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12 permits · verified 2026-10-14

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

In short

No permit applies to every childcare centre in Ada County, ID. All 12 depend on your premises, the work you do or how you are set up. Ada County Development Services charges $280 per application (Resolution No. 3149, Accessory Use (administrative approval), adopted November 25, 2025) for the accessory use, administrative approval (group daycare; large home occupation). 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Ada County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Conditional Use Application (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to youAda County Development Services$900 plus $0.12 per square foot of proposed structures, maximum $25,000 (Resolution No. 3149, Exhibit A, Conditional Use).per application2026-10-14
Accessory Use, Administrative Approval (group daycare; large home occupation)only if it applies to youAda County Development Services$280 per application (Resolution No. 3149, Accessory Use (administrative approval), adopted November 25, 2025)per application2026-10-14
Zoning Certificate: Family Daycare Home or Small Home Occupationonly if it applies to youAda County Development Services$100 per application (Resolution No. 3149, Zoning Certification, adopted November 25, 2025)per application2026-10-14
Child Care Licenseonly if it applies to youIdaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Public Health$100–$325 a year, banded by capacity — and not required at all below seven children2 years2026-09-04

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 Ada County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Master Site Plan (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to youAda County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Ada County pageper application2026-10-14
Sign Approval, signs over 64 square feet (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to youAda County Development Services$200 per application, for "Sign Approval (>64 sq ft)" (Resolution No. 3149, adopted November 25, 2025)per application2026-10-14
Septic (Subsurface Sewage Disposal) Permit (Central District Health)only if it applies to youCentral District HealthVaries — formula on the Ada County pageper permit2026-10-14
Building Permit and Commercial Mechanical Permit (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to youAda County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Ada County pageper permit2026-10-14

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

ID 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
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youIdaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division$100 filed online; $120 in person or by mailperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youIdaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division$100 filed online; $120 in person or by mailperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
General Business License — Idaho state positiononly if it applies to youIdaho Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feenot applicable2026-09-04
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youIdaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division$20 only if filed on paper in person — filing online is freeannual — due by the close of the entity's own anniversary month2026-09-04

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 Ada County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a childcare centre in Ada County, ID, 0 apply to every business of this type and 12 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 12 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:

Conditional Use Application (unincorporated Ada County): $900 plus $0.12 per square foot of proposed structures, maximum $25,000 (Resolution No. 3149, Exhibit A, Conditional Use).

Child Care License: $100–$325 a year, banded by capacity — and not required at all below seven children

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Ada County permits page and the ID state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Ada County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Ada County, ID come from 4 separate offices: Ada County Development Services, Central District Health, Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Public Health. 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 Ada County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 4 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Ada County: Conditional Use Application (unincorporated Ada County) and Child Care License.

Conditional Use Application (unincorporated Ada County)

A use that the Ada County zoning code lists as conditional in its zone needs conditional use approval from Development Services under Ada County Code 8-6-15 before it can open in unincorporated Ada County. The Permitting Division page names one such use for this site's industries. A daycare center for thirteen or more children "Requires a Conditional Use approval in the following zones: LO, C1, C2, C3, TI, RUT, RSW, R1, R2, R4, R6, R8, R12, and R20." The page adds that conditional uses "require a pre-application meeting with our planning team as a first step", which is free. As set in Resolution No. 3149, the conditional use fee is $900 plus $0.12 per square foot, with a maximum of $25,000. The Conditional Use Application Checklist, revised July 30, 2026, prints the same base and rate: "$900 (base fee) + .12/square foot (for all proposed structures)". Development Services confirms whether another use on a given parcel is conditional in its zone. The figure is set by Ada County Resolution No. 3149, "Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department", adopted by the Board of Ada County Commissioners on November 25, 2025; its Exhibit A schedule is "effective on adoption date" and supersedes the schedules of Resolution No. 2418. The Development Services fees page states that all of its fees "were updated in November 2025 in conjunction with the new Ada County Zoning Code". Ada County Development Services handles building permits and zoning applications in unincorporated Ada County; inside Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian or Star, the county Permitting Division page refers applicants to that city's own building department. Contact Ada County Development Services, 200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702, (208) 287-7900.

Accessory Use, Administrative Approval (group daycare; large home occupation)

Two home-based business types in unincorporated Ada County need staff-level accessory use approval, according to the Permitting Division page. A group daycare facility, for seven to twelve children, "Requires an Accessory Use approval through a staff level application" in the RP, RR, Rural Residence, RUT, RSW and R1 to R20 zones. Its listed conditions include 35 square feet of floor area and 100 square feet of outdoor play area per child, a 6-foot fence, staffing ratios and hours of 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM. They also include a "Fire inspection by the local fire district". A large home occupation also "Requires an Accessory Use approval through a staff level application". It allows one nonresident employee, group instruction of no more than five students at a time and two classes a day, and set operating hours, which fits a home salon or a small fitness instruction business. The page states that no more than 25% of the home or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less, may be devoted to a home occupation. As set in Resolution No. 3149, the Accessory Use (administrative approval) fee is $280. The Accessory Use Application Checklist dated May 12, 2026 prints "APPLICATION FEE: $280". The figure is set by Ada County Resolution No. 3149, "Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department", adopted by the Board of Ada County Commissioners on November 25, 2025; its Exhibit A schedule is "effective on adoption date" and supersedes the schedules of Resolution No. 2418. The Development Services fees page states that all of its fees "were updated in November 2025 in conjunction with the new Ada County Zoning Code". Contact Ada County Development Services, 200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702, (208) 287-7900.

Zoning Certificate: Family Daycare Home or Small Home Occupation

A family daycare home or a small home occupation in unincorporated Ada County needs a county zoning certificate. The county's Family Daycare Home form (ACC 8-4-18) states: "A Family Daycare Home requires the issuance of a Zoning Certificate". The Small Home Occupation form (ACC 8-4-33) states: "A Small Home Occupation requires the issuance of a Zoning Certificate". The Permitting Division page defines a family daycare home as care for six or fewer children. It lists the zones where accessory use approval through a zoning certificate applies and says hours are limited to 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM. It also states that a criminal history check from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is needed where any child is under seven, and gives a "$100 fee". A small home occupation, per the same page, is one where "No employees or clients come to the home", with no more than two deliveries or pick-ups a day; this fits, for example, a contractor's home office. The page also states: "Daycare's and contractor's yards are not considered home occupations." As set in Resolution No. 3149, the Zoning Certification fee is $100. The family daycare form prints "Application Fee: $100" and the small home occupation form "Application Fee: $100.00". The figure is set by Ada County Resolution No. 3149, "Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department", adopted by the Board of Ada County Commissioners on November 25, 2025; its Exhibit A schedule is "effective on adoption date" and supersedes the schedules of Resolution No. 2418. The Development Services fees page states that all of its fees "were updated in November 2025 in conjunction with the new Ada County Zoning Code". Contact Ada County Development Services, 200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702, (208) 287-7900.

Child Care License

Idaho draws this line more sharply than most states: care for six children or fewer needs no state license at all, and may be registered voluntarily if the provider chooses, at $100. Cross to seven and licensing becomes mandatory as a group daycare facility, at $100 a year; cross to thirteen and it becomes a daycare centre, $250 a year up to twenty-five children or $325 for twenty-six or more. Every licensed category renews on a two-year cycle. A separate, narrower rule catches even unlicensed providers: any family daycare home caring for four or more children must complete a criminal history background check regardless of whether a license is required at all. Operating a group facility or centre above the threshold without a license is a misdemeanour.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Ada County, ID; what each one involves is set out on the Ada County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across ID and are covered on the ID state page.

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Ada County?

The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Conditional Use Application (unincorporated Ada County), Zoning Certificate: Family Daycare Home or Small Home Occupation and Child Care License. A fitness studio needs nothing here that a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Ada County, ID, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Fitness studios1130
Salons and barbers2131
Contractors and trades5134
Auto repair shops1041
Coffee shops3043
Restaurants4044
Retail stores2042
Veterinary clinics1041

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 Ada County permits page and the ID state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Resolution No. 3149, Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department (adopted November 25, 2025), with Exhibit ABoard of Ada County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
  2. Conditional Use Application Checklist (ACC 8-6-15), revised July 30, 2026Ada County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
  3. Permitting DivisionAda County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
  4. Accessory Use Application Checklist (May 12, 2026)Ada County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
  5. Family Daycare Home (ACC 8-4-18) applicationAda County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
  6. Small Home Occupation (ACC 8-4-33) applicationAda County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
  7. IDAPA 16.06.02 — standards for daycare licensing, the seven-child and thirteen-child thresholdsIdaho Department of Health and Welfare · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

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