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9 permits · verified 2026-09-10

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

In short

A childcare centre in Southaven, MS has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Southaven Building Department charges $35 flat, per Use & Occupancy Permit for the certificate of occupancy / use & occupancy permit. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Southaven

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Family Child Care Home LicenseMississippi State Department of Health, Bureau of Child Care Licensure$130 application fee, plus a $97.50 initial licensure fee; renewal is $97.50annual — a regular license runs no longer than one year2026-09-04

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 Southaven

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire Marshal Inspection (Business Occupancy Checklist)Southaven Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office / Fire Prevention DivisionNo feenot stated2026-09-10
Building Permit (Commercial)City of Southaven Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Southaven pageone-time, per project2026-09-10
Certificate of Occupancy / Use & Occupancy PermitCity of Southaven Building Department$35 flat, per Use & Occupancy Permitone-time, per issuance2026-09-10
Business Privilege LicenseCity of Southaven, Office of the City ClerkVaries — formula on the Southaven pageannual — all Southaven business licenses expire December 31 regardless of issue date; a license obtained between February 1 and December 1 is prorated through that December 312026-09-10

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

MS 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
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youMississippi Secretary of State, Business Services and Regulation DivisionVaries — formula on the MS pageannual — due 15 April; a nonprofit's version is due 15 May2026-09-04
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youMississippi Secretary of State, Business Services and Regulation Division$50 one-time filingperpetual — an annual report is due every year, and for a Mississippi LLC that report is free2026-09-04
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youMississippi Secretary of State, Business Services and Regulation Division$50 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report costing $25 is due every year2026-09-04
General Business License — State of Mississippi positiononly if it applies to youMississippi Secretary of State, Business Services and Regulation DivisionNo feeset by the city or town2026-09-04

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 Southaven?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a childcare centre in Southaven, MS, 5 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $165.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Southaven?

Permits for a childcare centre in Southaven, MS come from 5 separate offices: Southaven Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office / Fire Prevention Division, City of Southaven Building Department, City of Southaven, Office of the City Clerk, Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services and Regulation Division, Mississippi State Department of Health, Bureau of Child Care Licensure. 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 Southaven 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 Southaven: Family Child Care Home License.

Family Child Care Home License

This is the fee for a facility caring for twelve or fewer children in the operator's own home, the category confirmed directly from the department's own regulation: a $130 application fee, a separate $97.50 initial licensure fee once approved, and the same $97.50 to renew each year. On top of those, a returned cheque costs $50, filing late costs $25, and each set of fingerprints required for a background check costs $50. A larger, centre-scale facility is licensed under the same fee rule (Rule 1.2.4) but a different, capacity-tiered Initial Licensure and Renewal fee, confirmed directly from the department's complete regulation text: $195.00 for a licensed capacity of 13 to 30 children, $260.00 for 31 to 50, $390.00 for 51 to 100, $455.00 for 101 to 150, and $520.00 for 151 or more — each tier paying that same amount again as its annual renewal, on top of the $130 application fee common to every tier. A reinstatement fee of $260.00 also applies at every capacity.

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

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Southaven?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Family Child Care Home License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Code Operational Permit — Repair Garage, Sign Permit and Automotive Repair Licensing — State of Mississippi position, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Southaven, MS, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops3013
Coffee shops3013
Contractors and trades3013
Fitness studios1011
Food trucks3013
Restaurants3013
Retail stores2012
Salons and barbers2012
Veterinary clinics2012

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 Southaven permits page and the MS state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Mississippi Administrative Code title 15, part 11, subpart 55, chapter 2 — licensure of child care facilities for twelve or fewer childrenMississippi State Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  2. Child Care Regulations (Complete), effective February 26, 2026 — Rule 1.2.4 License Fee, the full capacity-tiered Initial Licensure and Renewal fee schedule ($97.50 for 12 or fewer, $195.00 for 13-30, $260.00 for 31-50, $390.00 for 51-100, $455.00 for 101-150, $520.00 for 151 or more), plus the $130.00 application fee, $260.00 reinstatement fee, and other fees common to every capacity tierMississippi State Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18

Related

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