12 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Longview?
In short
A childcare centre in Longview, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division charges $105 per certificate for the commercial certificate of occupancy. 4 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Longview
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public or Semi-Public Swimming Pool Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Environmental Health Department | $300 per year, plus a $100 application fee | annual | 2026-10-09 |
| Child Care License | Texas Health and Human Services | $35 application, then an annual fee of $35 plus $1 per child of licensed capacity | annual | 2026-08-20 |
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 Longview
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Certificate of Occupancy | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | $105 per certificate | issued per occupancy | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Building Permit (New, Addition, Remodel, Alteration)only if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Longview page | per project | 2026-10-09 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Longview page | per sign project | 2026-10-09 |
| Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | $640 per application | per application | 2026-10-09 |
| On-Site Sewerage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | $410 per permit (systems other than single-family dwellings) | per installation | 2026-10-09 |
| Monitored Fire Alarm — False Alarm Service Feeonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Fire Marshal's Office | $250 per chargeable false alarm from the 5th in a calendar year | counted per calendar year | 2026-10-09 |
| Security Alarm Annual Registrationonly if it applies to you | Longview Police Department — Alarm Services | Varies — formula on the Longview page | annual — renew by the registration anniversary date | 2026-10-09 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $300 one-time filing | no expiry | 2026-08-20 |
| Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $25 one-time filing | up to ten years, renewable | 2026-08-21 |
| Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | No fee — there is no fee for this permit | no expiry while actively engaged in business | 2026-08-21 |
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 Longview?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a childcare centre in Longview, TX, 3 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 $105.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 12 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 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Longview permits page and the TX state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Longview?
Permits for a childcare centre in Longview, TX come from 7 separate offices: City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division, City of Longview Environmental Health Department, City of Longview Fire Marshal's Office, Longview Police Department — Alarm 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.
- City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Commercial Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit (New, Addition, Remodel, Alteration), Sign Permit410 S. High St., Longview, TX 75601 · 903-237-1074www.longviewtexas.gov/2172/Building-Inspection
- City of Longview Environmental Health DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Public or Semi-Public Swimming Pool Permit410 S. High St., Longview, TX 75601www.longviewtexas.gov
- City of Longview Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Monitored Fire Alarm — False Alarm Service Fee100 E. Cotton St., Longview, TX 75601 · 903-237-1119www.longviewtexas.gov/2435/Fire-Marshals-Office
- Longview Police Department — Alarm ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Security Alarm Annual Registration518 W. South St., Longview, TX 75601 · 903-237-1199www.longviewtexas.gov/3226/Alarm-Services
- Texas Secretary of StateIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation, Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)www.sos.state.tx.us
- Texas Comptroller of Public AccountsIssues 1 permit on this page: Texas Sales and Use Tax Permitcomptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit
- Texas Health and Human ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Licensewww.hhs.texas.gov
What does a childcare centre need in Longview 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 Longview: Child Care License.
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.
Shared with other businesses in Longview
- Public or Semi-Public Swimming Pool Permit — City of Longview Environmental Health Department, $300 per year, plus a $100 application fee, annual. Also required for fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Longview, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Longview 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 Longview?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care License. A fitness studio needs Outdoor Event Permit, Tent Permit and Health Spa Certificate of Registration, which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 9 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Longview permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.