13 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Nashville Davidson?
In short
A childcare centre in Nashville Davidson, TN has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety charges $55 per use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit has been issued (Metro Code § 16.28.110 E) for the use and occupancy (u&o) permit / certificate of occupancy. 9 of the 13 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 Nashville Davidson
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Establishment Permit (Metro Public Health) | Metro Public Health Department, Food Protection and Public Facilities Division | $30–$360 per permit year (state rule fees): $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51+; auxiliary $100; child care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51+); temporary food service $30 | annual (the rule states each establishment fee 'per year'; the $30 temporary food service fee is stated without a period) | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others)only if it applies to you | Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | Per Metro Code § 10.64.018 as amended by Ordinance BL2026-1328: places of assembly by occupant load — 50–1,000 persons $150; 1,001–5,000 $250; 5,001–20,000 $500; over 20,000 $750. Open flames and candles $151. Repair garages and motor fuel-dispensing facilities $151. Spraying and dipping $151. Hot work operations $151. High-piled storage $151. Day care operation $151. Re-inspection $65. Expedite fee $175 for applications filed fewer than ten business days ahead; at least triple the fee if operations start before the permit. | most operational permits run 12 months or the duration of the event (Fire Marshal's Office permit table) | 2026-10-09 |
| Child Care Agency License | Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Community Services | $100–$500 one-time application, banded by category and capacity | continuous — there is no renewal cycle | 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 Nashville Davidson
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Business Tax License | Davidson County Clerk, Business Tax Division | Varies — formula on the Nashville Davidson page | annual, tied to the state business tax return | 2026-09-05 |
| Use and Occupancy (U&O) Permit / Certificate of Occupancy | Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety | $55 per use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit has been issued (Metro Code § 16.28.110 E) | one-time, per occupancy or change of use | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Building Permit and Plans Examination (Metro Codes) | Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety | Varies — formula on the Nashville Davidson page | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Sign Permit (Metro Codes)only if it applies to you | Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety | Varies — formula on the Nashville Davidson page | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Burglar and Fire Alarm Registration Permitonly if it applies to you | Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the Nashville Davidson page | one year; renewals due on or before the end of the month in which the permit was issued | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TN registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | Varies — formula on the TN page | no expiry, but an annual report on the same per-member scale is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| For-Profit Corporation Charteronly if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a $20 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Standard or Minimal Activity Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | Tennessee Department of Revenue | $15 per jurisdiction per location — charged again by the city if it has enacted the tax | annual for a standard license, renewed free when the tax return is filed | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | Varies — formula on the TN page | annual — due the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year ends | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration | Tennessee Department of Revenue | No fee | no expiry stated | 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 Nashville Davidson?
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 Nashville Davidson, TN, 6 apply to every business of this type and 7 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 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $55.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 of the 13 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 (Metro Public Health): $30–$360 per permit year (state rule fees): $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51+; auxiliary $100; child care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51+); temporary food service $30
Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others): Per Metro Code § 10.64.018 as amended by Ordinance BL2026-1328: places of assembly by occupant load — 50–1,000 persons $150; 1,001–5,000 $250; 5,001–20,000 $500; over 20,000 $750. Open flames and candles $151. Repair garages and motor fuel-dispensing facilities $151. Spraying and dipping $151. Hot work operations $151. High-piled storage $151. Day care operation $151. Re-inspection $65. Expedite fee $175 for applications filed fewer than ten business days ahead; at least triple the fee if operations start before the permit.
Child Care Agency License: $100–$500 one-time application, banded by category and capacity
The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Nashville Davidson permits page and the TN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Nashville Davidson?
Permits for a childcare centre in Nashville Davidson, TN come from 7 separate offices: Davidson County Clerk, Business Tax Division, Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, Metro Public Health Department, Food Protection and Public Facilities Division, Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, Tennessee Department of Revenue, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Community Services. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Davidson County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Metro Business Tax License700 2nd Ave S, Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37210 · (615) 862-6254www.nashvilleclerk.com/business/obtaining-a-business-license
- Metro Department of Codes and Building SafetyIssues 3 permits on this page: Use and Occupancy (U&O) Permit / Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit and Plans Examination (Metro Codes), Sign Permit (Metro Codes)(615) 862-6500www.nashville.gov/departments/codes
- Metro Public Health Department, Food Protection and Public Facilities DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Service Establishment Permit (Metro Public Health)(615) 340-5620www.nashville.gov/departments/health
- Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 2 permits on this page: Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others), Burglar and Fire Alarm Registration Permit615-862-5421 (Fire Marshal); 615-862-6779 (alarm registration)epermits.nashville.gov/#
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), For-Profit Corporation Charter, Annual Report312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102 · (615) 741-2286tncab.tnsos.gov
- Tennessee Department of RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Standard or Minimal Activity Business License, Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration500 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37242 · (800) 342-1003www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/business-tax/registration-and-licensing.html
- Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Community ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Agency License710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243 · (615) 906-0517www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/child-care-services.html
What does a childcare centre need in Nashville Davidson that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Nashville Davidson: Child Care Agency License.
Food Service Establishment Permit (Metro Public Health)
In Davidson County the Metro Public Health Department permits and inspects food service establishments, but the fees are the state's, not Metro-set fees. The Tennessee Department of Health's Environmental Health page states that there are 'Contract Counties' in Tennessee 'responsible for their own food establishment inspections, invoicing, permitting, and enforcement at the local level', naming Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison and Shelby and listing Nashville/Davidson County at 615-340-5620. The figures come from Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01-.09 (amendments effective June 14, 2026): $210 a year for an establishment with 0–50 seats, $360 a year for 51 or more seats, $100 a year for an auxiliary establishment, $30 for a temporary food service establishment, and $50 or $80 a year for a child care food service establishment (0–50 or 51+ seats). Metro Public Health's Food and Public Facilities Division page says the division inspects Davidson County's food service establishments, schools, childcare locations and other facilities, over 6,800 permitted facilities in all. Contact the division at 615-340-5620, Lentz Public Health Center, 2500 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209.
Child Care Agency License
Six bands, all charged once: $100 for a family home, $125 for a group home, $200 for a centre under a hundred children, $400 above a hundred, $500 above two hundred and fifty, and $200 for a drop-in centre. The fee model changed on 20 November 2025 — it used to offer annual, biennial and triennial pricing on a license headed Annual, and the rule is now headed Continuous License with the fee schedule applying only to initial applications. Any source describing a Tennessee child care license as annual, or quoting biennial or triennial fees, is out of date. One oddity is reproduced rather than interpreted: the bands read less than 100, more than 100 and more than 250, which leaves exactly 100 and exactly 250 children unaddressed on the face of the rule. The fee is collected late in a ten-step process, after inspections.
Shared with other businesses in Nashville Davidson
- Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others) — Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, Per Metro Code § 10.64.018 as amended by Ordinance BL2026-1328: places of assembly by occupant load — 50–1,000 persons $150; 1,001–5,000 $250; 5,001–20,000 $500; over 20,000 $750. Open flames and candles $151. Repair garages and motor fuel-dispensing facilities $151. Spraying and dipping $151. Hot work operations $151. High-piled storage $151. Day care operation $151. Re-inspection $65. Expedite fee $175 for applications filed fewer than ten business days ahead; at least triple the fee if operations start before the permit., most operational permits run 12 months or the duration of the event (Fire Marshal's Office permit table). Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, fitness studios, auto repair shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Nashville Davidson, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Nashville Davidson permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TN and are covered on the TN state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Nashville Davidson?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Food Service Establishment Permit (Metro Public Health) and Child Care Agency License. A fitness studio needs nothing here that a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 9 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Restaurants | 9 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Nashville Davidson permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01 — food service establishments, including the permit fee schedule effective 14 June 2026Tennessee Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Tennessee Department of Health — Environmental Health (food Contract Counties)Tennessee Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Food and Public Facilities — Metro Public Health Department division pageMetropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Metro Public Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Food Protection Services — Metro Public Health Department (mobile food unit regulations and forms)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Metro Public Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-05 — child care agency licensing, including the application fee schedule effective 20 November 2025Tennessee Department of Human Services · 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.