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17 permits · verified 2026-10-27

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

In short

A childcare centre in Arlington County, VA has 8 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning Divisions charges $71 per certificate, for a family day care home for 1 to 12 children, plus the 10% automation enhancement fee, under the FY 2027 Planning and Zoning fee schedule for the certificate of occupancy (zoning) — family day care home. 13 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Arlington County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Family Day Care Home License (County)Arlington County Department of Human Services, Child Care Services OfficeCounty Code Chapter 59 states no fee amount for this license; contact the Child Care Services Office at 703-228-1685 for any current charge.Annual; every regular license is renewed annually2026-10-27
Certificate of Occupancy (Zoning) — Family Day Care Homeonly if it applies to youArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning Divisions$71 per certificate, for a family day care home for 1 to 12 children, plus the 10% automation enhancement fee, under the FY 2027 Planning and Zoning fee scheduleOne-time, per home; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27
County Board Use Permitonly if it applies to youArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning DivisionsType I (commercial and non-commercial conditional uses except Type II) $7,443. Type II (live entertainment and food delivery services) $2,453. Type III (including commercial uses with substantial alteration to structures and sites, all drive-through uses and vehicle service establishments) $14,491 plus a $6,393 DES fee. Schools, including child care centers: enrollment of 100 or fewer $639 plus a $309 DES fee; enrollment over 100 and up to 250 $1,509 plus a $576 DES fee. The 10% automation enhancement fee applies to the zoning fees, not to the DES fees.Per application; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27
Fire Operational Permits (Kitchen Hood, Mobile Food Unit, Repair Garage, Child Day Care, Place of Assembly)only if it applies to youArlington County Fire Department, Office of the Fire MarshalCommercial kitchen operation requiring a Type I hood $175 (not required for an occupancy with a valid place of assembly permit, or for a mobile food unit with a valid MFU permit). Mobile Food Unit $175. Automotive repair garage $175 (repair garage and service station combined $175). Child daycare facility: approved capacity up to 50 $150; 51–500 $200; over 500 $300. Place of assembly: capacity 50–500 $200; over 500 $300.Annual (the Fire Marshal's hood page calls the hood permit "an annual permit")2026-10-27
Child Care Center License (County)Arlington County Department of Human Services, Child Care Services OfficeCounty Code Chapter 52 states no fee amount for this license; contact the Child Care Services Office at 703-228-1685 for any current charge.Regular license issued for up to 2 years; renew every 2 years, before expiration2026-10-27
Child Day Programme LicenseVirginia Department of Education, Child Care Licensing$28–$400 for two years, banded by licensed capacity2 years2026-09-03

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 Arlington County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Occupancy (Zoning) — Partial Occupancy or Change of Business or Use, Office and CommercialArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning DivisionsVaries — formula on the Arlington County pageOne-time, per occupancy or change of business or use; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27
Business License (BPOL) Registration and Gross-Receipts TiersArlington County Commissioner of Revenue, Business Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the Arlington County pageAnnual; register within 75 days of starting operations, then file a renewal return by March 1 each year2026-10-27
Business License (BPOL) Gross-Receipts Rates by ClassificationArlington County Commissioner of Revenue, Business Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the Arlington County pageCalendar year; filed with the annual BPOL renewal return by March 12026-10-27
Certificate of Occupancy (Building)Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division$232 per certificate, for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings, plus the 2% levy and 10% automation enhancement surcharge, under the FY 2027 ISD fee scheduleOne-time, per occupancy; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27
Building Permit (Commercial and Other Non-Residential Buildings)only if it applies to youArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services DivisionVaries — formula on the Arlington County pagePer permit; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27
Sign Permitonly if it applies to youArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning DivisionsVaries — formula on the Arlington County pagePer permit; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

VA 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
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a $50 annual registration fee is due every year2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageno expiry, but an annual registration fee and a free annual report are due2026-09-03
Annual Registration Feeonly if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageannual — the last day of the twelfth month after the month of formation2026-09-03
Dealer's Certificate of RegistrationVirginia Department of TaxationNo feeindefinite — valid until the business closes or the certificate is revoked2026-09-03
General Business License — Local BPOL License (Virginia)only if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageannual — usually due 1 March2026-09-03

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 Arlington County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a childcare centre in Arlington County, VA, 8 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 8 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $232.00. That is a floor, not a total. 13 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Family Day Care Home License (County): County Code Chapter 59 states no fee amount for this license; contact the Child Care Services Office at 703-228-1685 for any current charge.

County Board Use Permit: Type I (commercial and non-commercial conditional uses except Type II) $7,443. Type II (live entertainment and food delivery services) $2,453. Type III (including commercial uses with substantial alteration to structures and sites, all drive-through uses and vehicle service establishments) $14,491 plus a $6,393 DES fee. Schools, including child care centers: enrollment of 100 or fewer $639 plus a $309 DES fee; enrollment over 100 and up to 250 $1,509 plus a $576 DES fee. The 10% automation enhancement fee applies to the zoning fees, not to the DES fees.

Fire Operational Permits (Kitchen Hood, Mobile Food Unit, Repair Garage, Child Day Care, Place of Assembly): Commercial kitchen operation requiring a Type I hood $175 (not required for an occupancy with a valid place of assembly permit, or for a mobile food unit with a valid MFU permit). Mobile Food Unit $175. Automotive repair garage $175 (repair garage and service station combined $175). Child daycare facility: approved capacity up to 50 $150; 51–500 $200; over 500 $300. Place of assembly: capacity 50–500 $200; over 500 $300.

Child Care Center License (County): County Code Chapter 52 states no fee amount for this license; contact the Child Care Services Office at 703-228-1685 for any current charge.

Child Day Programme License: $28–$400 for two years, banded by licensed capacity

The other 8 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Arlington County permits page and the VA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Arlington County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Arlington County, VA come from 8 separate offices: Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning Divisions, Arlington County Department of Human Services, Child Care Services Office, Arlington County Commissioner of Revenue, Business Tax Division, Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division, Arlington County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal, Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk, Virginia Department of Taxation, Virginia Department of Education, Child Care Licensing. 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 Arlington County that other businesses do not?

4 of the 6 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Arlington County: Family Day Care Home License (County), Certificate of Occupancy (Zoning) — Family Day Care Home, Child Care Center License (County) and Child Day Programme License.

Family Day Care Home License (County)

County Code §59-4 makes it unlawful to operate a family day care home receiving one through 12 children without a valid license issued under Chapter 59, and requires the license to be posted in a visible location in the home. Section 59-11.A provides that "Every regular license shall be renewed annually." The Department of Human Services' Child Care Services Office (703-228-1685) helps providers become licensed family day care providers in Arlington County. Chapter 59 contains no fee provision for this license. A family day care home also obtains the Zoning Division's $71 family day care home certificate of occupancy, recorded separately; the county's Zoning Ordinance amendments page states that ZOA-2024-08 (adopted January 28, 2025) removed the use permit requirement for homes with 10 to 12 children.

Certificate of Occupancy (Zoning) — Family Day Care Home

The adopted FY 2027 Planning and Zoning fee schedule (effective July 1, 2026) lists a zoning certificate of occupancy for "Family Day Care Homes for One (1) to Twelve (12) children" at $71, with the schedule's 10% automation enhancement fee added to the total. The county's FY 2027 Adopted Tax & Fee Compendium lists the same figure. The county's Zoning Ordinance amendments page states that ZOA-2024-08, adopted January 28, 2025 and effective immediately, was intended to "Enable by-right approval of family day care homes with 10-12 children by removing the use permit requirement", and the Department of Human Services' Child Care page describes the same change. The county family day care home license from the Child Care Services Office is a separate requirement, recorded on its own.

Child Care Center License (County)

County Code §52-4 provides: "It shall be unlawful to operate a child care center as defined herein without a valid license issued pursuant to this chapter and a valid certificate of occupancy issued by the building official pursuant to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code." The license must be posted where parents and visitors can easily see it. Under Chapter 52, a regular license is issued for up to two years, and §52-11 requires licenses to be renewed every two years and before expiration, with the licensee notifying the Department before the license expires. The county's Department of Human Services administers the license through its Child Care Services Office (703-228-1685). Chapter 52 contains no fee provision for this license. A child care center also needs the zoning and building certificates of occupancy, the Fire Marshal's child daycare permit and, where the Zoning Ordinance calls for one, a County Board use permit, each recorded separately.

Child Day Programme License

Among the cheapest child care licenses anywhere: $28 for two years up to twelve children, rising through $70, $140, $210 and $280 to $400 above two hundred. A programme running less than twelve weeks in a year pays $50 or $110 instead. Two changes have made most published guidance wrong. Licensing moved from Social Services to the Department of Education in 2021, so anything citing 22VAC40- is repealed; and from 1 February 2026 the Code no longer says family day home at all, but home-based child care. The threshold for a home is five to twelve children excluding the provider's own and any living there, with one to four needing only voluntary registration and an all-relatives home exempt — but no more than four children under two, whatever the count. A licensed home falls in the smallest band, so it pays the same $28. The band is on licensed capacity, so a two-hundred-child centre pays $280 and a two-hundred-and-one-child centre pays $400.

Shared with other businesses in Arlington County

  • County Board Use Permit — Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Planning and Zoning Divisions, Type I (commercial and non-commercial conditional uses except Type II) $7,443. Type II (live entertainment and food delivery services) $2,453. Type III (including commercial uses with substantial alteration to structures and sites, all drive-through uses and vehicle service establishments) $14,491 plus a $6,393 DES fee. Schools, including child care centers: enrollment of 100 or fewer $639 plus a $309 DES fee; enrollment over 100 and up to 250 $1,509 plus a $576 DES fee. The 10% automation enhancement fee applies to the zoning fees, not to the DES fees., Per application; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
  • Fire Operational Permits (Kitchen Hood, Mobile Food Unit, Repair Garage, Child Day Care, Place of Assembly) — Arlington County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal, Commercial kitchen operation requiring a Type I hood $175 (not required for an occupancy with a valid place of assembly permit, or for a mobile food unit with a valid MFU permit). Mobile Food Unit $175. Automotive repair garage $175 (repair garage and service station combined $175). Child daycare facility: approved capacity up to 50 $150; 51–500 $200; over 500 $300. Place of assembly: capacity 50–500 $200; over 500 $300., Annual (the Fire Marshal's hood page calls the hood permit "an annual permit"). Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.

The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Arlington County, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Arlington County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across VA and are covered on the VA state page.

How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Arlington County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Family Day Care Home License (County), Certificate of Occupancy (Zoning) — Family Day Care Home, Child Care Center License (County) and Child Day Programme License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position, which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Arlington County, VA, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops3241
Coffee shops8246
Restaurants9247
Food trucks8157
Contractors and trades3063
Fitness studios2062
Retail stores3063
Salons and barbers2062
Veterinary clinics1061

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 auto repair shops page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Arlington County permits page and the VA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Arlington County Code, Chapter 59 — Family Day Care HomesArlington County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Child CareArlington County Department of Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, FY27 Adopted (Effective as of July 1, 2026)Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  4. Tax & Fee Compendium – FY 2027 AdoptedArlington County Department of Management and Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  5. Zoning Ordinance Amendments, 2023–2025Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  6. Arlington County Code, Chapter 52 — Child Care CentersArlington County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  7. 8VAC20-821-150 — child day programme licensing fees by capacityVirginia Department of Education · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  8. Code of Virginia section 22.1-289.02 — definitions of child day centre and home-based child careVirginia General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.