Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Kansas City, KS

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. Kansas Department of Revenue — Retailer's Sales Tax License

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Kansas. Kansas charges a 6.5% state sales tax; local jurisdictions may impose additional taxes. Register with the Kansas Department of Revenue.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

2. Kansas Child Care Background Check Requirement

   Under K.S.A. 65-516 no one may maintain a child care facility where an employee, resident, volunteer or household member has a disqualifying criminal or child-abuse-registry record. The state runs both a Kansas record check and a fingerprint-based national (FBI) criminal history check for staff, volunteers and, in a family child care home, everyone residing there. Child care licensing and these checks moved from KDHE to the Kansas Office of Early Childhood effective July 1, 2026, so applications and fingerprint submissions now go through KOEC.

   Official government source

   The fingerprint fee is fixed by rule and regulation on a cost-recovery basis under K.S.A. 65-516(g) — the statute sets no dollar figure and the amount is charged per person. Confirm the current amount with the Kansas Office of Early Childhood before budgeting for a staff roster.·Not published as a fixed turnaround. Fingerprints must clear before a person may work unsupervised, so submit them well before a planned opening or hire date.

   The fingerprint fee is fixed by rule and regulation on a cost-recovery basis under K.S.A. 65-516(g) — the statute sets no dollar figure and the amount is charged per person. Confirm the current amount with the Kansas Office of Early Childhood before budgeting for a staff roster.

   Not published as a fixed turnaround. Fingerprints must clear before a person may work unsupervised, so submit them well before a planned opening or hire date.

1. Kansas Office of Early Childhood — Child Care Facility License

   Child care centers in Kansas are licensed by the Kansas Office of Early Childhood, which took over child care licensing from KDHE on July 1, 2026 under 2025 House Bill 2045; KDHE's own page now redirects providers to KOEC. Licensing covers fingerprint background checks for staff, health and fire safety inspections, and staff-to-child ratios.

   Official government source

   No annual license fee — K.S.A. 65-505 charges an annual fee only for maternity centers, child placement agencies and resource and referral agencies, not for child care facilities. A $48 comprehensive fingerprint background check applies per covered staff member (reinstated Jan. 1, 2026).·Apply at least 90 days before your anticipated opening date, which is the lead time the licensing program asks providers to allow.

   No annual license fee — K.S.A. 65-505 charges an annual fee only for maternity centers, child placement agencies and resource and referral agencies, not for child care facilities. A $48 comprehensive fingerprint background check applies per covered staff member (reinstated Jan. 1, 2026).

   Apply at least 90 days before your anticipated opening date, which is the lead time the licensing program asks providers to allow.

2. Unified Government of Wyandotte County / Kansas City, KS — Occupation Tax License

   Kansas City, KS requires every business to register. The Unified Government states that operating a business or performing a service in the city requires an occupation tax licence, issued by the Business License Division of the Neighborhood Resource Center at 4953 State Avenue (913-573-8780) — not the Finance Department. All businesses physically located in KCK must register annually and pay the occupation tax unless exempted by ordinance, and businesses based outside the city but working in it must register too. Zoning approval comes first: a Commercial Zoning Memorandum plus a Building Inspection zoning inspection for a commercial location, or a Home Occupied Zoning Memorandum for a home-based business. Some activities need an additional regulatory licence — alcohol, massage establishments and security companies are routed to the police department for background check and chief's approval, food and lodging go to the Kansas Department of Agriculture for health inspection, and daycares, restaurants with open grills or fryers, salvage yards and welding operations need fire inspection before opening.

   Official government source

   The occupation tax is set by business classification in the Unified Government's ordinance rather than by gross revenue tier; the Business License Division quotes the amount at 913-573-8780 and provides all forms free of charge, noting there is no need to pay a third-party filing service.·Not published as a fixed turnaround. The Unified Government describes the process as quick and straightforward; zoning review is the first step, and a building inspection can usually be scheduled the next business day after zoning approval, with all utilities connected.

   The occupation tax is set by business classification in the Unified Government's ordinance rather than by gross revenue tier; the Business License Division quotes the amount at 913-573-8780 and provides all forms free of charge, noting there is no need to pay a third-party filing service.

   Not published as a fixed turnaround. The Unified Government describes the process as quick and straightforward; zoning review is the first step, and a building inspection can usually be scheduled the next business day after zoning approval, with all utilities connected.

3. Kansas City, KS — Building and Fire Safety Inspection for a Child Care Center

   A child care center in Kansas City, KS must clear the Unified Government's local inspections before opening, separately from the state child care licence issued by the Kansas Office of Early Childhood. The sequence is: zoning approval through the Business License Division (Commercial Zoning Memorandum, reviewed by Planning and Urban Design), then a Building Inspection life-safety and occupancy inspection at 913-573-8620 covering construction standards, accessibility and exits, then a fire inspection — the Unified Government names daycares specifically among the activities that require fire inspection and approval before the business opens, booked directly with the Fire Marshal's office at 913-573-5550. All utilities must be connected for the building inspection to proceed.

   Official government source

   The Unified Government does not publish a flat inspection fee; building and trade permit charges depend on the scope of any buildout and are quoted by Building Inspection at 913-573-8620. The occupation tax licence is billed separately by business classification.·Not published as a fixed turnaround. Zoning review comes first; a building inspection can usually be scheduled the next business day after zoning approval, while the fire inspection is scheduled directly with the Fire Marshal's office.

   The Unified Government does not publish a flat inspection fee; building and trade permit charges depend on the scope of any buildout and are quoted by Building Inspection at 913-573-8620. The occupation tax licence is billed separately by business classification.

   Not published as a fixed turnaround. Zoning review comes first; a building inspection can usually be scheduled the next business day after zoning approval, while the fire inspection is scheduled directly with the Fire Marshal's office.

Official Sources

• Kansas Department of Health and Environment — Child Care Facility License
• Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City Finance Department

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