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12 permits · verified 2026-10-09

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

In short

A childcare centre in Multnomah County, OR has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division charges $100 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 6 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Multnomah County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Child Care Facility Health and Sanitation InspectionMultnomah County Health Department, Environmental Health Services2026 inspection fee: child care center for 1-12 children $370; 13-20 children $390; 21 or more children $410; certified family home $385; before- and after-school program $370. Plan review $450.tied to the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care license cycle2026-10-09
Certified Child Care Centre LicenseOregon Department of Early Learning and Care, Child Care Licensing Division$100 plus $2 for each licensed place to open, then $2 a place each year to renew — so a sixty-child centre pays $220 then $120annual for a certified centre; two years for a registered family home2026-09-03

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 Multnomah County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Multnomah County Business Income Tax (MCBIT) Registration and ReturnCity of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes)Varies — formula on the Multnomah County pageannual; the return is due by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the end of the tax year (MCC 12.510(A))2026-10-09
Preschool for All Personal Income Tax: Employer Withholdingonly if it applies to youCity of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes)Varies — formula on the Multnomah County pageongoing, through payroll2026-10-09
Building Permit for Unincorporated Property (Issued by Portland, Gresham or Troutdale)only if it applies to youCity building permit offices serving unincorporated Multnomah County (Portland, Gresham, Troutdale)Varies — formula on the Multnomah County pageper permit, under the issuing city's rules2026-10-09
Zoning Plan Check and Sign Permit (Unincorporated Multnomah County)only if it applies to youMultnomah County Department of Community Services, Land Use PlanningVaries — formula on the Multnomah County pageper application2026-10-09

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

OR 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
Business Identification Number (payroll)only if it applies to youOregon Department of RevenueNo feeone-time registration, with quarterly reporting after that2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youOregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-03
Corporate Activity Tax Registrationonly if it applies to youOregon Department of RevenueNo feeone-time registration, with annual returns after that2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youOregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youOregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division$100 a year for a domestic entity; $275 for a foreign oneannual — due on the anniversary of the original filing date2026-09-03
General Business License — Oregon position (local, not state)only if it applies to youOregon Secretary of State, Corporation DivisionNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-03

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 Multnomah County?

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 Multnomah County, OR, 3 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 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:

Child Care Facility Health and Sanitation Inspection: 2026 inspection fee: child care center for 1-12 children $370; 13-20 children $390; 21 or more children $410; certified family home $385; before- and after-school program $370. Plan review $450.

Certified Child Care Centre License: $100 plus $2 for each licensed place to open, then $2 a place each year to renew — so a sixty-child centre pays $220 then $120

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Multnomah County permits page and the OR state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Multnomah County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Multnomah County, OR come from 7 separate offices: City of Portland Revenue Division (administering Multnomah County taxes), City building permit offices serving unincorporated Multnomah County (Portland, Gresham, Troutdale), Multnomah County Department of Community Services, Land Use Planning, Multnomah County Health Department, Environmental Health Services, Oregon Department of Revenue, Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, Child Care Licensing Division, Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation 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 Multnomah County 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 Multnomah County: Child Care Facility Health and Sanitation Inspection and Certified Child Care Centre License.

Child Care Facility Health and Sanitation Inspection

The county's Child and Adult Care Facility Inspections page states that Multnomah County Environmental Health 'provides health, safety and sanitation inspections to child care centers, family homes and residential treatment centers in Multnomah County', that licenses are issued by Oregon's Department of Early Learning and Care, and that a provider applying for or renewing a license is notified that it needs an inspection from the county. The page directs providers to send a completed Child Care Inspection Request Form with the fee at least 30 days before the license expires. The fee figures are the 2026 figures in the FY 2026 County Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-043); the 2026 schedule is in effect through 31 December 2026. Resolution 2026-039, adopted 4 June 2026, sets the fees from 1 January 2027: centers $395 (1-12 children), $415 (13-20) and $435 (21 or more); certified family homes $410; before- and after-school programs $395.

Certified Child Care Centre License

The fee scales with capacity and has no ceiling, so it grows in a straight line — $220 to open a sixty-child centre and $120 a year afterwards, $300 and $200 for a hundred children. There are three license types rather than two: a certified centre on this annual capacity-scaled fee; a certified family child care home for up to sixteen children, also annual; and a registered family child care home in the provider's own residence for up to ten children, of whom at most six may be preschool age and at most two under two years, which runs two years for a flat $30 and may be reduced for applicants below the federal poverty level. The fee is the small part of the cost. Before a license issues you need a fire marshal inspection, a county environmental health inspection, a floor plan review, lead testing of the drinking water with fixtures retested every six years, and background registry enrolment for every member of staff. Apply at least forty-five days before opening, and renew at least thirty days before expiry to count as timely.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Multnomah County, OR; what each one involves is set out on the Multnomah County permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across OR and are covered on the OR state page.

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Multnomah County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Facility Health and Sanitation Inspection and Certified Child Care Centre License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop — Oregon license directory position, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Multnomah County, OR, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops6026
Contractors and trades1021
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks7027
Restaurants6026
Retail stores4024
Salons and barbers1021
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 Multnomah County permits page and the OR state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Multnomah County FY 2026 Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-043, adopted 12 June 2025)Multnomah County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  2. Multnomah County FY 2027 Fee Schedule (adopted by Resolution 2026-039)Multnomah County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  3. Multnomah County Resolution 2026-039, adopting the FY 2027 fee schedule (adopted 4 June 2026)Multnomah County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  4. Multnomah County Code Chapter 21, HealthMultnomah County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  5. Child and Adult Care Facility InspectionsMultnomah County Health Department, Environmental Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
  6. Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care — certified child care centre licensing and its capacity-scaled feeOregon Department of Early Learning and Care · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  7. Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care — registered family child care home, $30 for a two-year licenseOregon Department of Early Learning and Care · 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.