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13 permits · verified 2026-10-31

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

In short

A childcare centre in Kaufman County, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office charges $200 per new Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance for a new business or change of ownership in the same occupancy class; occupying a building without obtaining a new C.O. adds $100 on top of the new C.O. fee for the certificate of occupancy / certificate of compliance (new business or change of ownership). 7 of the 13 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 Kaufman County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire & Life Safety Permit — Day Care / Child Care Facilitiesonly if it applies to youKaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficeBy licensed capacity: "Licensed for 1- 49 Children" $100; "Licensed for 50- 99 Children" $150; "Licensed for 99-149 Children" (as printed) $200; "Licensed for 150 or more Children" $250.annual2026-10-31
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.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Kaufman County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire Code Building Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County)only if it applies to youKaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper project2026-10-31
Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance (new business or change of ownership)Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office$200 per new Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance for a new business or change of ownership in the same occupancy class; occupying a building without obtaining a new C.O. adds $100 on top of the new C.O. feerenewed annually after a fire inspection ("renewed for a period of one year", Certificate of Occupancy page)2026-10-31
Fire Construction Permits (hood suppression, sprinkler, alarm, tenant finish-out)only if it applies to youKaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper permit (each installation or modification)2026-10-31
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to youKaufman County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper system; aerobic system maintenance contracts must be submitted 30 days before the previous contract expires2026-10-31
Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County)only if it applies to youKaufman County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper project2026-10-31
Stormwater Management Permit and Stormwater Maintenance Permit (commercial)only if it applies to youKaufman County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper project for the Stormwater Management Permit; the Stormwater Maintenance Permit is renewed2026-10-31
Culvert (Driveway) Permit — County Right-of-Wayonly if it applies to youKaufman County Development Services$75 per culvert permit ("Total Amount due: $75.00", Development Services Payments page)expires 12 months from the date of issuance2026-10-31
911 Address Applicationonly if it applies to youKaufman County Development Services$40 per address application ("Total Amount Due: $40.00", Development Services Payments page)one-time, per new address2026-10-31

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 Kaufman County?

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 Kaufman County, TX, 3 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 3 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 13 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:

Fire & Life Safety Permit — Day Care / Child Care Facilities: By licensed capacity: "Licensed for 1- 49 Children" $100; "Licensed for 50- 99 Children" $150; "Licensed for 99-149 Children" (as printed) $200; "Licensed for 150 or more Children" $250.

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

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Kaufman County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Kaufman County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Kaufman County, TX come from 5 separate offices: Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office, Kaufman County Development Services, 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 Kaufman 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 Kaufman County: Fire & Life Safety Permit — Day Care / Child Care Facilities and Child Care License.

Fire & Life Safety Permit — Day Care / Child Care Facilities

A day care or child care facility in unincorporated Kaufman County pays an annual Fire & Life Safety Permit fee to the Fire Marshal's Office, set by the number of children it is licensed for. Per the Fire & Life Safety Permit table in the county's adopted fire code, each line has the period "Annual": a facility licensed for 1 to 49 children pays $100, one licensed for 50 to 99 children pays $150, the line printed "Licensed for 99-149 Children" is $200, and a facility licensed for 150 or more children pays $250. The third band is copied as the table prints it; its lower figure overlaps the second band, so a facility at the boundary should ask the Fire Marshal's Office which line applies. State child care licensing by Texas Health and Human Services is separate from this county fire permit. Contact the Fire Marshal's Office, 469-376-4122. The figures are as printed in the fee tables of the county's adopted fire code, published on the Fire Marshal's Helpful Resources page as "2024 IFC Amendments" and headed "Kaufman County Fire Marshal Permit Fee approved Oct 29, 2024". This applies in unincorporated Kaufman County: the fire code states that it "applies to the unincorporated areas of Kaufman County, Texas". A business inside Forney, Terrell, Kaufman, Crandall or another city should contact that city about its own requirements.

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 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Kaufman County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Kaufman 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 Kaufman County?

The closest match is an auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Fire & Life Safety Permit — Day Care / Child Care Facilities and Child Care License. An auto repair shop needs Fire Operational Permits — Repair Garages, Spraying or Dipping, Hot Work, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Kaufman County, TX, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops1021
Contractors and trades1021
Fitness studios2022
Restaurants3023
Retail stores2022
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 Kaufman County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. 2024 IFC Amendments (Fire Code of Kaufman County)Kaufman County Commissioners Court / Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  2. Helpful ResourcesKaufman County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  3. 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.