10 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in New Orleans?
In short
A childcare centre in New Orleans, LA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits charges $190 flat, for a home-based business, a construction trailer, or a change of use where no work is required; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for a phased project is $60 per residential unit or $125 per commercial unit instead for the certificate of use and occupancy. 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in New Orleans
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational License Tax — Retail Dealers in Merchandise, Services and Rentals | City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue, Department of Finance | $50–$6,200 a year, by gross receipts bracket under Table 1 | annual — computed on the prior year's gross receipts, due January 1, payable by March 1 | 2026-09-08 |
| Conditional Use Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Orleans City Planning Commission | $1,160–$4,640 by building size — $1,160 up to 4,999 sq ft, $2,320 for 5,000–24,999, $3,480 for 25,000–74,999, $4,640 for 75,000 and above; a multi-family or townhouse project is $500 to $700 instead | one-time, per application | 2026-09-08 |
| Child Care License | Louisiana Department of Education, Early Childhood Division | $25–$250 a year, banded by licensed capacity | annual | 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 New Orleans
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits | Varies — formula on the New Orleans page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Fire Inspection and Plan Review | New Orleans Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division | Varies — formula on the New Orleans page | annual unless otherwise stated | 2026-09-08 |
| Certificate of Use and Occupancy | City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits | $190 flat, for a home-based business, a construction trailer, or a change of use where no work is required; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for a phased project is $60 per residential unit or $125 per commercial unit instead | one-time, per issuance | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
LA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division | $75 one-time filing — rising to $95 from 1 October 2026 | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division | $30 a year for an LLC or a corporation, rising to $35 from 1 October 2026; a nonprofit's is $10 | annual, within thirty days of the entity's own renewal date | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Louisiana Position (geauxBIZ checklist)only if it applies to you | Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division | $100 one-time filing — rising to $125 from 1 October 2026 | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 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 New Orleans?
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 New Orleans, LA, 5 apply to every business of this type and 5 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $190.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 10 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:
Occupational License Tax — Retail Dealers in Merchandise, Services and Rentals: $50–$6,200 a year, by gross receipts bracket under Table 1
Conditional Use Permit: $1,160–$4,640 by building size — $1,160 up to 4,999 sq ft, $2,320 for 5,000–24,999, $3,480 for 25,000–74,999, $4,640 for 75,000 and above; a multi-family or townhouse project is $500 to $700 instead
Child Care License: $25–$250 a year, banded by licensed capacity
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the New Orleans permits page and the LA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in New Orleans?
Permits for a childcare centre in New Orleans, LA come from 6 separate offices: City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue, Department of Finance, City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits, New Orleans Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division, City of New Orleans City Planning Commission, Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division, Louisiana Department of Education, Early Childhood Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue, Department of FinanceIssues 1 permit on this page: Occupational License Tax — Retail Dealers in Merchandise, Services and Rentals1300 Perdido Street, Room 1W15, New Orleans, LA 70112www.nola.gov
- City of New Orleans Department of Safety and PermitsIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Certificate of Use and Occupancynola.gov
- New Orleans Fire Department, Fire Prevention DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Inspection and Plan Review317 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 · (504) 658-4700nola.gov
- City of New Orleans City Planning CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Conditional Use Permitnola.gov/conditional-use-request
- Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report, General Business License — Louisiana Position (geauxBIZ checklist), Articles of Organization (LLC)8585 Archives Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 · (225) 925-4704www.sos.la.gov/business-services/forms-fee-schedule
- Louisiana Department of Education, Early Childhood DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care License1201 North 3rd Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 · (225) 342-9905doe.louisiana.gov/early-childhood/child-care-facility-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in New Orleans 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 New Orleans: Child Care License.
Child Care License
Licensing moved out of the family services department into the education department, and the fee scales in four clean steps by capacity: $25 for a centre caring for fifteen or fewer children, $100 for sixteen to fifty, $175 for fifty-one to a hundred, and $250 for anything larger. The threshold for needing a license at all is precise — a facility caring for seven or more children who are not related to the caregiver needs one; fewer than that falls outside licensing entirely. Statute expressly forbids raising these fees without further legislative authorisation, so they cannot simply be adjusted by rule.
Shared with other businesses in New Orleans
- Occupational License Tax — Retail Dealers in Merchandise, Services and Rentals — City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue, Department of Finance, $50–$6,200 a year, by gross receipts bracket under Table 1, annual — computed on the prior year's gross receipts, due January 1, payable by March 1. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
- Conditional Use Permit — City of New Orleans City Planning Commission, $1,160–$4,640 by building size — $1,160 up to 4,999 sq ft, $2,320 for 5,000–24,999, $3,480 for 25,000–74,999, $4,640 for 75,000 and above; a multi-family or townhouse project is $500 to $700 instead, one-time, per application. Also required for restaurants, salons and barbers, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in New Orleans, LA; what each one involves is set out on the New Orleans permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across LA and are covered on the LA state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in New Orleans?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Sign Permit, Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission Scope and Vehicle Inspection Station Permit, 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 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 8 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Food trucks | 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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the fitness studios page and auto repair shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the New Orleans permits page and the LA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Louisiana Revised Statutes section 17:407.39 — the four-tier annual child care license fee by capacityState of Louisiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Louisiana Administrative Code 28:CLXI.103 — defining a licensable child day care centre as seven or more childrenBoard of Elementary and Secondary Education · 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.