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10 permits · verified 2026-09-29

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

In short

A childcare centre in Collin County, TX has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Collin County Fire Marshal charges $100 per building or new tenant (county page: per building in new construction) for the certificate of compliance (unincorporated commercial building or new tenant). 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-29 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Collin County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Food Permit, Child Care FacilityCollin County Development Services (Environmental Health)$150 per child care facility over 12 childrennot stated in the county's fee schedule or Food Service and Health page2026-09-29
Child Care LicenseTexas Health and Human Services$35 application, then an annual fee of $35 plus $1 per child of licensed capacityannual2026-08-20

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 Collin County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Compliance (Unincorporated Commercial Building or New Tenant)Collin County Fire Marshal$100 per building or new tenant (county page: per building in new construction)one-time2026-09-29
Annual Commercial Fire Inspection (Unincorporated Collin County)Collin County Fire MarshalVaries — formula on the Collin County pageannual2026-09-29
Fire Marshal Building and Site Plan Review (New Construction)Collin County Fire Marshal$0.20 per square foot of new constructionone-time per project2026-09-29
Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic) Inspectiononly if it applies to youCollin County Development Services (Environmental Health)Varies — formula on the Collin County pageper system2026-09-29
Culvert and Driveway Permitonly if it applies to youCollin County Public Works$250 per parcelper permit2026-09-29

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

TX 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
Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$300 one-time filingno expiry2026-08-20
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$25 one-time filingup to ten years, renewable2026-08-21
Texas Sales and Use Tax PermitTexas Comptroller of Public AccountsNo fee — there is no fee for this permitno expiry while actively engaged in business2026-08-21

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 Collin County?

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 Collin County, TX, 6 apply to every business of this type and 4 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, 4 carry a flat fee, coming to $250.20. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Child Care License: $35 application, then an annual fee of $35 plus $1 per child of licensed capacity

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Collin County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Collin County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Collin County, TX come from 6 separate offices: Collin County Fire Marshal, Collin County Development Services (Environmental Health), Collin County Public Works, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Health and Human Services. 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 Collin County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Collin County: Food Permit, Child Care Facility and Child Care License.

Food Permit, Child Care Facility

The fee schedule lists a food permit for a child care facility at $150 under the label 'Over 12 children'; the schedule has no fee row for a facility with 12 or fewer children. The county's Food Service and Health page names day cares among the establishments it permits and inspects, in the unincorporated areas and the city limits of Wylie, Melissa, Lowry Crossing, Weston, Josephine and Farmersville only; a day care in any other city is permitted by that city. Child care licensing itself is a state function and is not part of this record. Fee currency: the amount is from Collin County's FY 2026 Adopted Fee Schedule, in effect through 30 September 2026, and the county's FY 2027 proposed fee schedule lists the same amount; the fee schedule for the period after 30 September 2026 is not yet published as adopted in any source available on 29 September 2026.

Child Care License

Worked example: a centre licensed for 100 children pays $135 a year ($35 + $1 x 100). The annual fee falls on the anniversary of the date the initial license was issued, not on a calendar date.

The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Collin County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Collin County permits page. The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Collin County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Food Permit, Child Care Facility and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Operational Permit, Repair Garage and Motor Fuel Dispensing, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Collin County, TX, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops5025
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks3023
Restaurants6026
Retail stores4024
Salons and barbers1021
Veterinary clinics1021

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 Collin County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Collin County FY 2026 Adopted Fee Schedule by DepartmentCollin County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. Collin County Food Service and HealthCollin County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 437, Regulation of Food Service Establishments, Retail Food Stores, Mobile Food Units, and Roadside Food VendorsTexas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  4. Collin County FY 2027 Proposed Fee Schedule, by Fee Title (Commissioners Court agenda attachment)Collin County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  5. 5200, Fees — Child Care Regulation HandbookTexas Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-20

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.