6 permits · verified 2026-10-06
What permits do you need to open a childcare centre in Spokane County?
In short
A childcare centre in Spokane County, WA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division charges $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online for the articles of incorporation. 2 of the 6 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a childcare centre in Spokane County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Centre License | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families | $125 a year for the first twelve children plus $12 for each additional child; a family home pays a flat $30 | an initial license of six months, extendable to two years, then a non-expiring license with an annual fee | 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 Spokane County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Application and Permitonly if it applies to you | Spokane Regional Health District, Environmental Public Health (water recreation facilities and on-site sewage programs) | Varies — formula on the Spokane County page | renewable permits for one or three years once installed, depending on the system type; inspection and maintenance required before renewal | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
WA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $70 a year | annual — due the last day of the month the entity was formed or registered | 2026-09-03 |
| Washington State Business License | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | $50 to open, plus each endorsement's own fee; $5 a year to renew | annual — one expiration date governs every endorsement on the license | 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 Spokane County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 6 records listed for a childcare centre in Spokane County, WA, 2 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 6 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:
Child Care Centre License: $125 a year for the first twelve children plus $12 for each additional child; a family home pays a flat $30
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Spokane County permits page and the WA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Spokane County?
Permits for a childcare centre in Spokane County, WA come from 4 separate offices: Spokane Regional Health District, Environmental Public Health (water recreation facilities and on-site sewage programs), Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Spokane Regional Health District, Environmental Public Health (water recreation facilities and on-site sewage programs)Issues 1 permit on this page: On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Application and Permit1101 W. College Ave., Spokane, WA 99201 · 509-324-1560 ext. 1 (on-site sewage); 509-324-1500 (main)srhd.org/programs-and-services/oss/new-systems-or-changes-to-existing
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation (LLC), Annual ReportPO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234 · (360) 725-0377www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/business-entities
- Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and FamiliesIssues 1 permit on this page: Child Care Centre License1500 Jefferson Street SE, Olympia, WA 98501 · (800) 723-4831dcyf.wa.gov/services/early-learning-providers/licensed-provider
- Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing ServiceIssues 1 permit on this page: Washington State Business LicensePO Box 9034, Olympia, WA 98507-9034 · (360) 705-6705dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license
What does a childcare centre need in Spokane 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 Spokane County: Child Care Centre License.
Child Care Centre License
A centre pays $125 for the first twelve children and $12 for each one after, every year; a family home pays a flat $30 whatever its size. That flat-versus-scaled split is the whole structural difference between the two. The fee is non-refundable, due with the initial application and then thirty days before the license anniversary, and missing the anniversary is fatal rather than merely late — the license expires and a new application is required. The department publishes none of these amounts on its own pages; the administrative code is the only primary source. Child care is not one of the endorsements the statewide business license can carry, so it is a separate application.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Spokane County, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Spokane County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WA and are covered on the WA state page.
How does a childcare centre compare with other businesses in Spokane County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs Child Care Centre License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71), 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 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 Spokane County permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- WAC 110-300-0401 — early learning programme license feesWashington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families · 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.