12 permits · verified 2026-09-14
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Fargo?
In short
A childcare centre in Fargo, ND has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Fargo Fire Department charges $70 per year, per operational permit type for the annual fire operational permit. 4 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Fargo
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Care Inspection (city permit repealed in 2020; inspection retained) | Fargo Fire Department | An initial inspection is $50.00. The first re-inspection is free of charge, and the second, third, fourth and each subsequent re-inspection is $30.00 apiece. A Board of Appeals filing fee of $150.00 applies if an inspection result is challenged. | per inspection; the schedule sets no annual renewal cycle | 2026-09-14 |
| Child Care License | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services | $20–$95 a year, by facility size — family child care $20, group child care $25, preschool $30, a licensed center $40, a multiple licensed program $50 — or nearly double for a two-year license | up to 2 years, at the licensee's choice | 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 Fargo
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Fargo positiononly if it applies to you | City of Fargo Auditor's Office, Licensing Department | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-14 |
| Certificate of Occupancy — 2026 Commercial Fee Schedule Position (Fargo) | City of Fargo Inspections Department | No fee | one-time — issued once final inspections confirm code compliance | 2026-09-14 |
| Annual Fire Operational Permitonly if it applies to you | Fargo Fire Department | $70 per year, per operational permit type | annual | 2026-09-14 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Fargo Inspections Department | Varies — formula on the Fargo page | one-time, per project; expiration not separately stated in the published schedule | 2026-09-14 |
| Conditional Use Permit / Board of Adjustment Varianceonly if it applies to you | City of Fargo Planning and Development Department | Varies — formula on the Fargo page | one-time per application | 2026-09-14 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
ND registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $100 one-time filing, domestic | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Corporation Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $25 a year; late fees escalate to $45 within 90 days and $85 after | annual — domestic corporations due before August 2, foreign corporations before May 16 | 2026-09-04 |
| LLC Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 a year; a late filing adds a further $50 | annual — due before November 16 every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — State of North Dakota positiononly if it applies to you | North Dakota 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 Fargo?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a childcare centre in Fargo, ND, 4 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
4 of the 12 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:
Day Care Inspection (city permit repealed in 2020; inspection retained): An initial inspection is $50.00. The first re-inspection is free of charge, and the second, third, fourth and each subsequent re-inspection is $30.00 apiece. A Board of Appeals filing fee of $150.00 applies if an inspection result is challenged.
Child Care License: $20–$95 a year, by facility size — family child care $20, group child care $25, preschool $30, a licensed center $40, a multiple licensed program $50 — or nearly double for a two-year license
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Fargo permits page and the ND state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Fargo?
Permits for a childcare centre in Fargo, ND come from 6 separate offices: City of Fargo Auditor's Office, Licensing Department, City of Fargo Inspections Department, Fargo Fire Department, City of Fargo Planning and Development Department, North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Fargo Auditor's Office, Licensing DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — City of Fargo position225 4th Street North, Fargo, ND 58102 · (701) 241-1304fargond.gov/city-government/departments/auditors/licensing-department/business-occupational-licensing
- City of Fargo Inspections DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy — 2026 Commercial Fee Schedule Position (Fargo), Commercial Building Permit225 4th Street North, Fargo, ND 58102 · (701) 241-1561fargond.gov/city-government/departments/inspections/commercial-building-permits-fees
- Fargo Fire DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Annual Fire Operational Permit, Day Care Inspection (city permit repealed in 2020; inspection retained)637 Northern Pacific Avenue, Fargo, ND 58102 · (701) 241-1540fargond.gov/city-government/departments/fire/safety-prevention/fire-permits-codes
- City of Fargo Planning and Development DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Conditional Use Permit / Board of Adjustment Variance225 4th Street North, Fargo, ND 58102 · (701) 241-1474fargond.gov/work/planning-development
- North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report, LLC Annual Report600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 108, Bismarck, ND 58505 · (701) 328-2900www.sos.nd.gov/business
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care License600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 325, Bismarck, ND 58505 · (701) 328-2115www.hhs.nd.gov/cfs/early-childhood-services/child-care-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Fargo 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 Fargo: Day Care Inspection (city permit repealed in 2020; inspection retained) and Child Care License.
Day Care Inspection (city permit repealed in 2020; inspection retained)
Fargo no longer permits childcare facilities — it inspects them. Fargo Municipal Code §§13-1102, 13-1103 and 13-1104 are all now 'Reserved,' the annotation recording that 'Ord. No. 5261, § 2, adopted July 27, 2020, repealed § 13-1104, which pertained to a required permit for operation of a child care facility.' What survives in Article 13-11 are substantive operating rules on physical activity, electronic media and beverages rather than a license. Licensing itself sits with North Dakota HHS Early Childhood Licensing. Two City sources point in different directions: the Day Care Inspection Fees schedule is a current City document effective January 1, 2025 and carries Inspections Department letterhead, but the Inspections Department's own page now states that 'The Inspections Department no longer conducts daycare inspections. All questions or requests related to daycare inspections should now be directed to the Fargo Fire Department at 701-241-1540.' This record is filed against the Fire Department because that is where the City directs applicants. The Fire Department's own Fire Permits & Codes page — its Annual Operational Permits table and its Construction Permits table — lists no day care or childcare line, so the fee amounts above are recorded as published by Inspections; ask the Fire Department at 701-241-1540 whether it charges those same amounts. A childcare centre with a kitchen separately needs the Fargo Cass Public Health food license recorded above.
Child Care License
Every facility tier can choose a one- or a two-year license, but the two-year option costs nearly double the annual rate rather than offering a real discount for the longer commitment — a licensed center, for instance, pays $40 for one year or $75 for two. Applying less than 60 days before a current license expires doubles the standard fee, and operating unlicensed after written notice draws a $50-a-day civil penalty.
The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Fargo, ND; what each one involves is set out on the Fargo permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across ND and are covered on the ND state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Fargo?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Day Care Inspection (city permit repealed in 2020; inspection retained) and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Sign Permit, Auto Repair Shop — Fire Operational Permit Applies (Fargo) and Auto Repair Licensing — State of North Dakota position, 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 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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 Fargo permits page and the ND state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Day Care Inspection Fees, effective January 1, 2025 — initial inspection $50.00, first re-inspection no charge, subsequent re-inspections $30.00, Board of Appeals $150.00 filing feeCity of Fargo Inspections Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Fargo Municipal Code Chapter 13 (Health, Sanitation and Welfare), Article 13-03 (Control and Regulation of Food Establishments) — §13-0302, requiring a food establishment license, as repealed and re-enacted in full by Ord. No. 5473, § 1, adopted April 28, 2025: 'No person shall operate a food establishment without first applying for and obtaining a license issued by the public health department. A license shall be issued when a pre-operational inspection has determined that the proposed food establishment and its method of operation will conform to the requirements of this chapter. A license, once issued, is nontransferable. The initial application for a license shall extend from the date of issuance until year-end. Thereafter, the food establishment license may be renewed annually on January 1. All food establishments shall pay an annual license fee in an amount to be established by resolution of the board of city commissioners, said fee payable prior to January 1st of each year.' As re-enacted in 2025, the ordinance leaves the fee to a resolution of the Board of City Commissioners rather than fixing it in the ordinance. Also carries the repeal annotation at §13-1104 recording that Ord. No. 5261 removed the childcare permit in 2020.City of Fargo · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- North Dakota Century Code section 50-11.1-03 — child care license fee schedule by facility type and by one- or two-year termNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · 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.