Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

13 permits · verified 2026-10-01

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

In short

A childcare centre in Montgomery County Pa, PA has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Montgomery County Office of Public Health charges $245 permit fee, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule for the organized camp permit (cmg license). 6 of the 13 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 Montgomery County Pa

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Retail Food Facility (C License)Montgomery County Office of Public Health$155–$700 annual license fee by facility square footage — 1,500 sq ft or less $155; 1,501–2,500 sq ft $325; 2,501–5,000 sq ft $355; 5,001–7,500 sq ft $420; 7,501–10,000 sq ft $520; 10,001–15,000 sq ft $590; 15,001 sq ft or more $700, per the 2026 Fee and Permit ScheduleThe 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule, Chapter 4 (Food Code), Chapter 21, and Chapter 1 do not state the exact length of a license term. OPH's own permitting and licensing page states that current license holders are invoiced to renew approximately 45 days before an expiration date the page does not otherwise state.2026-10-01
Food Facility Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Office of Public HealthRetail food facility plan review, by square footage: 2,000 square feet or less $265, plus $65 for each additional 1 to 200 square feet. Plan review for a food establishment that is not a retail facility is a flat $265, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule.One-time, before opening a new facility or completing a remodel.2026-10-01
Organized Camp Permit (CMG License)only if it applies to youMontgomery County Office of Public Health$245 permit fee, per the 2026 Fee and Permit ScheduleOne calendar year from the date of issuance, unless revoked or suspended, per Chapter 16 §16-12(b): 'The permit shall be valid for one calendar year from date of issuance unless revoked or suspended by the Department.'2026-10-01
Child Care Certificate of CompliancePennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early LearningNo feenot to exceed 12 months from the date of issue2026-09-03

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 Montgomery County Pa

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Inspections, Hauler License, Fill Registry, Re-Use/Redesignonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Office of Public HealthVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Pa pageAnnual, per vehicle, for the Liquid Sewage Hauler License; one-time, per action, for every other fee on this record.2026-10-01
On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Site Evaluation & New/Repair Permitonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Office of Public HealthVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Pa pageOne-time, per application; related inspection fees are billed separately under the companion On-Lot Sewage inspections record here.2026-10-01
Individual Water Supply / Irrigation & Geothermal Well Permitonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Office of Public HealthVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Pa pagePer permit or action.2026-10-01
County Planning Commission (Act 247) Subdivision & Land Development Reviewonly if it applies to youMontgomery County Planning CommissionVaries — formula on the Montgomery County Pa pagePer application.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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$7 per year for a for-profit entityannual2026-09-03
General Business License — Pennsylvania positionPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable OrganizationsNo feeset by the issuing municipality2026-09-03
Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licenseonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of RevenueNo fee — no registration fee5 years, renewed automatically subject to compliance2026-09-03

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 Montgomery County Pa?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a childcare centre in Montgomery County Pa, PA, 3 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.

6 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Retail Food Facility (C License): $155–$700 annual license fee by facility square footage — 1,500 sq ft or less $155; 1,501–2,500 sq ft $325; 2,501–5,000 sq ft $355; 5,001–7,500 sq ft $420; 7,501–10,000 sq ft $520; 10,001–15,000 sq ft $590; 15,001 sq ft or more $700, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule

Food Facility Plan Review: Retail food facility plan review, by square footage: 2,000 square feet or less $265, plus $65 for each additional 1 to 200 square feet. Plan review for a food establishment that is not a retail facility is a flat $265, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County Pa?

Permits for a childcare centre in Montgomery County Pa, PA come from 5 separate offices: Montgomery County Office of Public Health, Montgomery County Planning Commission, 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.

What does a childcare centre need in Montgomery County Pa that other businesses do not?

2 of the 4 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Montgomery County Pa: Organized Camp Permit (CMG License) and Child Care Certificate of Compliance.

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Retail Food Facility (C License)

A retail store selling food (grocery, mini-mart, or convenience-store format) in Montgomery County needs this license from OPH, priced by square footage under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule from $155 for 1,500 square feet or less up to $700 for 15,001 square feet or more. A childcare facility that operates a retail-type food area is also within scope. A retail facility that also offers take-out or sit-down dining pays the higher combined 'CC license' rate, stacking this record's C-license fee with the B- or A-license fee listed separately here. The exact renewal cycle length is not stated in the fee schedule or Chapters 1, 4, or 21 of the Public Health Code; OPH's own permitting and licensing page confirms only that current holders are invoiced to renew about 45 days before an expiration date that is not otherwise published.

Organized Camp Permit (CMG License)

A childcare business in Montgomery County that independently operates as a multi-day organized camp needs this Organized Camp Permit from OPH, priced at $245 under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule and valid for one calendar year from the date of issuance, unless revoked or suspended, per Chapter 16 §16-12(b). This is a narrow scope: an ordinary daytime childcare center that is not an organized, multi-day camp has no obligation under this specific permit, though it may still need the Retail Food Facility License listed separately here if it prepares food on-site.

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 Montgomery County Pa

  • Food Facility Plan Review — Montgomery County Office of Public Health, Retail food facility plan review, by square footage: 2,000 square feet or less $265, plus $65 for each additional 1 to 200 square feet. Plan review for a food establishment that is not a retail facility is a flat $265, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule., One-time, before opening a new facility or completing a remodel.. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Montgomery County Pa, PA; what each one involves is set out on the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Pa?

The closest match is a retail store, which shares 2 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Organized Camp Permit (CMG License) and Child Care Certificate of Compliance. A retail store needs Temporary Food Service License (Special Event), Farmer's Market Vendor Permit, Mass Gathering Permit and 3 more, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Montgomery County Pa, PA, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Retail stores8226
Coffee shops7136
Restaurants9138
Food trucks10139
Auto repair shops0040
Contractors and trades2042
Fitness studios1041
Salons and barbers1041
Veterinary clinics1041

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 food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Montgomery County Pa permits page and the PA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Montgomery County Office of Public Health, 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. Montgomery County Office of Public Health — Permitting & Licensing pageMontgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  3. Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 16, Organized Camps and Campgrounds, revised and adopted March 21, 2025Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  4. 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
  5. 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.