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15 permits · verified 2026-10-21

What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Johnston County Nc?

In short

A childcare centre in Johnston County Nc, NC has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Johnston County Building Inspections Department charges $75 per change, building fee, per the Johnston County Building Inspections fee page, headed 'Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2024': 'Change of Use: $75.00 Building' and 'Tenant Change: $75.00 Building' for the change of use / tenant change permit. 9 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-21 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Johnston County Nc

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Child Care Center Sanitation Inspection and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youJohnston County Environmental Health DepartmentNo feeplan review once, before construction; sanitation inspections 'twice each fiscal year, and one time in each six-month period'2026-10-21
Child Care Centre LicenseNorth Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education$52–$600 a year, banded by licensed capacitythe fee is annual; the license itself remains valid until the state says otherwise2026-09-03

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 Johnston County Nc

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Sign Permit (zoning and building/electrical)only if it applies to youJohnston County Planning and ZoningVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pageper sign2026-10-21
Commercial Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youJohnston County Planning and ZoningVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pagesite plan approval is valid for 12 months from the date of approval, per the county's application2026-10-21
Fire Code Inspection of Commercial OccupanciesJohnston County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pagerecurring, on an arranged schedule depending on the occupancy type2026-10-21
On-Site Wastewater (Septic) System Permitonly if it applies to youJohnston County Environmental Health DepartmentVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pageone-time, per permit2026-10-21
Private Well Permitonly if it applies to youJohnston County Environmental Health DepartmentVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pageone-time, per well2026-10-21
Commercial Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Permitsonly if it applies to youJohnston County Building Inspections DepartmentVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pageper project2026-10-21
Change of Use / Tenant Change Permitonly if it applies to youJohnston County Building Inspections Department$75 per change, building fee, per the Johnston County Building Inspections fee page, headed 'Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2024': 'Change of Use: $75.00 Building' and 'Tenant Change: $75.00 Building'per change of use or change of tenant2026-10-21
Non-Residential Land Use (Zoning) Permitonly if it applies to youJohnston County Planning and ZoningVaries — formula on the Johnston County Nc pageper project2026-10-21

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax)North Carolina Department of RevenueNo feeno renewal — but see the dormancy rule2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youNorth Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youNorth Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration DivisionVaries — formula on the NC pageannual — 15 April for an LLC2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youNorth Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
General Business License — North Carolina Secretary of State Positiononly if it applies to youNorth Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration DivisionNo feenot applicable2026-09-03

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 Johnston County Nc?

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 Johnston County Nc, NC, 3 apply to every business of this type and 12 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

9 of the 15 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:

Child Care Centre License: $52–$600 a year, banded by licensed capacity

The other 8 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Johnston County Nc permits page and the NC state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Johnston County Nc?

Permits for a childcare centre in Johnston County Nc, NC come from 7 separate offices: Johnston County Planning and Zoning, Johnston County Fire Marshal's Office, Johnston County Environmental Health Department, Johnston County Building Inspections Department, 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.

What does a childcare centre need in Johnston County Nc 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 Johnston County Nc: Child Care Center Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review and Child Care Centre License.

Child Care Center Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review

A child care center under construction in Johnston County submits equipment specifications and the county's Plan Review Application to the Environmental Health Department before construction begins, and the plan review carries no fee: the county's Plan Review Application for Child Care Centers states 'There is not a fee for this plan review.' The application asks for the completed form, a floor plan drawing of the proposed facility and a proposed menu, submitted in person, by mail or by email. Once open, the center is inspected: the county's child care page states that Environmental Health 'completes sanitation inspections on all child care centers in Johnston County twice each fiscal year, and one time in each six-month period', that all child care centers are licensed by the Division of Child Development, and that the inspections are forwarded to that agency. A score card posted at the center shows its classification, superior, approved, provisional or disapproved, and the demerits noted. A fee for the routine sanitation inspections is not published on the Environmental Health fee page. Contact: Johnston County Environmental Health, 309 E. Market Street, Smithfield, NC 27577, (919) 989-5180.

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 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Johnston County Nc, NC; what each one involves is set out on the Johnston 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 Johnston County Nc?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Center Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review and Child Care Centre License. A auto repair shop needs Safety Inspection Station License and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — North Carolina Position, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Johnston County Nc, NC, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2022
Coffee shops4024
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios3023
Food trucks4024
Restaurants5025
Retail stores3023
Salons and barbers4024
Veterinary clinics1021

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 Johnston County Nc permits page and the NC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Johnston County Plan Review Application for Child Care Centers — 'There is not a fee for this plan review.'Johnston County Environmental Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  2. Child Care Centers | Environmental Health Department — sanitation inspections twice each fiscal year and plan review before construction (page last updated April 5, 2024)Johnston County Environmental Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  3. 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
  4. North Carolina General Statutes section 110-90 — maximum child care licensing fees by capacityNorth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08

Related

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