12 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Henrico County?
In short
A childcare centre in Henrico County, VA 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. Henrico County Department of Building Construction & Inspections charges $25 per plan re-review beyond the first two reviews included in the base permit fee for the plan re-review fee. 7 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Henrico County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Day Programme License | Virginia Department of Education, Child Care Licensing | $28–$400 for two years, banded by licensed capacity | 2 years | 2026-09-03 |
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 Henrico County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit (Base Fee)only if it applies to you | Henrico County Department of Building Construction & Inspections | Varies — formula on the Henrico County page | Per project. | 2026-10-02 |
| Plan Re-Review Feeonly if it applies to you | Henrico County Department of Building Construction & Inspections | $25 per plan re-review beyond the first two reviews included in the base permit fee | Per re-review. | 2026-10-02 |
| Provisional Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Henrico County Division of Planning / Board of Zoning Appeals | Varies — formula on the Henrico County page | Per application. | 2026-10-02 |
| BPOL Business License Application (All Industries) | Henrico County Department of Finance, Business License Section | Varies — formula on the Henrico County page | Annual; due March 1. License year ends December 31. | 2026-10-02 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancy Feeonly if it applies to you | Henrico County Department of Building Construction & Inspections | $25 per temporary certificate of occupancy request or extension | Per request or extension. | 2026-10-02 |
| Variance / Board of Zoning Appeals Applicationonly if it applies to you | Henrico County Division of Planning / Board of Zoning Appeals | $300 per variance or Board of Zoning Appeals application | Per application. | 2026-10-02 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a $50 annual registration fee is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | Varies — formula on the VA page | no expiry, but an annual registration fee and a free annual report are due | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Registration Feeonly if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | Varies — formula on the VA page | annual — the last day of the twelfth month after the month of formation | 2026-09-03 |
| Dealer's Certificate of Registration | Virginia Department of Taxation | No fee | indefinite — valid until the business closes or the certificate is revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Local BPOL License (Virginia)only if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | Varies — formula on the VA page | annual — usually due 1 March | 2026-09-03 |
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 Henrico County?
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 Henrico County, VA, 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.
7 of the 12 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:
Child Day Programme License: $28–$400 for two years, banded by licensed capacity
The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Henrico County permits page and the VA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Henrico County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Henrico County, VA come from 6 separate offices: Henrico County Department of Building Construction & Inspections, Henrico County Division of Planning / Board of Zoning Appeals, Henrico County Department of Finance, Business License Section, 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.
- Henrico County Department of Building Construction & InspectionsIssues 3 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit (Base Fee), Plan Re-Review Fee, Temporary Certificate of Occupancy Feehenrico.gov/services/building-permit-commercial
- Henrico County Division of Planning / Board of Zoning AppealsIssues 2 permits on this page: Provisional Use Permit, Variance / Board of Zoning Appeals Applicationhenrico.gov/pdfs/planning/apps/fees.pdf
- Henrico County Department of Finance, Business License SectionIssues 1 permit on this page: BPOL Business License Application (All Industries)henrico.gov/finance/business-license
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Registration Fee, General Business License — Local BPOL License (Virginia)1300 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219 · (804) 371-9733www.scc.virginia.gov
- Virginia Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: Dealer's Certificate of RegistrationPO Box 1115, Richmond, VA 23218-1115 · (804) 367-8037www.tax.virginia.gov/register-business-virginia
- Virginia Department of Education, Child Care LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Day Programme License101 North 14th Street, Richmond, VA 23219www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/early-childhood-care-education/child-care-licensing
What does a childcare centre need in Henrico County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 1 permit particular to a childcare centre here applies to no other business type we cover in Henrico County: Child Day Programme License.
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.
The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Henrico County, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Henrico 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 Henrico County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Day Programme License. A auto repair shop needs BPOL Business License — Retail Merchant and Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position, which 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 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
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 Henrico County permits page and the VA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 8VAC20-821-150 — child day programme licensing fees by capacityVirginia Department of Education · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- 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.