business License1100 4th Street SW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20024 · (202) 671-4500mybusiness.dc.gov
- District of Columbia Department of BuildingsIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy, Home Occupation Permitdob.dc.gov
- District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Early LearningIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Development Facility Licenseosse.dc.gov/service/licensing-process-child-care-providers
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Biennial Report, Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC)1100 4th Street SW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20024 · (202) 671-4500mybusiness.dc.gov
- District of Columbia Office of Tax and RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500), Certificate of Clean Handsmytax.dc.gov
What does a childcare centre need in Washington 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 Washington: Child Development Facility License.
Child Development Facility License
Licensed by the education superintendent rather than the licensing department, which is the first thing to get right — it moved out of DCRA in 2009. Every applicant pays a $75 application and pre-licensure inspection fee, then a license fee by size: a child development home or expanded home is $225, a centre for 1 to 50 children $600, 51 to 100 $900, 101 to 175 $1,200, and over 175 $1,500. The same amounts apply again at each three-yearly renewal. Extending a late renewal costs $100 for ninety days or $200 for a hundred and eighty. None of it covers inspections by other agencies — the fire safety certification and the lead-based paint clearance are additional and are not OSSE's to charge for. Fees are non-transferable and non-refundable. Worth knowing: OSSE publishes no web page listing these amounts; they are in the regulation itself.
Home Occupation Permit
$72.60 all in — a $33 filing fee and a $33 issuance fee, each carrying the District's 10 per cent enhanced fee. It replaces the Certificate of Occupancy for a business run from home, and it must be in hand BEFORE the business license. Most home office uses are auto-issued; childcare and lodging go to staff review. The conditions are strict enough to rule out many trades outright: the business must stay clearly secondary to living there, it may occupy no more than 250 square feet or a quarter of the home, no more than two non-resident employees, no more than eight vehicle trips a day and eight clients an hour, and one flush-mounted sign of no more than 144 square inches. Retail sales, animal care and boarding, vehicle repair, firearms sales, entertainment and performing arts, production and distribution, and waste services are all prohibited as home occupations. A permit cannot be transferred between people or addresses. No expiry is published, so none is claimed.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington, DC; what each one involves is set out on the Washington permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across DC and are covered on the DC state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Washington?
The closest match is a contractor or trade, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Development Facility License. A contractor or trade needs Contractor and Construction Services License, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Washington permits page and the DC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 5-A DCMR section 108 — child development facility application and license fees (final rulemaking, effective 2 December 2016)District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Department of Buildings — building permit fee schedule, special permits and reviewsDistrict of Columbia Department of Buildings · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Department of Buildings — home occupation permitDistrict of Columbia Department of Buildings · 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.