11 permits · verified 2026-10-06
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Pinellas County?
In short
A childcare centre in Pinellas County, FL has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations charges $125 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 7 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Pinellas County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Center License (Child Care Facility) | Pinellas County License Board for Children's Centers and Family Child Care Homes (Child Care Licensing, Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County) | License fee of $100.00 plus $1.00 per child based on the licensed capacity of the children's center, charged in addition to a $25.00 application fee. An optional preliminary site inspection costs $50.00, and a petition for a variance or waiver costs $100.00. | annual; the regulations require a complete renewal application at least 45 days before the current license expires | 2026-10-06 |
| Family Child Care Home / Large Family Child Care Home License | Pinellas County License Board for Children's Centers and Family Child Care Homes (Child Care Licensing, Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County) | $75–$100 license fee: $75.00 for a family child care home, $100.00 for a large family child care home; plus a $25.00 application fee; $25.00 to add overnight care outside initial issuance or renewal; $100.00 per variance or waiver petition | annual; the regulations require a complete renewal application at least 45 days before the current license expires | 2026-10-06 |
| Child Care Facility License | Florida Department of Children and Families, Child Care Licensure | $1 per child of licensed capacity, subject to a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $100 per facility — so 25 children or fewer costs $25, and 100 or more costs $100 | annual | 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 Pinellas County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit (BDRS) | Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services | Varies — formula on the Pinellas County page | one-time per project | 2026-10-06 |
| Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, Environmental Public Health | Varies — formula on the Pinellas County page | construction permit valid 18 months; repair permit valid 90 days; commercial wastewater operating permit valid 1 year and renewed annually (s. 381.0065(4), Fla. Stat.) | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
FL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (Corporation)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of Revenue | No fee — no fee to register | no fixed expiry | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business Tax Receipt | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | No fee | annual — every receipt expires on 30 September | 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 Pinellas County?
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 Pinellas County, FL, 5 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
7 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:
Children's Center License (Child Care Facility): License fee of $100.00 plus $1.00 per child based on the licensed capacity of the children's center, charged in addition to a $25.00 application fee. An optional preliminary site inspection costs $50.00, and a petition for a variance or waiver costs $100.00.
Family Child Care Home / Large Family Child Care Home License: $75–$100 license fee: $75.00 for a family child care home, $100.00 for a large family child care home; plus a $25.00 application fee; $25.00 to add overnight care outside initial issuance or renewal; $100.00 per variance or waiver petition
Child Care Facility License: $1 per child of licensed capacity, subject to a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $100 per facility — so 25 children or fewer costs $25, and 100 or more costs $100
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Pinellas County permits page and the FL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Pinellas County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Pinellas County, FL come from 6 separate offices: Pinellas County License Board for Children's Centers and Family Child Care Homes (Child Care Licensing, Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County), Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services, Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, Environmental Public Health, Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Department of Children and Families, Child Care Licensure. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Pinellas County License Board for Children's Centers and Family Child Care Homes (Child Care Licensing, Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County)Issues 2 permits on this page: Children's Center License (Child Care Facility), Family Child Care Home / Large Family Child Care Home Licensepinellas.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-public-health/child-care-licensing
- Pinellas County Building and Development Review ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit (BDRS)440 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756pinellas.gov/department/building-and-development-review-services
- Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, Environmental Public HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (Septic) Permitpinellas.floridahealth.gov
- Florida Department of State, Division of CorporationsIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report (LLC)efile.sunbiz.org
- Florida Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)floridarevenue.com/taxes/eservices/Pages/registration.aspx
- Florida Department of Children and Families, Child Care LicensureIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Facility Licensewww.myflfamilies.com/services/licensing/child-care-licensure
What does a childcare centre need in Pinellas 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 Pinellas County: Children's Center License (Child Care Facility), Family Child Care Home / Large Family Child Care Home License and Child Care Facility License.
Children's Center License (Child Care Facility)
Pinellas is one of four Florida counties, with Broward, Palm Beach and Sarasota, that the Department of Children and Families' licensure page lists as licensing child care locally under s. 402.306, Fla. Stat. A children's center anywhere in the county, including inside a municipality, is licensed by the Pinellas County License Board, not by the Department of Children and Families. Per section B of the Board's Licensing Regulations Governing Pinellas County Children's Centers (approved January 26, 2022, effective February 1, 2022), the application fee is $25.00, and each children's center is charged a license fee of $100.00 plus $1.00 per child based on its licensed capacity. A preliminary site inspection, which is optional, costs $50.00, and a variance or waiver petition costs $100.00. These fees are set under s. 402.315(4), Fla. Stat., which allows a county to collect a fee for any license it issues under s. 402.308 and sets no dollar cap. The capped fee figures in s. 402.315(3) apply only to licenses the Department of Children and Families issues, so they do not limit the License Board's fee. The regulations themselves cite s. 402.315(3) beside the fee line; the operative authority for a county-issued license is s. 402.315(4). The regulations state no separate renewal fee. A renewal application, with background screening, is due at least 45 days before the license expires.
Family Child Care Home / Large Family Child Care Home License
Home-based child care in Pinellas County is licensed by the Pinellas County License Board under the county's s. 402.306, Fla. Stat., self-licensing status, countywide. Per section B of the Board's Licensing Regulations Governing Pinellas County Family Child Care Homes and Large Family Child Care Homes (approved January 26, 2022, effective February 1, 2022), the application fee is $25.00; a family child care home is charged a license fee of $75.00 and a large family child care home a license fee of $100.00. Adding overnight care at any time other than initial issuance or renewal costs $25.00, and a variance or waiver petition costs $100.00. These fees are set under s. 402.315(4), Fla. Stat., which allows a county to collect a fee for any license it issues under s. 402.308 with no dollar cap. The lower capped figures in s. 402.315(3) apply only to registrations and licenses the Department of Children and Families issues, so they do not apply to a Pinellas license. The regulations state no separate renewal fee; a renewal application is due at least 45 days before the license expires.
Child Care Facility License
Cheap by national standards — capped at $100 however large the centre — but read the jurisdiction question before relying on it. Florida lets a county whose standards meet or exceed the state minimum license child care itself, and four have taken that up: Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota. In those four the county licenses and sets its own fee, so the $25 to $100 band does not apply. The Department of Children and Families licenses in the other 63 counties. The designation has to be re-affirmed by a majority vote of the county commission every year, so the list can move. Related statutory fees: a registered family day care home is $25, a licensed one $50, and a large family child care home $60.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Pinellas County, FL; what each one involves is set out on the Pinellas County permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across FL and are covered on the FL state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Pinellas County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Children's Center License (Child Care Facility), Family Child Care Home / Large Family Child Care Home License and Child Care Facility License. A auto repair shop needs Small Quantity Generator (SQG) Notification and Verification Program, 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 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 3 | 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 Pinellas County permits page and the FL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Licensing Regulations Governing Pinellas County Children's Centers (approved January 26, 2022; effective February 1, 2022), section B. Fees and section E. Annual renewal of licensePinellas County License Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- About Child Care Licensure — current list of counties with their own local licensing agency under Fla. Stat. §402.306Florida Department of Children and Families · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- Florida Statutes section 402.315 — child care licensing fee of $1 per child, minimum $25 and maximum $100 per facilityThe Florida Senate · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Florida Statutes section 402.306 — counties may designate a local licensing agency, re-affirmed annually by the county commissionThe Florida Senate · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Fla. Stat. s. 402.308, Issuance of licenseFlorida Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Licensing Regulations Governing Pinellas County Family Child Care Homes and Large Family Child Care Homes (approved January 26, 2022; effective February 1, 2022), section B. FeesPinellas County License Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.