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6 permits · verified 2026-10-31

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

In short

A childcare centre in Ector County, TX has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Ector County Health Department (Environmental Section) charges $150 per inspection for the child-care center health inspection (ector county health department, unincorporated county). 2 of the 6 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-31 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Ector County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Child-Care Center Health Inspection (Ector County Health Department, unincorporated county)only if it applies to youEctor County Health Department (Environmental Section)$150 per inspectionper inspection2026-10-31
Public or Semi-Public Swimming Pool Permit (Ector County Health Department)only if it applies to youEctor County Health Department (Environmental Section)The pool permit fee is not published on the Environmental Section page or in the October 6, 2025 fee notice; contact the Ector County Health Department, 432-498-4141, extension 2161, for the current amount.set by the Ector County Health Department2026-10-31
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.

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 Ector County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 6 records listed for a childcare centre in Ector County, TX, 2 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 6 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:

Public or Semi-Public Swimming Pool Permit (Ector County Health Department): The pool permit fee is not published on the Environmental Section page or in the October 6, 2025 fee notice; contact the Ector County Health Department, 432-498-4141, extension 2161, for the current amount.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Ector County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Ector County, TX come from 4 separate offices: Ector County Health Department (Environmental Section), 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 Ector County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Ector County: Child-Care Center Health Inspection (Ector County Health Department, unincorporated county) and Child Care License.

Child-Care Center Health Inspection (Ector County Health Department, unincorporated county)

A day-care or child-care center in unincorporated Ector County that needs a health inspection requests it from the Ector County Health Department; this is an inspection fee, not an operating license. per the Ector County Health Department's fee notice dated October 6, 2025 ("these are the new fees implemented for Ector County"), filed in the Texas DSHS local fee schedule registry, "Daycare Center, Child Care Centers & Other request for inspection" is $150 per inspection. The amounts are published here for locations in unincorporated Ector County. The county's Food Service Sanitation Program page lists the "Daycare Centers, Child Care Centers and Other Requests for Inspection" form. Contact the Ector County Health Department Environmental Section, 221 N. Texas Ave, Odessa, 432-498-4141, extension 2161.

Public or Semi-Public Swimming Pool Permit (Ector County Health Department)

A fitness studio, child-care center or other business with a pool open to members or the public deals with the Ector County Health Department for the pool permit; a studio without a pool has no pool permit. The county's Environmental Section page states its mission as promoting public health "through restaurants, swimming pools, septic systems, complaints, public events, and other facilities through education, permitting, inspection, and enforcement", and it publishes restaurant and swimming pool inspection reports. The pool permit fee is not published on the Environmental Section page or in the October 6, 2025 fee notice; contact the Ector County Health Department, 432-498-4141, extension 2161, for the current amount.

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 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 Ector County?

The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child-Care Center Health Inspection (Ector County Health Department, unincorporated county) and Child Care License. A fitness studio needs Health Spa Certificate of Registration, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Ector County, TX, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Fitness studios2121
Auto repair shops1031
Coffee shops3033
Contractors and trades2032
Restaurants5035
Retail stores5035
Veterinary clinics2032

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

  1. Ector County Health Department 2025-2026 Fee Schedule, dated 6 October 2025 (filed with Texas DSHS)Ector County Health Department, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-24
  2. Local Ordinance and Fee Schedule Registry & Model Orders and OrdinancesTexas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  3. Food Service Sanitation ProgramEctor County, Texas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  4. Environmental SectionEctor County, Texas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  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.