27 permits · verified 2026-09-30
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Forsyth County Nc?
In short
A childcare centre in Forsyth County Nc, NC has 11 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 16 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division charges $150 per inspection, county-only, set by Forsyth County Code § 7-18(a) and printed at the same amount on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County INSPECTION FEES list dated April 2026 for the day care / adult day care / family group home facility inspection. 21 of the 27 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-30 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Forsyth County Nc
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Centre Sanitation Plan Review and Approval | Forsyth County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health | The Environmental Health block of the Forsyth County Public Health FY 26-27 Fee Schedule carries no child care line item, so no fee for child care centre sanitation plan review and approval is published in it. Contact Forsyth County Environmental Health on (336) 703-3225 for the amount charged. The separate $150.00 day care facility inspection charged by the joint Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division under Forsyth County Code § 7-18(a) is a different charge and is listed separately. | before construction, and again before construction of changes to building dimensions, kitchen specifications or other modifications to an existing centre; the county lists day cares among the establishments it inspects routinely | 2026-09-30 |
| Day Care / Adult Day Care / Family Group Home Facility Inspection | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | $150 per inspection, county-only, set by Forsyth County Code § 7-18(a) and printed at the same amount on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County INSPECTION FEES list dated April 2026 | per inspection, carried out when a facility is established and on the inspection cycle the Inspections Division applies to it | 2026-09-30 |
| Child Care Centre License | North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education | $52–$600 a year, banded by licensed capacity | the fee is annual; the license itself remains valid until the state says otherwise | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Forsyth County Nc
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erosion Control, Watershed and Stormwater Permitsonly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | per permit for the erosion control and watershed permits; the stormwater control inspection recurs annually for as long as the control structure is in place | 2026-09-30 |
| On-site Wastewater (Septic) Evaluation and Construction Authorisationonly if it applies to you | Forsyth County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time per project; a revisit is charged at $64.00 each time a further visit is needed and a redraw of the improvement permit or construction authorisation at $43.00 | 2026-09-30 |
| Non-residential Building Plan Review | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per project, before the building permit is issued; a project that is redesigned and resubmitted is reviewed again | 2026-09-30 |
| Non-residential Building Permit (work valued over $50,000) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per permit, for the permitted scope of work; a temporary certificate of occupancy and any extra inspection trips are separate charges | 2026-09-30 |
| Commercial Electrical Permit (service change, reconnect and HVAC units) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per permitted electrical work; temporary current permits cover the construction period | 2026-09-30 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | per temporary certificate, for the limited period the Inspections Division allows before the work is completed and a final certificate issues | 2026-09-30 |
| Commercial Building Evaluationonly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | $250 per evaluation, county-only, set by Forsyth County Code § 7-18(a) and printed at the same amount on the April 2026 INSPECTION FEES list | per evaluation, carried out on request before a building is taken into use | 2026-09-30 |
| Foundation-only Permit and Stand-alone Parking Lot Permitonly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time; a foundation-only permit covers the foundation work while the building permit for the superstructure follows | 2026-09-30 |
| Home Occupation Permitonly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | per permit, for the home occupation as approved; a change in the occupation or the premises calls for a new approval | 2026-09-30 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per sign permitted; a later change of panel or face is a further permit | 2026-09-30 |
| Floodplain Structure Permit and Floodplain Letteronly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per project for the floodplain permit and per letter for the floodplain determination | 2026-09-30 |
| Fire Plan Review by the Joint Inspections Divisiononly if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time per submittal; a revised design resubmitted for review is reviewed again | 2026-09-30 |
| Forsyth County Fire Annual Inspection and Re-inspections | Forsyth County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | annual, with re-inspection charges arising only where a violation is not corrected; the fine schedule on the same page runs from $50.00 per item for a general Fire Code violation to $200.00 per door for a locked or blocked exit | 2026-09-30 |
| Private Water Supply Well Construction, Abandonment and Samplingonly if it applies to you | Forsyth County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time per permit; sampling charges arise per sample, and a well that is taken out of service needs the $176.00 abandonment permit | 2026-09-30 |
| Non-residential Mechanical Permit (heating, cooling, ductwork and gas) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per unit, duct system or gas outlet installed or replaced | 2026-09-30 |
| Non-residential Plumbing Permit (itemised fixtures, sewers and medical gas) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time, per fixture, run or outlet installed or replaced | 2026-09-30 |
| Zoning Permit and Commercial Zoning Review | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | per permit; a change in the use, the tenant or the site plan calls for a further zoning approval | 2026-09-30 |
| Zoning Board of Adjustment Application (variance, special use permit, appeal)only if it applies to you | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | per application; a special use permit renewal is a further application on its own line, and an approval runs with the use as the Board's decision provides | 2026-09-30 |
| Forsyth County Fire Department Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Forsyth County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal | Varies — formula on the Forsyth County Nc page | one-time per submittal, with a performance test priced separately at $60.00 | 2026-09-30 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
NC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax) | North Carolina Department of Revenue | No fee | no renewal — but see the dormancy rule | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | Varies — formula on the NC page | annual — 15 April for an LLC | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — North Carolina Secretary of State Positiononly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | No fee | not applicable | 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 Forsyth County Nc?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 27 records listed for a childcare centre in Forsyth County Nc, NC, 11 apply to every business of this type and 16 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 11 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 21 of the 27 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 Centre Sanitation Plan Review and Approval: The Environmental Health block of the Forsyth County Public Health FY 26-27 Fee Schedule carries no child care line item, so no fee for child care centre sanitation plan review and approval is published in it. Contact Forsyth County Environmental Health on (336) 703-3225 for the amount charged. The separate $150.00 day care facility inspection charged by the joint Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division under Forsyth County Code § 7-18(a) is a different charge and is listed separately.
Child Care Centre License: $52–$600 a year, banded by licensed capacity
The other 19 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Forsyth County Nc permits page and the NC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Forsyth County Nc?
Permits for a childcare centre in Forsyth County Nc, NC come from 6 separate offices: Forsyth County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division, Forsyth County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal, North Carolina Department of Revenue, North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education, North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Forsyth County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental HealthIssues 3 permits on this page: Child Care Centre Sanitation Plan Review and Approval, On-site Wastewater (Septic) Evaluation and Construction Authorisation, Private Water Supply Well Construction, Abandonment and Sampling799 N. Highland Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 · 336-703-3225www.co.forsyth.nc.us/publichealth/environmentalhealth/default.aspx
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections DivisionIssues 16 permits on this page, including Erosion Control, Watershed and Stormwater Permits, Day Care / Adult Day Care / Family Group Home Facility Inspection, Non-residential Building Plan ReviewBryce A. Stuart Municipal Building, Suite 328, 100 East First Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 · 336-727-2624www.cityofws.org/343/Inspections-Division
- Forsyth County Fire Department, Office of the Fire MarshalIssues 2 permits on this page: Forsyth County Fire Annual Inspection and Re-inspections, Forsyth County Fire Department Plan Review3000 Aviation Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27105 · 336-703-2550www.co.forsyth.nc.us/emergencyservices/fire/permit.aspx
- North Carolina Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax)PO Box 25000, Raleigh, NC 27640-0640 · (877) 252-3052www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/sales-and-use-tax/sales-and-use-tax-registration
- North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early EducationIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Centre License2201 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2200 · (919) 814-6300ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — North Carolina Secretary of State Position2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2903 · (919) 814-5400www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration
What does a childcare centre need in Forsyth County Nc that other businesses do not?
3 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Forsyth County Nc: Child Care Centre Sanitation Plan Review and Approval, Day Care / Adult Day Care / Family Group Home Facility Inspection and Child Care Centre License.
Child Care Centre Sanitation Plan Review and Approval
15A NCAC 18A .2802(a) provides that construction plans drawn to scale and specifications for a new child care center that is not a chain or franchise child care center shall be submitted by the operator or the operator's designee to the local health department that serves the county in which the child care center is located for review and approval prior to initiating construction — in Forsyth County, the Division of Environmental Health. The same rule continues, and this part is easy to miss: plans drawn to scale and specifications for changes to building dimensions, kitchen specifications, or other modifications to existing child care centers, including chain or franchise child care centers, shall also be submitted to the local health department for review and approval prior to initiating construction. So an established franchise centre reworking a kitchen goes to the county even though its original prototype plans went to the State; only prototype chain or franchise plans are reviewed in Raleigh. The rule's authority is G.S. 110-91 and G.S. 110-92, and Forsyth County Environmental Health lists day cares among the establishments it inspects. No fee for this review is published on the county's FY 26-27 Fee Schedule, whose Environmental Health block carries no child care line, so the amount should be confirmed with Environmental Health on (336) 703-3225 before applying. This county sanitation role sits alongside, not instead of, the operating license a centre needs from the NC DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education, and a centre with a kitchen also meets the food establishment records on this page while one on a non-sewered site meets the septic record.
Day Care / Adult Day Care / Family Group Home Facility Inspection
This is one of the few Inspections Division charges that is written into Forsyth County's own ordinance rather than only appearing on the joint department's list, which is why it can be published without qualification: Forsyth County Code § 7-18(a) reads 'Inspection of day care/adult day care/family group home facility …..$150.00', and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County INSPECTION FEES list dated April 2026 prints the same $150.00. A childcare business in Forsyth County therefore meets two separate county-level inspections with two different agencies and two different purposes: this building-side facility inspection by the joint Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division at $150.00, and the sanitation plan review and routine sanitation inspection by Forsyth County Environmental Health under 15A NCAC 18A .2800, listed separately. The Inspections Division describes itself as a City-County agency responsible for reviewing and inspecting building and zoning related activities throughout Forsyth County with the exception of the town and city limits of High Point, Kernersville and King, so a centre inside those three municipalities deals with that municipality's own inspections department instead. The division acts as the county's inspection department under Forsyth County Code §§ 7-1, 7-9 and 7-15 and an agreement approved by both the Winston-Salem City Council and the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. Neither this charge nor the Environmental Health one is the operating license, which comes from the NC DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education. Contact: Suite 328, 100 East First Street, Winston-Salem, (336) 727-2624.
Child Care Centre License
Four bands — $52 up to twelve children, $187 to fifty, $375 to a hundred and $600 above that — and the division charges exactly the statutory maximum in every one, so the bands cannot move without an act of the legislature. A family child care home pays the same $52 as the smallest centre. Banding is on the licensed capacity printed on the license rather than on how many children actually attend, measured on 1 October, with invoices emailed in early November and payable online only, in full. Religious-sponsored facilities operating under a letter of compliance are exempt, as are state, public school and community college facilities. Non-payment can revoke the license, on top of a ten per cent late fee and interest. The license itself does not expire — only a temporary license does, after six months.
The other 19 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Forsyth County Nc, NC; what each one involves is set out on the Forsyth County Nc permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NC and are covered on the NC state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Forsyth County Nc?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Centre Sanitation Plan Review and Approval, Day Care / Adult Day Care / Family Group Home Facility Inspection and Child Care Centre License. A auto repair shop needs Zoning, DMV and ABC Compliance Letter, Forsyth County Air Quality Permit, Paint Stripping and Surface Coating Notifications to the County and 2 more, 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 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Coffee shops | 16 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 8 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Restaurants | 15 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Forsyth County Nc permits page and the NC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Forsyth County Public Health FY 26-27 Fee Schedule — 11 pages, column header 'FY 26-27 Fee', last modified June 23, 2026, covering the Environmental Health plan review, pool, tattoo, septic and well line itemsForsyth County Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- 15A NCAC 18A — Environmental Health rules, including .2510 (an operation permit for each public swimming pool, valid no more than 12 months, applied for annually), .2511(a) (inspection once during operation for pools open April 1 to October 31 and at least twice a year for all others) and .2802(a) (child care centre construction plans and modification plans to the local health department)North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Forsyth County Environmental Health — the division's own programme list: food and lodging establishments, day cares, schools, institutions, tattoo parlors, pools, wells, on-site sewage and vector controlForsyth County Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Forsyth County Public Health Publications — the county page that publishes the FY26-27 Fee Schedule under Forsyth County HHS branding with the footer 'Copyright © 2026 Forsyth County, North Carolina'Forsyth County Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Forsyth County Code Chapter 7, Buildings and Building Regulations — Ord. No. 05-2019 adopted October 10, 2019 amending the chapter in its entirety, current in Supplement 68 (content updated December 15, 2025), containing the county's own fee tables at §§ 7-18, 7-38, 7-52 and 7-101 and the joint-department designations at §§ 7-1, 7-9, 7-15, 7-37, 7-50 and 7-100Forsyth County, North Carolina (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County INSPECTION FEES, dated April 2026 on every page — the joint department's published list of building, trade, zoning, Board of Adjustment, fire plan review, floodplain, watershed, erosion control and sign feesWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning and Development Services, Inspections Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division — 'a City-County agency responsible for reviewing and inspecting building and zoning related activities throughout Forsyth County, with the exception of the town/city limits of High Point, Kernersville and King', enforcing the UDOs of Clemmons, Forsyth County, Lewisville, Walkertown and Winston-SalemCity of Winston-Salem · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education — annual license feeNorth Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- North Carolina General Statutes section 110-90 — maximum child care licensing fees by capacityNorth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
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