10 permits · verified 2026-10-12
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Shawnee County?
In short
A childcare centre in Shawnee County, KS has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $90 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Shawnee County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Operating Certificate (Shawnee County Health Department) | Shawnee County Health Department, Child Care Licensing | Child care centre, school-age programme and preschool: $100 base fee plus $4 per child of licensed capacity, a year; drop-in programme facility: $200 a year; required child care licensing orientation class: $20 (Shawnee County Code §7-102). Licensed day care homes and group day care homes also need the certificate; contact SCHD Child Care Licensing (785.251.5750) for the amount. Starting care before certification: double the fee (§7-103). | 12 months from the date of initial issuance (§7-97); renewal paperwork and payment due November 15, March 15, June 15 or September 15 for January-March, April-June, July-September or October-December renewals (§7-98) | 2026-10-12 |
| Child Care License | Kansas Office of Early Childhood, Child Care Licensing | No fee | annual renewal, with no state license fee at application or at renewal | 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 Shawnee County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)only if it applies to you | Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department | Varies — formula on the Shawnee County page | per permit; expires if work does not start within 12 months of issue or is suspended or abandoned for 60 days or more | 2026-10-12 |
| Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)only if it applies to you | Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department | Varies — formula on the Shawnee County page | per project | 2026-10-12 |
| On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County, sites not on public sewer)only if it applies to you | Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department | Varies — formula on the Shawnee County page | valid 24 months from the date of issuance (§23-98(2)) | 2026-10-12 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
KS 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 | Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $90 one-time filing | perpetual, but an information report is due every two years | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $85 filed online; $90 on paper | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Corporation Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $53 filed online; $55 on paper | annual — due within three and a half months of the close of the entity's tax year, commonly 15 April | 2026-09-04 |
| LLC Information Reportonly if it applies to you | Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $90 filed online, every two years; $110 on paper | biennial — an entity formed in an even year files in each succeeding even year, and the same pattern holds for odd years | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Kansas Business Portal Positiononly if it applies to you | Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 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 Shawnee County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a childcare centre in Shawnee County, KS, 2 apply to every business of this type and 8 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 10 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 Care Operating Certificate (Shawnee County Health Department): Child care centre, school-age programme and preschool: $100 base fee plus $4 per child of licensed capacity, a year; drop-in programme facility: $200 a year; required child care licensing orientation class: $20 (Shawnee County Code §7-102). Licensed day care homes and group day care homes also need the certificate; contact SCHD Child Care Licensing (785.251.5750) for the amount. Starting care before certification: double the fee (§7-103).
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Shawnee County permits page and the KS state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Shawnee County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Shawnee County, KS come from 4 separate offices: Shawnee County Health Department, Child Care Licensing, Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department, Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Kansas Office of Early Childhood, Child Care Licensing. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Shawnee County Health Department, Child Care LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Operating Certificate (Shawnee County Health Department)785.251.5750www.shawneehealth.org/hd/child_care_licensing.php
- Shawnee County Land Use & Development DepartmentIssues 3 permits on this page: Building Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County), Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County), On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County, sites not on public sewer)Shawnee County North Annex, 1515 NW Saline Street, Topeka, KS 66618 · 785.251.5410www.snco.gov/ludev/permitting_fees.php
- Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report120 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612 · (785) 296-4564sos.ks.gov
- Kansas Office of Early Childhood, Child Care LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care LicenseDocking State Office Building, 915 SW Harrison Street, Suite 320, Topeka, KS 66612 · (785) 296-1270www.koec.ks.gov/providers/child-care-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Shawnee County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Shawnee County: Child Care Operating Certificate (Shawnee County Health Department) and Child Care License.
Child Care Operating Certificate (Shawnee County Health Department)
Shawnee County Code §7-93 states: "This article shall apply to all persons providing child care services in the county," and §7-94 requires a valid county certificate before providing that care; the code names the Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) as the administrative agency. SCHD's Child Care Licensing page states that a provider should hold the state license or temporary permit and a current Shawnee County operating certificate, and that "Both of these documents are required to legally operate a child care facility in Shawnee County." The state license is issued by the Kansas Office of Early Childhood, which took over child care licensing on 1 July 2026; it is a separate state record. Under §7-102 (Res. No. 1999-7 and 2011-7, in the code version current July 20, 2026) the certificate costs $100 plus $4 per child of licensed capacity for a child care centre, school-age programme or preschool, and $200 for a drop-in programme facility, assessed annually; SCHD's New and Renewal application forms (published May 20, 2025) state the same figures and require full payment with the application. Licensed day care homes and group day care homes also need the certificate; SCHD Child Care Licensing (785.251.5750) gives the current amount. Before an application is processed, the provider attends SCHD's monthly orientation; SCHD's page states the registration fee is $20, matching §7-102. The certificate is valid 12 months (§7-97), is not transferable (§7-100), and anyone who starts care before obtaining it pays double the fee (§7-103). Renewal paperwork and payment are due November 15 for January-March renewals, March 15 for April-June, June 15 for July-September and September 15 for October-December (§7-98).
Child Care License
Kansas licenses both family child care homes, capped at twelve children, and larger child care centres, preschools and school-age programmes, as a genuine requirement rather than an optional registration — but the state charges nothing for the license itself. 2025 House Bill 2045 rewrote the fee statute so that, from 1 July 2025, 'there shall be no annual fee for a license to conduct a child care facility', and because that statute's license fee is the one paid when the license is applied for and annually thereafter, the old capacity-based charge of $75 plus $1 a child is gone at application and renewal alike. The same Act moved licensing from the health department to the Kansas Office of Early Childhood on 1 July 2026 and repeats the rule there: for any day care facility, there shall be no annual fee. What still costs money is the background check — the applicant or licensee pays $48 for each fingerprint-based check its owners, staff and adult household members need, a charge the health department resumed on 1 January 2026 and which carries over to the new office as its rule until revised. The Act also lets the office set a fee of up to $35 for an amended license, and keeps a $75 late fee for a license not renewed within 30 days of expiring.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Shawnee County, KS; what each one involves is set out on the Shawnee County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across KS and are covered on the KS state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Shawnee County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Operating Certificate (Shawnee County Health Department) and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Kansas Business Portal 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 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 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 Shawnee County permits page and the KS state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7 (Businesses and Occupations), including Art. IV Child Care and §§7-27 to 7-28 Tobacco ParaphernaliaShawnee County, Kansas (via Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Child Care Licensing pageShawnee County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- New Application for Shawnee County Childcare Licensing CertificateShawnee County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Renewal Application for Shawnee County Childcare Licensing CertificateShawnee County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Kansas Statutes section 65-505, as amended by 2025 House Bill 2045 (L. 2025, ch. 118, § 43) — no annual fee for a license to conduct a child care facilityOffice of Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- 2025 House Bill 2045, enrolled — New Section 18, no license fee for any day care facility under the Kansas Office of Early Childhood from 1 July 2026, and New Section 13, carrying existing rules over to the new officeKansas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Kansas Legislative Research Department — Day Care Licensing and Surveying in Kansas (8 September 2026), confirming the Kansas Office of Early Childhood has run licensing since 1 July 2026Kansas Legislative Research Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment — Child Care Licensing, fees tab: the $48 fingerprint-based background check resumed on 1 January 2026 (Internet Archive capture, 3 June 2026)Kansas Department of Health and Environment · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment — CCL 008, licensing child care in Kansas (revised October 2025), the licence categories and the twelve-child ceiling for a family child care homeKansas Department of Health and Environment · 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.