10 permits · verified 2026-10-08
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Rutherford County Tn?
In short
A childcare centre in Rutherford County Tn, TN has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Rutherford County Clerk, Business Tax Department charges $15 county license per location (county-only; a city license inside Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne or Eagleville is a separate fee paid to the city) for the county business license (standard or minimal activity). 6 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Rutherford County Tn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Rutherford County Tn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | Rutherford County Building Codes Department | Varies — formula on the Rutherford County Tn page | void if work is not started within 180 days of issue | 2026-10-08 |
| School Facilities Tax — New Commercial Floor Areaonly if it applies to you | Rutherford County Building Codes Department | Varies — formula on the Rutherford County Tn page | one-time, per new building or addition | 2026-10-08 |
| Site Plan Review, Commercial Land Disturbance and Board of Zoning Appealsonly if it applies to you | Rutherford County Planning & Engineering Department | Varies — formula on the Rutherford County Tn page | one-time, per application | 2026-10-08 |
| County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to you | Rutherford County Clerk, Business Tax Department | $15 county license per location (county-only; a city license inside Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne or Eagleville is a separate fee paid to the city) | standard license: one year, renewed at no cost when the state business tax return is filed and paid; minimal activity license: re-apply and pay $15 every year | 2026-10-08 |
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 Rutherford County Tn?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a childcare centre in Rutherford County Tn, TN, 3 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.
6 of the 10 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:
Child Care Agency License: $100–$500 one-time application, banded by category and capacity
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Rutherford County Tn permits page and the TN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Rutherford County Tn?
Permits for a childcare centre in Rutherford County Tn, TN come from 6 separate offices: Rutherford County Building Codes Department, Rutherford County Planning & Engineering Department, Rutherford County Clerk, Business Tax Department, 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.
- Rutherford County Building Codes DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, School Facilities Tax — New Commercial Floor Area1 South Public Square, Room 101, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 · 615-898-7734rutherfordcountytn.gov/building-codes
- Rutherford County Planning & Engineering DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Site Plan Review, Commercial Land Disturbance and Board of Zoning Appeals1 South Public Square, Room 200, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 · 615-898-7730 (Planning); 615-898-7732 (Engineering)rutherfordcountytn.gov/planning-fee
- Rutherford County Clerk, Business Tax DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)319 N. Maple St., Suite 121, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 · (615) 898-7800www.tncountyclerk.com
- 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 Rutherford County Tn that other businesses do not?
1 of the 1 permit particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Rutherford County Tn: Child Care Agency License.
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.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Rutherford County Tn, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Rutherford County Tn 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 Rutherford County Tn?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Agency License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Operational Permit — Repair Garage and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Tennessee Position, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Rutherford County Tn permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.