9 permits · verified 2026-10-01
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Lancaster County Pa?
In short
A childcare centre in Lancaster County Pa, PA 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. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations charges $125 one-time filing for the articles of incorporation. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-01 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Lancaster County Pa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Facility License | Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services | $14–$300 annual license — new (under 50 seats, owner-operated) $103; new (all other facilities) $241; change of ownership $82; annual renewal $82; duplicate license $14; 2nd follow-up inspection $150; 3rd or subsequent follow-up inspection $300; courtesy inspection $150; remodel plan review no charge | annual | 2026-10-01 |
| Child Care Certificate of Compliance | Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning | No fee | not to exceed 12 months from the date of issue | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Lancaster County Pa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol — Local-Option Dry/Wet Status by Municipalityonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board | No fee | not applicable at the county level; the underlying dry/wet status, and any license, is set by PLCB on its own schedule | 2026-10-01 |
| Erosion & Sediment Control Plan / Chapter 102 / NPDES Permitonly if it applies to you | Lancaster County Conservation District | Varies — formula on the Lancaster County Pa page | per project/permit, not recurring | 2026-10-01 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
PA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | $7 per year for a for-profit entity | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Pennsylvania position | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | No fee | set by the issuing municipality | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licenseonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of Revenue | No fee — no registration fee | 5 years, renewed automatically subject to compliance | 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 Lancaster County Pa?
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 Lancaster County Pa, PA, 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.
2 of the 9 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:
Retail Food Facility License: $14–$300 annual license — new (under 50 seats, owner-operated) $103; new (all other facilities) $241; change of ownership $82; annual renewal $82; duplicate license $14; 2nd follow-up inspection $150; 3rd or subsequent follow-up inspection $300; courtesy inspection $150; remodel plan review no charge
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Lancaster County Pa permits page and the PA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Lancaster County Pa?
Permits for a childcare centre in Lancaster County Pa, PA come from 6 separate offices: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services, Lancaster County Conservation District, Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Pennsylvania Liquor Control BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Alcohol — Local-Option Dry/Wet Status by Municipalitywww.pa.gov/agencies/lcb/licensing/resources-for-licensees/quota-system/wet-and-dry-municipalities
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Retail Food Facility License2301 N. Cameron St, Harrisburg, PA 17110 · 717-787-4315www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-safety/retail-food/retail-food-facilities-and-restaurants
- Lancaster County Conservation DistrictIssues 1 permit on this page: Erosion & Sediment Control Plan / Chapter 102 / NPDES Permit1383 Arcadia Road, Room 200, Lancaster, PA 17601 · (717) 299-5361 ext. 5lancasterconservation.org/fee-schedule
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable OrganizationsIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, General Business License — Pennsylvania positionfile.dos.pa.gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early LearningIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Certificate of Compliancewww.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/for-providers/child-care-for-providers/child-care-regulations
- Pennsylvania Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licensemypath.pa.gov
What does a childcare centre need in Lancaster County Pa 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 Lancaster County Pa: Child Care Certificate of Compliance.
Child Care Certificate of Compliance
No fee — Pennsylvania charges nothing to certify a child care centre, and that is read from the regulation rather than inferred from a blank page: section 20.42 lists the facility types that do pay, child care is not among them, and subsection (b) says no fee is required for anything not listed. Watch one trap in the same section. It contains a capacity-banded fee table of $15 to $50, and that table applies to PERSONAL CARE HOMES, not to child care. Attaching those bands here would be wrong. The certificate runs for no more than twelve months, so it is renewed annually. A centre is seven or more unrelated children, a group home seven to twelve, and a family home four to six — all three are free and all three carry the same twelve-month term.
Shared with other businesses in Lancaster County Pa
- Retail Food Facility License — Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services, $14–$300 annual license — new (under 50 seats, owner-operated) $103; new (all other facilities) $241; change of ownership $82; annual renewal $82; duplicate license $14; 2nd follow-up inspection $150; 3rd or subsequent follow-up inspection $300; courtesy inspection $150; remodel plan review no charge, annual. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Lancaster County Pa, PA; what each one involves is set out on the Lancaster County Pa permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across PA and are covered on the PA state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Lancaster County Pa?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Certificate of Compliance. A coffee shop needs Temporary Food Facility License, Weights & Measures Device Registration (State Program, No Fee), Retail Food Facility License and Food Employee Certification, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lancaster County Pa permits page and the PA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 55 Pa. Code section 20.42 — certificate of compliance fees; no fee is required for a facility not listedPennsylvania Code and Bulletin · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- 55 Pa. Code section 3270.11 — child care certificate of compliance, not to exceed 12 monthsPennsylvania Code and Bulletin · 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.