9 permits · verified 2026-10-08
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Shelby County Tn?
In short
A childcare centre in Shelby County Tn, TN has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division charges $15 county license per location (county-only); for a Memphis location the Clerk also collects a $15 Memphis city license fee, $30 in total ($15 county + $15 city) for the county business tax license (standard or minimal activity). 5 of the 9 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 Shelby County Tn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service) | Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program | $50–$360 a year — $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51 or more seats; child-care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51 or more); state-set fees collected by the Shelby County Health Department | annual | 2026-10-08 |
| 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 Shelby County Tn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit, Plan Review and Certificate of Occupancy | Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Division of Planning and Development) | Varies — formula on the Shelby County Tn page | per permit | 2026-10-08 |
| County Business Tax License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to you | Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division | $15 county license per location (county-only); for a Memphis location the Clerk also collects a $15 Memphis city license fee, $30 in total ($15 county + $15 city) | continuing; renewed at no fee once the annual state business tax return is filed and paid | 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 Shelby County Tn?
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 Shelby County Tn, TN, 4 apply to every business of this type and 5 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
5 of the 9 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 (including child-care food service): $50–$360 a year — $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51 or more seats; child-care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51 or more); state-set fees collected by the Shelby County Health Department
Child Care Agency License: $100–$500 one-time application, banded by category and capacity
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Shelby County Tn permits page and the TN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Shelby County Tn?
Permits for a childcare centre in Shelby County Tn, TN come from 6 separate offices: Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program, Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Division of Planning and Development), Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division, 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.
- Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety ProgramIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service)1826 Sycamore View Road, Memphis, TN 38134 · 901-222-9158www.shelbytnhealth.com/186/Environmental-Health-Food-Safety-Program
- Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Division of Planning and Development)Issues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Plan Review and Certificate of Occupancy6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134 · 901-222-8300 (Licensing Section 901-222-8390)www.develop901.com/construction-enforcement
- Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: County Business Tax License (Standard or Minimal Activity)150 Washington Ave, 2nd Floor, Memphis, TN 38103 (East branch: 1075 Mullins Station Rd, West Wing, Memphis, TN 38134) · (901) 222-3059www.shelbycountytn.gov/559/Business-Tax-Division
- 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 Shelby County Tn 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 Shelby County Tn: Child Care Agency License.
Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service)
The Tennessee Department of Health's Environmental Health page names Shelby among the food 'Contract Counties' responsible for their own food establishment inspections, invoicing, permitting and enforcement, so the Shelby County Health Department issues this permit throughout the county, including inside Memphis and the other six cities. The fees are the state's: rule 1200-23-01-.09 (new rule filed March 16, 2026 and effective June 14, 2026) sets $210 a year for a food service establishment with 0 to 50 seats and $360 a year for 51 or more, and $50 (0 to 50 seats) or $80 (51 or more) for a child-care food service establishment. The Health Department's FAQ gives the same seat-band figures: 'For 50 seats or less it is $210 per year. For 51 seats or more is $360 per year.' A child-care centre that prepares food falls in the child-care category. The Health Department asks for plans and a menu before construction and inspects before opening. Contact the Environmental Health & Food Safety Program at 901-222-9158.
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 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Shelby County Tn, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Shelby 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 Shelby County Tn?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Agency License. A coffee shop needs Temporary Food Service Establishment (Event) Permit, Food Service Establishment Permit and Certified Food Protection Manager, 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 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Shelby County Tn 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
- FAQ — food service establishment permit feesShelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Shelby County Health Department — environmental health and food safety programme feesShelby County Health Department · 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
- 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.