8 permits · verified 2026-10-13
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Ramsey County Mn?
In short
A childcare centre in Ramsey County Mn, MN has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person for the articles of incorporation. 3 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-13 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Ramsey County Mn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment License (food service and retail food)only if it applies to you | Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental Health | Annual license fee by class, as the 2026 schedule labels each row: Class A Food Service $1,598; Class B Food Service $1,125; Class C Food Service $941; Class D Food Service High Risk $757; Class D Food Service Med/Low Risk $630; Limited Food Service $432; Seasonal Food Service (per calendar month max. 5) $103; Seasonal Retail Food Service (5 calendar months max) $201; Class A Retail Food $2,216; Class B Retail Food $1,941; Class C Retail Food $1,388; Class D Retail Food $499; Class E Retail Food $289; Class F Retail Food $201. Plan review: Class A, B and C Food Service and Class A, B and C Retail Food $809 each; Class D Food Service, Class D Retail Food, Limited Food Service and Seasonal Food Service $564 each; Class E and Class F Retail Food $281 each; Initial HACCP Review $139; Equipment Review $140; remodeling of less than 50% of floor space 1/2 of the full fee; Pre Licensing Inspection (change of ownership) In-Person Consultation of existing space $248. Re-inspection fee for any licensed establishment failing a follow-up inspection $250. Participation in a food waste diversion program discounts the food establishment license fee by 25%. An initial license is charged 8.33% of the normal fee amount per month remaining in the initial licensing period (this does not apply to special event food stands, seasonal temporary food stands, seasonal food service and mobile food units or food carts). | calendar year, January 1 through December 31 (Food Protection Ordinance §4.04) | 2026-10-13 |
| Family Child Care License (in-home)only if it applies to you | Ramsey County Child Care Licensing | Contact Ramsey County Child Care Licensing at 651-266-3781 for the current licensing fee. | contact Ramsey County Child Care Licensing at 651-266-3781 for the license term | 2026-10-13 |
| Child Care Centre License | Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families | $200–$1,100 a year, banded by licensed capacity, after a $500 application fee | annual — the license expires 31 December | 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.
MN registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person | perpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Minnesota state positiononly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | set by the city | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person | perpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | annual — due by 31 December every year after the year of formation | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax Account | Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration | No fee | valid until cancelled or revoked | 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 Ramsey County Mn?
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 Ramsey County Mn, MN, 2 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
3 of the 8 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:
Food Establishment License (food service and retail food): Annual license fee by class, as the 2026 schedule labels each row: Class A Food Service $1,598; Class B Food Service $1,125; Class C Food Service $941; Class D Food Service High Risk $757; Class D Food Service Med/Low Risk $630; Limited Food Service $432; Seasonal Food Service (per calendar month max. 5) $103; Seasonal Retail Food Service (5 calendar months max) $201; Class A Retail Food $2,216; Class B Retail Food $1,941; Class C Retail Food $1,388; Class D Retail Food $499; Class E Retail Food $289; Class F Retail Food $201. Plan review: Class A, B and C Food Service and Class A, B and C Retail Food $809 each; Class D Food Service, Class D Retail Food, Limited Food Service and Seasonal Food Service $564 each; Class E and Class F Retail Food $281 each; Initial HACCP Review $139; Equipment Review $140; remodeling of less than 50% of floor space 1/2 of the full fee; Pre Licensing Inspection (change of ownership) In-Person Consultation of existing space $248. Re-inspection fee for any licensed establishment failing a follow-up inspection $250. Participation in a food waste diversion program discounts the food establishment license fee by 25%. An initial license is charged 8.33% of the normal fee amount per month remaining in the initial licensing period (this does not apply to special event food stands, seasonal temporary food stands, seasonal food service and mobile food units or food carts).
Family Child Care License (in-home): Contact Ramsey County Child Care Licensing at 651-266-3781 for the current licensing fee.
Child Care Centre License: $200–$1,100 a year, banded by licensed capacity, after a $500 application fee
Which offices issue these permits in Ramsey County Mn?
Permits for a childcare centre in Ramsey County Mn, MN come from 5 separate offices: Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental Health, Ramsey County Child Care Licensing, Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment License (food service and retail food)2785 White Bear Ave. N, Suite 350, Maplewood, MN 55109 · 651-266-1199www.ramseycountymn.gov/businesses/licenses-permits-inspections/licenses-inspections/food-vending
- Ramsey County Child Care LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Family Child Care License (in-home)651-266-3781www.ramseycountymn.gov/businesses/licenses-permits-inspections/licenses-inspections/child-care-licensing
- Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Minnesota state position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Renewal332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · (651) 296-2803www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business RegistrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax Account600 North Robert Street, St Paul, MN 55146 · (651) 282-5225www.revenue.state.mn.us/minnesota-tax-id-requirements
- Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and FamiliesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Centre License444 Lafayette Road North, Saint Paul, MN 55155 · (651) 539-7700dcyf.mn.gov/partners-and-providers/licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Ramsey County Mn that other businesses do not?
2 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Ramsey County Mn: Family Child Care License (in-home) and Child Care Centre License.
Family Child Care License (in-home)
A provider caring for children in a home in Ramsey County applies through the county. The county's Child Care Licensing page states: "Ramsey County licenses family child care in homes and settings other than child care centers, offers training, and monitors child care homes to support the health and safety of children." The page links the licensing process, guidance for unlicensed providers, rules and statutes, variance requests and licensing forms, and lists 651-266-3781 for licensing information. This record covers family child care in homes and other settings that are not child care centers, as the county page describes it.
Child Care Centre License
Get the agency right: child care licensing moved out of the human services department into the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and the governing chapter changed with it, so guidance naming DHS or the old chapter is out of date. A centre pays $500 up front, non-refundable and not prorated, which stands in place of the first year's license fee, and then an annual fee running from $200 up to twenty-four children in ten steps to $1,100 above two hundred and twenty-five. A family or group family child care home pays the state nothing at all — counties license those, and a county may charge at most $50 for a year or $100 for two, and may even deduct it from assistance payments. Non-payment is not an enforcement matter but an expiry one: the license simply lapses on 31 December and the provider must reapply and pay the $500 again. A centre that serves food is also a low-risk food establishment and will hold a food license too.
Shared with other businesses in Ramsey County Mn
- Food Establishment License (food service and retail food) — Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental Health, Annual license fee by class, as the 2026 schedule labels each row: Class A Food Service $1,598; Class B Food Service $1,125; Class C Food Service $941; Class D Food Service High Risk $757; Class D Food Service Med/Low Risk $630; Limited Food Service $432; Seasonal Food Service (per calendar month max. 5) $103; Seasonal Retail Food Service (5 calendar months max) $201; Class A Retail Food $2,216; Class B Retail Food $1,941; Class C Retail Food $1,388; Class D Retail Food $499; Class E Retail Food $289; Class F Retail Food $201. Plan review: Class A, B and C Food Service and Class A, B and C Retail Food $809 each; Class D Food Service, Class D Retail Food, Limited Food Service and Seasonal Food Service $564 each; Class E and Class F Retail Food $281 each; Initial HACCP Review $139; Equipment Review $140; remodeling of less than 50% of floor space 1/2 of the full fee; Pre Licensing Inspection (change of ownership) In-Person Consultation of existing space $248. Re-inspection fee for any licensed establishment failing a follow-up inspection $250. Participation in a food waste diversion program discounts the food establishment license fee by 25%. An initial license is charged 8.33% of the normal fee amount per month remaining in the initial licensing period (this does not apply to special event food stands, seasonal temporary food stands, seasonal food service and mobile food units or food carts)., calendar year, January 1 through December 31 (Food Protection Ordinance §4.04). Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MN and are covered on the MN state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Ramsey County Mn?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Family Child Care License (in-home) and Child Care Centre License. A coffee shop needs Special Event Food Stand / Seasonal Temporary Food Stand License, Certified Food Protection Manager and Food and Beverage Establishment License, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Ramsey County Mn permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Child Care LicensingRamsey County, Minnesota · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Minnesota Statutes section 142B.12 — child care license fees by capacity, and the absence of a fee for family child careMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.