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14 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A childcare centre in Travis County, TX has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreement charges $250 a year flat, unincorporated Travis County (Ch. 247 Child Care Facility permit category; APH fee schedule effective October 1, 2026) for the child care facility sanitation/food-service permit (ch. 247). 8 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Child Care Facility Sanitation/Food-Service Permit (Ch. 247)Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreement$250 a year flat, unincorporated Travis County (Ch. 247 Child Care Facility permit category; APH fee schedule effective October 1, 2026)annual, per Travis County Code Chapter 2472026-09-28
Child Care Operating License — State HHSC License Applies (Travis County)only if it applies to youAustin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreementNo feenot applicable at the county level2026-09-28
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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Travis County Positiononly if it applies to youTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionNo feenot applicable — Travis County issues no general business license2026-09-28
Building PermitTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project/permit2026-09-28
Development Permit (floodplain / stormwater)only if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project2026-09-28
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler / Suppression System Construction Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project, issued alongside or separately from the Building Permit above2026-09-28
Fire Code Operational Permit (hazard-specific)only if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageannual; the published Operational Permits fee schedule does not itemize a distinct renewal cadence beyond 'annual' for each hazard category2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per installation or change of use2026-09-28
Driveway, Fence, Site-Development, Demolition/Clearing and Subdivision Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per permit/project2026-09-28
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionVaries — formula on the Travis County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate statewide; the Travis County Clerk's own DBA page does not separately restate this term2026-09-28

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 Travis County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a childcare centre in Travis County, TX, 5 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $250.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 14 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 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 7 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Travis County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Travis County, TX come from 7 separate offices: Travis County Clerk, Recording Division, Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center, Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreement, 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 Travis County that other businesses do not?

3 of the 3 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Travis County: Child Care Facility Sanitation/Food-Service Permit (Ch. 247), Child Care Operating License — State HHSC License Applies (Travis County) and Child Care License.

Child Care Facility Sanitation/Food-Service Permit (Ch. 247)

A child-care facility in unincorporated Travis County that serves food needs this Austin Public Health sanitation/food-service permit under Chapter 247 — a flat $250 a year, unlike the risk-banded restaurant fee above. This is separate from, and incidental to, the facility's actual child-care operating license, which is a Texas HHSC function (see the Child Care Operating License record). APH's Environmental Health Services Division fee schedule (updated September 15, 2026, effective October 1, 2026) lists the Travis County Child Care Facility fee at $250 and, in its separate City of Austin/Inter-Local column, a $309 Child Care Facility fee that applies to a facility inside Austin city limits, not to this county permit.

Child Care Operating License — State HHSC License Applies (Travis County)

No fee applies at the county level for the child-care operating license itself. The Travis County Code index page lists no child-care licensing chapter, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Child Care Regulation page states that HHSC 'protects children by regulating and educating child care providers.' This is distinct from the Chapter 247 Child Care Facility sanitation/food-service permit recorded separately, which DOES apply to a facility in unincorporated Travis County that serves food — that county-administered permit is incidental to the state operating license, not a substitute for it, and a facility needs both where it applies. A facility inside Austin or another incorporated city uses APH's city-side sanitation permit instead of the county one, but still needs the same state HHSC operating license regardless of location.

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 Travis County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Travis 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 Travis County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Facility Sanitation/Food-Service Permit (Ch. 247), Child Care Operating License — State HHSC License Applies (Travis County) and Child Care License. A auto repair shop needs Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249), which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Travis County, TX, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1031
Coffee shops3033
Contractors and trades2032
Fitness studios4034
Food trucks4034
Restaurants4034
Retail stores3033
Salons and barbers2032
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 Travis County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Environmental Health Services Division fee schedule, effective October 1, 2025 (fixed food establishment, pool/spa, and Child Care Facility fee tables, City-of-Austin/Inter-Local and unincorporated-Travis-County columns)Austin Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. Travis County Code Chapter 247, Food Establishment Permits (amended through January 29, 2019)Travis County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. Public Health Regulations for Unincorporated Areas of Travis CountyAustin Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  4. Child Care Regulation (statewide child-care operating licensure, distinct from a local health/sanitation permit)Texas Health and Human Services Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  5. Travis County Code index — by Title, Subtitle, and Chapter (Title 2 Ordinances & Regulations: Subtitles 11 Fire & Emergency, 13 Health & Safety, 15 Environment and 19 Land Development)Travis County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  6. 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.