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8 permits · verified 2026-10-31

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

In short

A childcare centre in Kanawha County, WV has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. West Virginia Tax Division charges $30 one-time, per Business Registration Certificate (a separate certificate for each fixed business location), state fee per TSD 360 for the west virginia business registration certificate (state layer). 2 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-31 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a childcare centre in Kanawha County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
KCHD Child Care Center Permit and Plan Review (Kanawha County)Kanawha-Charleston Health DepartmentThe plan review and permit fees are set by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department; contact KCHD Environmental Health, 108 Lee St E, Charleston, 304-348-8050, for the current amounts.the KCHD application carries an expiration date field; no term length is stated on KCHD's Day Care & Family Day Care page2026-10-31
Child Care Centre LicenseWest Virginia Department of Human ServicesNo feeup to 2 years — a new service first receives a six-month initial license2026-09-04

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 Kanawha County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
West Virginia Business Registration Certificate (state layer)West Virginia Tax Division$30 one-time, per Business Registration Certificate (a separate certificate for each fixed business location), state fee per TSD 360permanent for each location until the business is relocated or closed, or the certificate is suspended, revoked or canceled by the Tax Commissioner (TSD 360)2026-10-31
Kanawha County Building Permit and Floodplain Permit (unincorporated areas)only if it applies to youKanawha County Planning and Community DevelopmentVaries — formula on the Kanawha County pageno permit term is stated in the county's Building Permit Guidelines and Procedures2026-10-31

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

WV 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 Incorporationonly if it applies to youWest Virginia Secretary of State, Business and Licensing Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youWest Virginia Secretary of State, Business and Licensing Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youWest Virginia Secretary of State, Business and Licensing Division$25 a year; a late-filed report adds $50 for a profit entity or $25 for a nonprofitannual — filed between 1 January and 30 June of the year after registration2026-09-04
Business Registration CertificateWest Virginia State Tax Division$30 one-time — the certificate never expirespermanent — valid until the business relocates, closes, or the certificate is suspended or revoked2026-09-04

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 Kanawha County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a childcare centre in Kanawha County, WV, 4 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 4 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $60.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 8 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:

KCHD Child Care Center Permit and Plan Review (Kanawha County): The plan review and permit fees are set by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department; contact KCHD Environmental Health, 108 Lee St E, Charleston, 304-348-8050, for the current amounts.

The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Kanawha County permits page and the WV state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Kanawha County?

Permits for a childcare centre in Kanawha County, WV come from 6 separate offices: West Virginia Tax Division, Kanawha County Planning and Community Development, Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, West Virginia Department of Human Services, West Virginia Secretary of State, Business and Licensing Division, West Virginia State Tax Division. 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 Kanawha County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a childcare centre here apply to no other business type we cover in Kanawha County: KCHD Child Care Center Permit and Plan Review (Kanawha County) and Child Care Centre License.

KCHD Child Care Center Permit and Plan Review (Kanawha County)

A child care center in Kanawha County needs a permit from the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department (KCHD). For child care licensing standards, the KCHD page refers operators to the West Virginia Department of Health's Kanawha County coordinator. KCHD's Day Care & Family Day Care page states: "West Virginia Code requires that all child care operations in the state have a permit from a local health department. In Kanawha County, operators have to apply for a permit with KCHD". On that page a child care center is any facility giving nonresidential care to seven or more children, which includes day care centers (13 or more children) and family day care facilities (seven to 12 children). Operators submit an application with floor plans at least 30 days before the center is scheduled to open, provide at least 35 square feet of usable indoor floor space and 75 square feet of usable outdoor space per child, meet adult-to-child ratios, pass inspections, and complete a lead risk assessment if warranted by the age of the building. KCHD publishes a Child Care Center Plan Review Application on its site. The plan review and permit fees are set by KCHD; contact KCHD Environmental Health, 108 Lee St E, Charleston, 304-348-8050, for the current amounts.

Child Care Centre License

No fee, because the governing rule contains no fee provision anywhere in its text for a child care centre license — a genuine absence rather than an unpublished figure. A brand-new service is first issued a six-month initial license before qualifying for the regular license, which then runs for up to two years at the department's discretion, or is downgraded to provisional status if standards slip.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Kanawha County, WV; what each one involves is set out on the Kanawha County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WV and are covered on the WV state page.

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

The closest match is an auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A childcare centre also needs KCHD Child Care Center Permit and Plan Review (Kanawha County) and Child Care Centre License. An auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop License — West Virginia position (business registration applies), which a childcare centre does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Kanawha County, WV, compared with a childcare centre
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a childcare centreOnly a childcare centre needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops3023
Contractors and trades4024
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks3023
Restaurants4024
Retail stores2022
Salons and barbers2022
Veterinary clinics1021

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 Kanawha County permits page and the WV state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. CHILD CARE CENTER PLAN REVIEW APPLICATION 2024Kanawha-Charleston Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  2. Day Care & Family Day CareKanawha-Charleston Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  3. Application for a Permit to Operate (KCHD General Application 2024)Kanawha-Charleston Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  4. Kanawha-Charleston Health DepartmentWest Virginia Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  5. 78 CSR 1 — child care centre licensing, up to a two-year termWest Virginia Department of Human Services · 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.