Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Dover, DE

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Delaware — No Sales Tax

   Delaware has no state or local sales tax. Instead, Delaware levies a Gross Receipts Tax on the seller of goods or provider of services, based on total receipts. Register with the Delaware Division of Revenue.

   Official government source

   Free (gross receipts tax registration)·Immediate (online)

   Free (gross receipts tax registration)

   Immediate (online)

2. Delaware Background Check Requirement (child care)

   All staff, volunteers, and — for family child care homes — household members aged 18 and over must complete Delaware State Police and FBI criminal history checks plus a Child Protection Registry check before working in a licensed child care facility. Checks are scheduled through the State Bureau of Identification / IdentoGO using the service code supplied by the Office of Child Care Licensing, now under the Department of Education's Office of Early Learning.

   Official government source

   $85 per person for the combined certified Delaware and federal (FBI) criminal history; $72 for a Delaware-only check·1–4 weeks

   $85 per person for the combined certified Delaware and federal (FBI) criminal history; $72 for a Delaware-only check

   1–4 weeks

1. Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing — Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in Delaware must be licensed by the Office of Child Care Licensing, now under the Department of Education's Office of Early Learning (the former kids.delaware.gov page redirects there). Licensure requires criminal background and child-abuse registry checks, health and fire safety inspections, and compliance with staff-to-child ratios. Licenses are issued for one year.

   Official government source

   No state licensing fee (Delaware Business First Steps lists the child care license fee as None); background checks, inspections, and facility upgrades are separate costs·6–12 weeks

   No state licensing fee (Delaware Business First Steps lists the child care license fee as None); background checks, inspections, and facility upgrades are separate costs

   6–12 weeks

2. City of Dover Planning and Inspections Department — Business License

   Every business operating within Dover city limits must hold a city business license (City Code ch. 26, art. II), separate from any Certificate of Occupancy for the space. Fees are set per business-type category in Appendix F, most recently revised by Ordinance 2024-22 (adopted July 8, 2024). Manufacturers and contractors instead pay a rate on gross receipts, and merchants and bottlers a rate on gross purchases for resale, each with a minimum fee. Licenses are annual and prorated quarterly for businesses that start mid-year.

   Official government source

   Set per category in Appendix F — e.g. barber or beautician $64, manicurist $32, massage therapist $60, fitness trainer $72, food truck $180, eating establishment $128, car wash $192, health spa/club $192, pest control $96, photographer $128; businesses not listed pay $52 (1–3 employees) to $320 (51–100 employees). Contractors and manufacturers pay $0.00046 of gross receipts (minimum $128); merchants and bottlers $0.00046 of gross purchases for resale (minimum $64).·1–3 weeks

   Set per category in Appendix F — e.g. barber or beautician $64, manicurist $32, massage therapist $60, fitness trainer $72, food truck $180, eating establishment $128, car wash $192, health spa/club $192, pest control $96, photographer $128; businesses not listed pay $52 (1–3 employees) to $320 (51–100 employees). Contractors and manufacturers pay $0.00046 of gross receipts (minimum $128); merchants and bottlers $0.00046 of gross purchases for resale (minimum $64).

   1–3 weeks

3. City of Dover Building and Fire Safety Inspection (child care)

   A child care center in Dover must pass building and fire safety inspections carried out by the City of Dover Department of Planning and Inspections — covering means of egress, fire suppression and alarms, accessibility, and child-safety standards — before the Office of Child Care Licensing will issue its licence. Kent County has no role inside city limits. A Certificate of Occupancy for the day care use is issued once the inspections pass.

   Official government source

   Dover does not publish its inspection and Certificate of Occupancy fees online — request the current amounts from Planning and Inspections (302-736-7010, [email protected])·2–6 weeks

   Dover does not publish its inspection and Certificate of Occupancy fees online — request the current amounts from Planning and Inspections (302-736-7010, [email protected])

   2–6 weeks

Official Sources

• Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing — Child Care Center License
• City of Dover Planning and Inspections Department

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