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11 permits · verified 2026-10-12

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

In short

A childcare centre in Washington County Or, OR has 1 permit that applies to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washington County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Permit Unit charges $23 per alarm site per year (late application or renewal $18; reinstatement $30) for the alarm user permit (sheriff's office). 4 of the 11 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 Washington County Or

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Child Care Facility Sanitation Inspection and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youWashington County Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health ProgramSanitation inspection: certified child care center with infants and toddlers $439, without $353; certified family child care home with infants and toddlers $353, without $266; after-school program $266; Head Start program $311; re-inspection $216. Plan review: center with infants and toddlers $726; center without infants and toddlers $662; after-school program $606.per inspection; an inspection is needed for the initial certification and for each renewal2026-10-12
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 Washington County Or

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Building Permit and Development-Compliance Review (Unincorporated Washington County)only if it applies to youWashington County Department of Land Use & Transportation, Building ServicesVaries — formula on the Washington County Or pageper permit2026-10-12
Home Occupation Permit and Sign Permit (Unincorporated Washington County)only if it applies to youWashington County Department of Land Use & Transportation, Current Planning (Development Review)Varies — formula on the Washington County Or pagehome occupation: subject to annual renewal; sign permit: per permit2026-10-12
Alarm User Permit (Sheriff's Office)only if it applies to youWashington County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Permit Unit$23 per alarm site per year (late application or renewal $18; reinstatement $30)one year; renewed annually2026-10-12

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

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 Washington County Or?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a childcare centre in Washington County Or, OR, 1 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 11 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 Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review: Sanitation inspection: certified child care center with infants and toddlers $439, without $353; certified family child care home with infants and toddlers $353, without $266; after-school program $266; Head Start program $311; re-inspection $216. Plan review: center with infants and toddlers $726; center without infants and toddlers $662; after-school program $606.

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 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington County Or permits page and the OR state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Washington County Or?

Permits for a childcare centre in Washington County Or, OR come from 7 separate offices: Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation, Building Services, Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Program, Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation, Current Planning (Development Review), Washington County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Permit Unit, 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 Washington County Or 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 Washington County Or: Child Care Facility Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review and Certified Child Care Centre License.

Child Care Facility Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review

Child care centers and certified family homes in Washington County get their sanitation inspection and plan review from the county Environmental Health Program. OAR 414-305-0130(6)(b) requires approval by a registered environmental health specialist with an initial, change-of-owner or change-of-address application for a certified child care center or a floor-plan change, and 414-305-0130(7)(a) requires written environmental health specialist approval for renewal. The county's Sanitation Inspection page describes the process: send the state's sanitation inspection form and 'the correct fee for your type of facility' to Washington County Environmental Health, 155 N. First Ave., MS-5, Hillsboro, and an environmental health specialist calls to schedule a five-day inspection window. The fees are from the Child Care Facility Services fee sheet (REV 7/2026, effective 1 July 2026 thru 30 June 2027), matching the FY 2026-27 Adopted Fee Schedule (Resolution and Order No. 26-57): inspection $439 (center with infants and toddlers), $353 (center without), $353 (family home with infants and toddlers), $266 (family home without), $266 (after-school program), $311 (Head Start), re-inspection $216; plan review $726, $662 and $606 for a center with infants and toddlers, a center without, and an after-school program.

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 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington County Or, OR; what each one involves is set out on the Washington County Or 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 Washington County Or?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Facility Sanitation Inspection and Plan Review 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 Washington County Or, OR, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops5025
Contractors and trades1021
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks6026
Restaurants7027
Retail stores1021
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 Washington County Or permits page and the OR state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Child Care Facility Services fees, effective July 1, 2026 thru June 30, 2027 (REV 7/2026)Washington County Environmental Health Program · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Washington County Adopted Fee Schedule, Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (Resolution and Order No. 26-57, adopted 16 June 2026; effective 1 July 2026)Washington County, Oregon · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Washington County Environmental Health, Sanitation Inspection page (child care centers and certified family homes)Washington County Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. Washington County Environmental Health, Child Care Sanitation pageWashington County Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  5. OAR 414-305-0130, Certified Child Care Centers (application and renewal requirements)Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  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.