8 permits · verified 2026-10-05
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Westchester County?
In short
A childcare centre in Westchester County, NY has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Westchester County Department of Health charges $300 per inspection of a child day care facility licensed or registered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (§873.2119, Article XXI, Supp. No. 47) for the child day care facility inspection fee. 1 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-05 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Westchester County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Day Care Facility Inspection Fee | Westchester County Department of Health | $300 per inspection of a child day care facility licensed or registered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (§873.2119, Article XXI, Supp. No. 47) | charged per inspection, not as a periodic license term | 2026-10-05 |
| Food Service Establishment Permit (eating place, delicatessen, caterer, commissary, retail bakery) | Westchester County Department of Health | $500–$1,560 per application, non-refundable, by category and seating capacity under §873.2103 (Article XXI, Supp. No. 47). Seating tiers are under 20, 20 to 100, 101 to 200 and 201 or more. Eating place A: $800, $825, $1,185 and $1,560. Eating place B: $600, $625, $925 and $1,175. Eating place C: $500, $525, $685 and $910. Delicatessen: A $675, B $600, C $525. Caterer $650; commissary $525; retail bakery $525. | expires on the date stated on the permit; the renewal application is due at least 60 days before expiry under §873.301 | 2026-10-05 |
| Child Day Care Centre License | New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Care Services | No fee | up to 4 years | 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.
NY registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but a biennial statement is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax Certificate of Authorityonly if it applies to you | New York State Department of Taxation and Finance | No fee — no fee — issued without charge by statute | a specified term of not less than three years, renewable at the Department's discretion | 2026-09-03 |
| Biennial Statementonly if it applies to you | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $9 per filing, every two years | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $200 one-time filing | no expiry, but a biennial statement is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Publication (LLC) | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $50 state filing fee only | one-time, due within 120 days of formation | 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 Westchester County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a childcare centre in Westchester County, NY, 4 apply to every business of this type and 4 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 4 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $350.00. That is a floor, not a total. 1 of the 8 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 Service Establishment Permit (eating place, delicatessen, caterer, commissary, retail bakery): $500–$1,560 per application, non-refundable, by category and seating capacity under §873.2103 (Article XXI, Supp. No. 47). Seating tiers are under 20, 20 to 100, 101 to 200 and 201 or more. Eating place A: $800, $825, $1,185 and $1,560. Eating place B: $600, $625, $925 and $1,175. Eating place C: $500, $525, $685 and $910. Delicatessen: A $675, B $600, C $525. Caterer $650; commissary $525; retail bakery $525.
Which offices issue these permits in Westchester County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Westchester County, NY come from 4 separate offices: Westchester County Department of Health, New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Care Services. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Westchester County Department of HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Child Day Care Facility Inspection Fee, Food Service Establishment Permit (eating place, delicatessen, caterer, commissary, retail bakery)health.westchestercountyny.gov
- New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial CodeIssues 4 permits on this page: Certificate of Incorporation, Biennial Statement, Articles of Organization (LLC), Certificate of Publication (LLC)www.businessexpress.ny.gov
- New York State Department of Taxation and FinanceIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Certificate of Authoritywww.tax.ny.gov/bus/st/register.htm
- New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Care ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Day Care Centre Licenseocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare
What does a childcare centre need in Westchester County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Westchester County: Child Day Care Facility Inspection Fee and Child Day Care Centre License.
Child Day Care Facility Inspection Fee
Under Sanitary Code §873.2119 the fee for an inspection of a child day care facility licensed or registered by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services is $300.00. The county's May 1, 2026 fee sheet lists the same $300 charge. The codification history line printed under §873.2119 does not show the February 19, 2026 amendment that the other Article XXI sections carry, so the $300 figure is taken from the section text and the fee sheet. The charge is per inspection rather than per year.
Child Day Care Centre License
Under New York Social Services Law §390 and 18 NYCRR Part 418-1, which contain no fee provision for a child day care centre license, there is no license fee — unusual against states charging into four figures. No official page states this in words, so no amount is recorded. The license runs up to four years, and from 5 June 2027 that becomes up to six. New York City is a different regime entirely: group child care there is permitted by the city health department under Article 47 of the city Health Code, for a two-year term with a $200 application fee. A centre caring for six or fewer children falls outside this license.
Shared with other businesses in Westchester County
- Food Service Establishment Permit (eating place, delicatessen, caterer, commissary, retail bakery) — Westchester County Department of Health, $500–$1,560 per application, non-refundable, by category and seating capacity under §873.2103 (Article XXI, Supp. No. 47). Seating tiers are under 20, 20 to 100, 101 to 200 and 201 or more. Eating place A: $800, $825, $1,185 and $1,560. Eating place B: $600, $625, $925 and $1,175. Eating place C: $500, $525, $685 and $910. Delicatessen: A $675, B $600, C $525. Caterer $650; commissary $525; retail bakery $525., expires on the date stated on the permit; the renewal application is due at least 60 days before expiry under §873.301. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NY and are covered on the NY state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Westchester County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Day Care Facility Inspection Fee and Child Day Care Centre License. A retail store needs Food Service Establishment Permit, 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 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 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 Westchester County permits page and the NY state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Westchester County Sanitary Code, Chapter 873, Article XXI, Additional Fees (Supp. No. 47)Westchester County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Westchester County Department of Health — environmental health fees effective May 1, 2026Westchester County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- New York Social Services Law section 390 — child day care centre licences valid for up to four yearsNew York State Senate · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.