Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Des Moines, IA

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. Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services in Iowa. The state rate is 6%, and local option sales tax of up to 1% may apply. Iowa taxes about 75 enumerated services, so check whether your service is taxable before assuming you need a permit. Register with the Iowa Department of Revenue online.

   Official government source

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit·Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit

   Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

2. Iowa Background Check Requirement

   All staff, volunteers, and household members (for family daycares) in Iowa child care facilities must undergo criminal history, Iowa Sex Offender Registry, and Iowa Child Abuse Registry checks. Iowa HHS covers record-check costs for Child Development Homes, homes with a Child Care Assistance Provider Agreement, and licensed center staff hired after March 16, 2020; only local fingerprinting rolling fees may apply out-of-pocket.

   Official government source

   Free for most licensed settings (state-covered); local fingerprinting fees may apply·1–4 weeks

   Free for most licensed settings (state-covered); local fingerprinting fees may apply

   1–4 weeks

1. Iowa HHS — Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in Iowa must be licensed by Iowa Health and Human Services. Licensing requires staff background checks (the state covers FBI fingerprint costs for hires after March 16, 2020), a state fire marshal report, staff-to-child ratio compliance, and an annual unannounced monitoring visit.

   Official government source

   Tiered regulatory fee based on capacity, capped by statute at $150 for a center (Iowa Code 237A.4A)·A license is valid for 24 months from issuance and must be renewed before it expires

   Tiered regulatory fee based on capacity, capped by statute at $150 for a center (Iowa Code 237A.4A)

   A license is valid for 24 months from issuance and must be renewed before it expires

2. No Des Moines General Business License Required

   Des Moines has no general or blanket business license, and the Development Services Department does not issue one. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco, transient merchants, mobile food vendors, peddlers, pawnbrokers, theaters, coin-operated machines, solid waste haulers and similar categories. Most businesses need nothing from the Clerk. What a commercial tenant does need is a Certificate of Occupancy for the space, issued by the Permit and Development Center, and home-based businesses go through home occupation review with Zoning Enforcement.

   Official government source

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50·Not applicable

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50

   Not applicable

3. Des Moines Building and Fire Safety Inspection

   A child care center in Des Moines is licensed by Iowa HHS, and passing local building and fire inspections is part of getting there. The Permit and Development Center reviews the buildout, issues the building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits, and issues the Certificate of Occupancy; the Fire Prevention Bureau inspects for fire code compliance including detection, suppression, and egress. Polk County has no role for a center inside the Des Moines city limits.

   Official government source

   Commercial Certificate of Occupancy fee is $51.50; any buildout permits are charged from the published PDC fee schedule (commercial building permit starts at $66.31 and scales with valuation, plus a plan-check fee of 65% of the permit fee)·Plan on 2-6 weeks from permit application to final inspection for a modest tenant buildout

   Commercial Certificate of Occupancy fee is $51.50; any buildout permits are charged from the published PDC fee schedule (commercial building permit starts at $66.31 and scales with valuation, plus a plan-check fee of 65% of the permit fee)

   Plan on 2-6 weeks from permit application to final inspection for a modest tenant buildout

Official Sources

• Iowa Department of Human Services — Child Care Center License
• City of Des Moines Development Services Department

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