13 permits · verified 2026-09-11
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Hawaii County?
In short
A childcare centre in Hawaii County, HI has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission) charges $500 one-time, per application, paid via EPIC for the use permit. 3 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-11 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Hawaii County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission) | $500 one-time, per application, paid via EPIC | one-time, per application | 2026-09-11 |
| Special Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission) | $500 one-time, per application, paid via EPIC | one-time, per application | 2026-09-11 |
| Child Care License | Hawaii Department of Human Services, Child Care Licensing Program | Fee not published — every official application page lists the required forms without stating a dollar amount anywhere | 1 to 2 years, depending on how long the provider has already been licensed | 2026-09-04 |
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 Hawaii County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Hawaii County positiononly if it applies to you | County of Hawai'i, Department of Finance, Vehicle Registration & Licensing Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
| Commercial Building Permit | County of Hawai'i, Department of Public Works, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Hawaii County page | one-time, per project — the permit itself expires 6 years after issuance (HCC §5-5-4) | 2026-09-11 |
| Special Management Area (SMA) Use Permit (Major)only if it applies to you | County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission) | $500 one-time, per application, paid via EPIC | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Building Plan Review Fee | County of Hawai'i, Department of Public Works, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Hawaii County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | County of Hawai'i, Department of Public Works, Building Division | $200 one-time — applies only to a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy authorizing partial occupancy before project completion; the standard Certificate of Occupancy issued at final inspection carries no additional published fee beyond the Building Permit fee already charged | one-time, no expiration once issued | 2026-09-11 |
| Plan Approvalonly if it applies to you | County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission) | No fee | one-time, per project — remains valid so long as the approved plan is followed | 2026-09-11 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
HI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Hawaii positiononly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $15 a year on paper; a $10 late fee applies per year delinquent | annual — due at the end of the calendar quarter containing the entity's own original registration date | 2026-09-04 |
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 Hawaii County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a childcare centre in Hawaii County, HI, 4 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.
Of the 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Child Care License: Fee not published — every official application page lists the required forms without stating a dollar amount anywhere
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Hawaii County permits page and the HI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Hawaii County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Hawaii County, HI come from 5 separate offices: County of Hawai'i, Department of Finance, Vehicle Registration & Licensing Division, County of Hawai'i, Department of Public Works, Building Division, County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission), Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division, Hawaii Department of Human Services, Child Care Licensing Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- County of Hawai'i, Department of Finance, Vehicle Registration & Licensing DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — Hawaii County position101 Pauahi Street, Suite 5, Hilo, HI 96720 · (808) 961-8351www.vrl.hawaiicounty.gov/other-services/business-occupation-licensing
- County of Hawai'i, Department of Public Works, Building DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Building Plan Review Fee, Certificate of Occupancy101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 · (808) 961-8321www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/public-works/building
- County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission)Issues 4 permits on this page: Use Permit, Special Management Area (SMA) Use Permit (Major), Special Permit, Plan Approval101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720 · (808) 961-8288www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Hawaii position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report335 Merchant Street, Room 201, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-2727cca.hawaii.gov/breg
- Hawaii Department of Human Services, Child Care Licensing ProgramIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care License1010 Richards Street, Suite 512, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 587-5266humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/child-care-program/child-care-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Hawaii County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Hawaii County: Child Care License.
Child Care License
Hawaii licenses group child care centres and homes as a genuine requirement, and separately registers a smaller family child care home caring for three to six unrelated children under Hawaii Administrative Rules chapters 17-891.1 and 17-891.2. No fee applies: the governing rule's own table of contents runs from Application (§17-891.2-2) through Inspection and issuance of certificate, Fines, and roughly eighty further sections of administration, program and staffing requirements without ever titling or setting a registration fee, and the rule's only use of the word 'fee' is the requirement that a provider's own written policies disclose what it charges parents for care (§17-891.2-11) — a private rate, not a government charge.
Shared with other businesses in Hawaii County
- Use Permit — County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission), $500 one-time, per application, paid via EPIC, one-time, per application. Also required for retail stores, fitness studios, salons and barbers, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
- Special Permit — County of Hawai'i Planning Department (and Planning Commission), $500 one-time, per application, paid via EPIC, one-time, per application. Also required for retail stores, fitness studios, salons and barbers, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Hawaii County, HI; what each one involves is set out on the Hawaii County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across HI and are covered on the HI state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Hawaii County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 2 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care License. A retail store needs Sign Permit and Fire Prevention Permit — Places of Assembly, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the fitness studios page and contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Hawaii County permits page and the HI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Hawaii DHS — child care licensing application processHawaii Department of Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Hawaii Administrative Rules title 17, chapter 891.2 — Registration of Family Child Care Homes, full textHawaii Department of Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Hawaii Administrative Rules §17-891.1-1 and chapter 17-895 — definitions and general provisions (amendment, effective November 29, 2016)Hawaii Department of Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.