15 permits · verified 2026-09-12
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Great Falls?
In short
A childcare centre in Great Falls, MT has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) charges $2,500 one-time, per application for the variance. 5 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Great Falls
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day-Care Home Zoning Preemptiononly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-12 |
| Child Care License | Montana DPHHS, Early Childhood and Family Support Division, Child Care Licensing Program | No fee | up to 3 years | 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 Great Falls
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business License | Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | annual, renewed by the same square-footage tier | 2026-09-12 |
| Fire Life Safety Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-12 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | one-time, per sign — not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-12 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | No fee | one-time — issued after required building inspections confirm code compliance | 2026-09-12 |
| Varianceonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $2,500 one-time, per application | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
| Zoning Permit | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $1,000 one-time, per application (commercial rate; $200.00 for a residential use) | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
| Zoning Determinationonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $500 one-time, per request | one-time, per request | 2026-09-12 |
| Building Permit | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-12 |
| Conditional Use Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $3,000 one-time, per application | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $35 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $35 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the MT page | annual — due between 1 January and 15 April | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidanceonly if it applies to you | Montana 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 Great Falls?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a childcare centre in Great Falls, MT, 5 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 $1,000.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 15 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all.
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Great Falls permits page and the MT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Great Falls?
Permits for a childcare centre in Great Falls, MT come from 4 separate offices: Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR), City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division), Montana DPHHS, Early Childhood and Family Support Division, Child Care Licensing Program, Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR)Issues 2 permits on this page: Business License, Fire Life Safety Plan Review2 Park Drive South, Great Falls, MT 59401 (Civic Center) · (406) 727-8070greatfallsmt.gov/625/Business-Licensing-and-Home-Occupations
- City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division)Issues 8 permits on this page, including Sign Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Variance2 Park Drive South, Room 112, Great Falls, MT 59401 (Civic Center) · (406) 455-8430greatfallsmt.gov/893/Current-Planning
- Montana DPHHS, Early Childhood and Family Support Division, Child Care Licensing ProgramIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care LicensePO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59620 · (406) 444-2012dphhs.mt.gov/ecfsd/childcare/childcarelicensing
- Montana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidance1301 6th Avenue, Room 260, Helena, MT 59620 · (406) 444-3665sosmt.gov/business
What does a childcare centre need in Great Falls 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 Great Falls: Day-Care Home Zoning Preemption and Child Care License.
Day-Care Home Zoning Preemption
76-2-412 MCA makes a licensed family or group day-care home a permitted use in every residential zone in Great Falls, the same as anywhere else in Montana, and the City may not require a Conditional Use Permit to maintain one, so no fee applies. A stand-alone commercial day-care center is not named in this exemption and instead follows the same Business License, Building Permit, and zoning path recorded as separate requirements for any other commercial use of comparable size.
Child Care License
No fee is recorded here because the complete governing rulebook was checked in full and contains no fee, application charge or registration cost anywhere in its text. A child care centre caring for a larger number of children must be licensed; a family or group child care home is instead registered, a related but distinct certificate covering a smaller home-based operation. Either way the certificate runs for up to three years, and renewal must be applied for at least thirty days before it expires.
The other 9 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Great Falls, MT; what each one involves is set out on the Great Falls permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MT and are covered on the MT state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Great Falls?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Day-Care Home Zoning Preemption and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Industry-Specific Municipal License (not found beyond the general Business License) and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Montana Dealer Statute Scope, 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 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 2 | 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Great Falls permits page and the MT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 76-2-412, Montana Code Annotated — Relationship of foster homes...and day-care homes to zoningMontana Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
- Montana DPHHS — licensing requirements for child care centres, ARM title 37, chapter 95Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services · 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.