8 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Indianapolis?
In short
A childcare centre in Indianapolis, IN has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Department of Business and Neighborhood Services charges $215 administrative fee, charged only if the certificate is not filed within 14 days of completing work under a building permit for the certificate of completion and compliance. 2 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Indianapolis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Centre License | Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning | $2 per licensed child capacity for a centre; the statute's fee list names no license fee for a child care home, which pays up to $25 for its annual inspection | 3 years for a centre, 2 for a home | 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 Indianapolis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Completion and Compliance | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | $215 administrative fee, charged only if the certificate is not filed within 14 days of completing work under a building permit | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Commercial Building Permit (Class 1) | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | Varies — formula on the Indianapolis page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
IN registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paper | no expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Entity Reportonly if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $32 every two years online; $50 on paper — a nonprofit pays $22 online or $20 on paper | biennial — due on the month and day the business was formed | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paper | no expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Registered Retail Merchant Certificate | Indiana Department of Revenue | $25 one-time, per place of business; renewal is free | 2 years, renewed automatically at no cost | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — State of Indiana Positiononly if it applies to you | Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 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 Indianapolis?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a childcare centre in Indianapolis, IN, 4 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.
Of the 4 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $240.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 8 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 Centre License: $2 per licensed child capacity for a centre; the statute's fee list names no license fee for a child care home, which pays up to $25 for its annual inspection
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Indianapolis permits page and the IN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Indianapolis?
Permits for a childcare centre in Indianapolis, IN come from 4 separate offices: Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Indiana Department of Revenue, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Department of Business and Neighborhood ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Completion and Compliance, Commercial Building Permit (Class 1)200 E. Washington Street, Suite 1041, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (317) 327-8700www.indy.gov/activity/commercial-development-permits
- Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Business Entity Report, Articles of Organization (LLC), General Business License — State of Indiana Position302 West Washington Street, Room E018, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (317) 234-9768inbiz.in.gov
- Indiana Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Registered Retail Merchant Certificate100 North Senate Avenue, Room N105, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (317) 232-2240www.in.gov/dor/i-am-a/business-corp/sales-tax
- Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School LearningIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Centre License402 West Washington Street, Room W362, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · (877) 511-1144www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/become-a-child-care-provider
What does a childcare centre need in Indianapolis that other businesses do not?
1 of the 1 permit particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Indianapolis: Child Care Centre License.
Child Care Centre License
A centre's fee is a formula rather than a number — two dollars per licensed child capacity, so a sixty-child centre pays $120. Indiana Code section 12-17.2-2-2 lists every processing fee the division may charge, and that list names no license fee for a child care home: a home's only listed charges are an application packet of up to $5 and an annual inspection fee of up to $25. Under sections 12-17.2-4-12 and 12-17.2-5-12 a centre's license lasts three years and a home's two. A registered child care ministry pays $100 in all — $50 to the division and $50 to the state fire marshal, each for processing its registration. The statute says the division may charge the centre fee rather than must, so ask the division what it currently collects when applying.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Indianapolis, IN; what each one involves is set out on the Indianapolis permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IN and are covered on the IN state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Indianapolis?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Centre License. A auto repair shop needs Sign Permit (Improvement Location Permit), Fire and Life Safety Inspection and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — State of Indiana Position, 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 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
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 Indianapolis permits page and the IN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Indiana Code sections 12-17.2-2-2, 12-17.2-4-12 and 12-17.2-5-12 — the complete child care fee list and the license termsIndiana General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Indiana FSSA — comparison matrix of child care programme types and renewal periodsIndiana Family and Social Services Administration · 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.