8 permits · verified 2026-08-27
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Montgomery County?
In short
A childcare centre in Montgomery County, TX has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Texas Secretary of State charges $300 one-time filing for the certificate of formation. 5 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Montgomery County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Environmental Health Services | $210–$560 per permit, by scope and floodplain status | per permit | 2026-08-27 |
| 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 Montgomery County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Structure Permit | Montgomery County Permitting Department | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County page | per permit; recertification costs half the original fee | 2026-08-27 |
| Fire Code Permit | Montgomery County Fire Marshal | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County page | per permit | 2026-08-27 |
| Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Permitting Department | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County page | per permit | 2026-08-27 |
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 Montgomery County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a childcare centre in Montgomery County, TX, 4 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 8 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:
Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permit: $210–$560 per permit, by scope and floodplain status
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 Montgomery County permits page and the TX state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Montgomery County, TX come from 6 separate offices: Montgomery County Permitting Department, Montgomery County Fire Marshal, Montgomery County Environmental Health 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.
- Montgomery County Permitting DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Structure Permit, Floodplain Development Permit501 N Thompson, Suite 101, Conroe, TX 77301www.mctx.org/departments/departments_d_-_f/environmental_health/permitting/commercial.php
- Montgomery County Fire MarshalIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Code Permit1520 Lake Front Circle, The Woodlands, TX 77380www.mctx.org/departments/departments_d_-_f/fire_marshal/index.php
- Montgomery County Environmental Health ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permit501 N Thompson, Suite 101, Conroe, TX 77301www.mctx.org/departments/departments_d_-_f/environmental_health
- 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 Montgomery County 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 Montgomery County: Child Care License.
Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permit
A new commercial system is $400 plus the $10 state-mandated septic fee, rising to $550 plus $10 in the floodplain; an add-on to an existing system is $200 plus $10, or $335 plus $10 in the floodplain. Reinspection is $150 and non-compliance $200 per incident. This is the permit that catches restaurants and childcare centres opening outside a city sewer district, and it is a real constraint on siting rather than a formality — a subdivision review is $340 on top.
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 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Montgomery County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs nothing here that a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 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 Montgomery County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Montgomery County Permitting Fee Schedule, effective 2 June 2025 — fire code, commercial structure, residential structure, health and septicMontgomery County · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-27
- 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.