12 permits · verified 2026-10-01
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Washington County Ut?
In short
A childcare centre in Washington County Ut, UT has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Southwest Utah Public Health Department charges $130 flat, per permit for the home daycare food service permit. 6 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-01 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Washington County Ut
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major Home Occupation Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | Washington County Community Development Department | $50.00 major home occupation business license (annual), plus the $10.00 application processing fee and the $10.00/$5.00 full-time/part-time employee fees; a 2-year license option is also available at the same per-year rate. | Annual, or a 2-year option | 2026-10-01 |
| Minor Home Occupation — License Not Required Under County Code § 10-26-3(B)only if it applies to you | Washington County Community Development Department | No fee | n/a — no license is issued unless a courtesy license is separately requested | 2026-10-01 |
| Home Daycare Food Service Permitonly if it applies to you | Southwest Utah Public Health Department | $130 flat, per permit | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-01 |
| Child Care Centre License | Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Licensing and Background Checks | $62 license fee, plus $200 for a new centre and $1.75 for every child of licensed capacity | annual — the same fee applies at renewal as at first issue | 2026-09-04 |
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 Washington County Ut
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License (Standard) | Washington County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | Annual, expiring January 31; an application filed after July 1 is prorated to half the annual fee | 2026-10-01 |
| Building Permit and Related Building-Division Feesonly if it applies to you | Washington County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | One-time, per project; add-on inspection fees are billed per occurrence | 2026-10-01 |
| Zoning / Land Use / Planning Application Feesonly if it applies to you | Washington County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | Per application | 2026-10-01 |
| Commercial Septic System Permitsonly if it applies to you | Southwest Utah Public Health Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | One-time per installation for a conventional system; annual renewal for an alternative/experimental system or a hauler-vehicle permit | 2026-10-01 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
UT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $18 a year; a late renewal adds $10 | annual — due in the calendar month tied to the entity's own formation anniversary | 2026-09-04 |
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 Washington County Ut?
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 Washington County Ut, UT, 2 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.
6 of the 12 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:
Major Home Occupation Business License: $50.00 major home occupation business license (annual), plus the $10.00 application processing fee and the $10.00/$5.00 full-time/part-time employee fees; a 2-year license option is also available at the same per-year rate.
Child Care Centre License: $62 license fee, plus $200 for a new centre and $1.75 for every child of licensed capacity
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington County Ut permits page and the UT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Washington County Ut?
Permits for a childcare centre in Washington County Ut, UT come from 4 separate offices: Washington County Community Development Department, Southwest Utah Public Health Department, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Licensing and Background Checks. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Washington County Community Development DepartmentIssues 5 permits on this page, including Major Home Occupation Business License, General Business License (Standard), Minor Home Occupation — License Not Required Under County Code § 10-26-3(B)111 East Tabernacle St., St. George, UT 84770 · (435) 301-7250www.washco.utah.gov/departments/community-development/business-license-information
- Southwest Utah Public Health DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Home Daycare Food Service Permit, Commercial Septic System Permits(435) 673-3528swuhealth.gov/fees
- Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial CodeIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC), General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration), Annual Renewal160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 · (801) 530-4849corporations.utah.gov
- Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Licensing and Background ChecksIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Centre License195 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116 · (801) 538-4242dlbc.utah.gov/home/office-of-licensing/child-care
What does a childcare centre need in Washington County Ut that other businesses do not?
2 of the 4 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Washington County Ut: Home Daycare Food Service Permit and Child Care Centre License.
Minor Home Occupation — License Not Required Under County Code § 10-26-3(B)
Washington County Code § 10-26-3(B) states: "Minor home occupations that meet the requirements of this chapter do not require a business license," so there is no license fee for a home-based business that is conducted by the owner, a leaseholder, or a family member; uses no more than 25% of the home's floor area; employs no more than one non-family worker at a time; serves no more than one client at a time; and cares for no more than eight students or children at a time. Examples named in the code include a single-chair beauty parlor, esthetician, or barbershop; a daycare or preschool of eight or fewer children; a photo studio; tutoring; and crafts. The county's own business-license-information page adds that a courtesy license may still be issued on request, subject to the standard business-license fees listed separately, even though one is not required. Exceeding any threshold moves the business into the Major Home Occupation license listed separately.
Home Daycare Food Service Permit
A home-based daycare in Washington County that provides food service needs this permit from SWUPHD, priced at $130.00 flat, per the SWUPHD Fee Schedule effective May 1, 2026. The childcare facility's own license is issued by the State of Utah, Office of Licensing; SWUPHD's role for a home daycare is limited to this food-service permit. SWUPHD's coverage reaches every part of Washington County, including inside each of the 15 incorporated cities and towns, because it is a five-county health district rather than a jurisdiction limited to unincorporated territory.
Child Care Centre License
The base license fee is a flat $62 whether a facility is a family home or a centre, but a centre pays two further charges a home does not: $200 as a one-time fee for a new centre or a change of location, and $1.75 for every child of approved capacity, applied at both first issue and renewal — a fifty-child centre pays $87.50 on that line alone. A family or home-based provider pays only the flat $62. Renewing more than thirty days late adds a $31 penalty plus, for a centre, seventy-five cents per child. Fingerprinting for a required background check is billed separately, at $42 per person.
Shared with other businesses in Washington County Ut
- Major Home Occupation Business License — Washington County Community Development Department, $50.00 major home occupation business license (annual), plus the $10.00 application processing fee and the $10.00/$5.00 full-time/part-time employee fees; a 2-year license option is also available at the same per-year rate., Annual, or a 2-year option. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, salons and barbers, retail stores and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington County Ut, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Washington County Ut permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across UT and are covered on the UT state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Washington County Ut?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 2 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Home Daycare Food Service Permit and Child Care Centre License. A retail store needs County Alcohol Business License, Tobacco Retailer Permit and Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse), which a childcare centre does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a childcare centre | Only a childcare centre needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 10 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Coffee shops | 11 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 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 contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Washington County Ut permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Washington County Code §§ 10-26-1 to 10-26-3, Home Occupations, current through Ord. 2026-1321-O, adopted May 19, 2026Washington County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Washington County Community Development — Business License Information (alcohol multi-license discount, home-occupation two-year option and courtesy-license note, E-Verify requirement, sales-tax location code 27000, the 15-jurisdiction business-license area list)Washington County Community Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Southwest Utah Public Health Department Fee Schedule, effective May 1, 2026Southwest Utah Public Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Utah Division of Licensing and Background Checks — child care licensing fee schedule, effective 1 July 2025Utah Division of Licensing and Background Checks · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.