9 permits · verified 2026-10-12
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Bernalillo County?
In short
A childcare centre in Bernalillo County, NM has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $50 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 6 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Bernalillo County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts) | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection | New food service establishment (restaurant, caterer, convenience store, etc.) $200.00. Renewal: 0.3% (3/10 of 1%) of the previous calendar year's gross receipts, minimum $200.00, maximum $700.00 (example: $75,000 x 0.003 = $225.00). Secondary retail within a permitted facility $200.00; bars/taverns $100.00; mobile unit, self-contained $120.00; mobile unit (non-self-contained) or pushcart $75.00; raw produce or raw seafood vending stand, seasonal non-profit, limited menu snack bar $50.00; institutional kitchen, limited menu $120.00; variance application $50.00 (county Food Establishment Permit Application, effective as of 2023). | annual; renewed by invoice statement after the renewal fee is paid and the most recent inspection shows compliance (Food Code 8-303.20 as amended) | 2026-10-12 |
| Child Care License | New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, Child Care Services Bureau | 8.16.2 NMAC states these fees: $20 to change the director or the licensed capacity; a $25 late fee when a renewal application is postmarked less than 30 days before expiry. The rule requires a non-refundable application fee and a renewal fee without stating their amount. | annual — not to exceed one year | 2026-10-09 |
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 Bernalillo County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Safety Permit and Annual Fire and Life Safety Inspectiononly if it applies to you | Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau | Varies — formula on the Bernalillo County page | one year from date of issuance, unless revoked by the Fire Code Official | 2026-10-12 |
| County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-county | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center | Varies — formula on the Bernalillo County page | one calendar year from the time of application (County Code § 14-36) | 2026-10-12 |
| Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Sign Permits (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center | Varies — formula on the Bernalillo County page | per permit | 2026-10-12 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
NM registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the NM page | perpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-10-09 |
| General Business License — State of New Mexico positiononly if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-10-09 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 one-time filing | perpetual — the LLC fee section lists no annual or biennial report | 2026-10-09 |
| Corporate Biennial Reportonly if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $25 every two years; filing late adds a $200 penalty | biennial — due on or before the 15th day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year | 2026-10-09 |
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 Bernalillo County?
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 Bernalillo County, NM, 3 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
6 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts): New food service establishment (restaurant, caterer, convenience store, etc.) $200.00. Renewal: 0.3% (3/10 of 1%) of the previous calendar year's gross receipts, minimum $200.00, maximum $700.00 (example: $75,000 x 0.003 = $225.00). Secondary retail within a permitted facility $200.00; bars/taverns $100.00; mobile unit, self-contained $120.00; mobile unit (non-self-contained) or pushcart $75.00; raw produce or raw seafood vending stand, seasonal non-profit, limited menu snack bar $50.00; institutional kitchen, limited menu $120.00; variance application $50.00 (county Food Establishment Permit Application, effective as of 2023).
Child Care License: 8.16.2 NMAC states these fees: $20 to change the director or the licensed capacity; a $25 late fee when a renewal application is postmarked less than 30 days before expiry. The rule requires a non-refundable application fee and a renewal fee without stating their amount.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Bernalillo County permits page and the NM state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Bernalillo County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Bernalillo County, NM come from 5 separate offices: Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center, Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection, New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division, New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, Child Care Services Bureau. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Safety Permit and Annual Fire and Life Safety Inspection6840 Second St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107www.bernco.gov/planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/58/2026/08/03-ZCBL-2026.pdf
- Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting CenterIssues 2 permits on this page: County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-county, Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Sign Permits (unincorporated area)415 Silver Ave. SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102 · (505) 314-0350www.bernco.gov/planning/for-business-owners/business-license-registration
- Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health ProtectionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts)415 Silver Ave. SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102 · (505) 314-0310www.bernco.gov/planning/consumer-health-protection/food-safety
- New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — State of New Mexico position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Corporate Biennial Report325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501 · (505) 827-3600www.sos.nm.gov/business-services
- New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, Child Care Services BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care LicensePO Drawer 5619, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5619 · (800) 832-1321www.nmececd.org/child-care-licensing-and-registered-homes
What does a childcare centre need in Bernalillo County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Bernalillo County: Child Care License.
Child Care License
Child care licensing is administered by the Early Childhood Education and Care Department's Child Care Services Bureau; 8.16.2.1 NMAC still names the Children, Youth and Families Department as the issuing agency. Under 8.16.2 NMAC a license grants the right to operate for a period not to exceed one year; a family child care home cares for at least five but no more than six children in a private dwelling, and a group child care home for at least seven but not more than twelve. The rule requires a non-refundable application fee and a renewal fee without stating their amount; it sets $20 for an amended license to change the director or the licensed capacity, and a $25 late fee for a renewal application postmarked less than 30 days before expiry.
Shared with other businesses in Bernalillo County
- Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts) — Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection, New food service establishment (restaurant, caterer, convenience store, etc.) $200.00. Renewal: 0.3% (3/10 of 1%) of the previous calendar year's gross receipts, minimum $200.00, maximum $700.00 (example: $75,000 x 0.003 = $225.00). Secondary retail within a permitted facility $200.00; bars/taverns $100.00; mobile unit, self-contained $120.00; mobile unit (non-self-contained) or pushcart $75.00; raw produce or raw seafood vending stand, seasonal non-profit, limited menu snack bar $50.00; institutional kitchen, limited menu $120.00; variance application $50.00 (county Food Establishment Permit Application, effective as of 2023)., annual; renewed by invoice statement after the renewal fee is paid and the most recent inspection shows compliance (Food Code 8-303.20 as amended). Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Bernalillo County, NM; what each one involves is set out on the Bernalillo County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NM and are covered on the NM state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Bernalillo County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care License. A retail store needs Liquor License: Board of County Commissioners' preliminary approval of a state license, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Bernalillo County permits page and the NM state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- New Mexico Administrative Code 8.16.2 — child care licensing, term and ancillary feesNew Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- New Mexico Administrative Code 8.16.2 (compiled, as amended 1 January 2022) — child care centers, family and group child care homesNew Mexico State Records Center and Archives · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.