Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in New Orleans, LA

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. Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Louisiana. The Louisiana state sales tax rate is 5%. Sellers must apply for a sales tax certificate with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana also has parish- and municipal-level sales taxes collected separately by local collectors, so the combined rate varies by parish and you must register with each applicable local collector in addition to the state.

   Official government source

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.·Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

   Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

2. Louisiana Child Care Criminal Background Check (CCCBC)

   Child care licensing in Louisiana is administered by the Louisiana Department of Education, not the Department of Children and Family Services. Every owner, operator, staff member and volunteer at a licensed child care center — and, for family child care and in-home settings, other adults living in the home — must have a satisfactory Child Care Criminal Background Check determination on file before having access to children. The check is fingerprint-based and runs through the Department's Child Care Criminal Background Check system, covering state criminal history, an FBI national fingerprint check, and the state child abuse and neglect and sex offender registries. Fingerprinting has been handled by IDEMIA since May 8, 2023; providers set up an account and can issue No Charge Authorization Codes to cover an applicant's fee.

   Official government source

   LDOE does not publish a per-person amount — the fee is charged by IDEMIA at the fingerprinting appointment, so the '$25-$75' band has no official source. A provider may pay on the applicant's behalf using a No Charge Authorization Code drawn on the provider's account. Confirm the current amount when scheduling.·Not published by LDOE. The determination must be complete and satisfactory before the person has unsupervised access to children, so start the check well before a hire's first day rather than relying on the unsourced '1-4 weeks' estimate.

   LDOE does not publish a per-person amount — the fee is charged by IDEMIA at the fingerprinting appointment, so the '$25-$75' band has no official source. A provider may pay on the applicant's behalf using a No Charge Authorization Code drawn on the provider's account. Confirm the current amount when scheduling.

   Not published by LDOE. The determination must be complete and satisfactory before the person has unsupervised access to children, so start the check well before a hire's first day rather than relying on the unsourced '1-4 weeks' estimate.

1. Louisiana Department of Education — Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in Louisiana must be licensed through the Louisiana Department of Education's Early Childhood Care and Education Division (Child Care Facility Licensing) — not a 'Bureau of Family Support,' which is a Department of Children and Family Services function unrelated to child care licensing. Licensure requires background checks, health and fire safety inspections, and compliance with staff-to-child ratio requirements.

   Official government source

   Annual child care facility licensing fee by licensed capacity: $25 for 15 or fewer children, $100 for 16-50, $175 for 51-100, and $250 for 101 or more. All fees are paid through the Department's online system.·Not published by the Department; the '6-12 weeks' figure has no official source. Licensure follows background checks and health and fire-safety inspections.

   Annual child care facility licensing fee by licensed capacity: $25 for 15 or fewer children, $100 for 16-50, $175 for 51-100, and $250 for 101 or more. All fees are paid through the Department's online system.

   Not published by the Department; the '6-12 weeks' figure has no official source. Licensure follows background checks and health and fire-safety inspections.

2. City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue / Department of Safety and Permits — Business License

   New Orleans requires an Occupational License (annual business tax) and a Certificate of Occupancy for all businesses. The Bureau of Revenue (Department of Finance) handles the Occupational License tax; the Department of Safety and Permits handles occupancy and zoning, issuing a Certificate of Occupancy (No Work) for $190. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   $50/year minimum where gross sales are under $50,000, rising through the city's Occupational License Tax Tables — Table 1 runs to $6,200/year at $5.5M+ in gross sales, well above the claimed $500 ceiling. The Certificate of Occupancy is a separate $190.·Occupational License: not published — a temporary license is generated on approval through the One Stop App and the Amended Return Form is due within the first 40 days of operation. Certificate of Occupancy: same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

   $50/year minimum where gross sales are under $50,000, rising through the city's Occupational License Tax Tables — Table 1 runs to $6,200/year at $5.5M+ in gross sales, well above the claimed $500 ceiling. The Certificate of Occupancy is a separate $190.

   Occupational License: not published — a temporary license is generated on approval through the One Stop App and the Amended Return Form is due within the first 40 days of operation. Certificate of Occupancy: same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

3. Orleans Parish / New Orleans Building and Fire Safety Inspection

   Child care centers in New Orleans must pass building and fire-safety inspections as part of obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy from the Department of Safety and Permits, covering egress, fire suppression and child-proofing standards. A Certificate of Occupancy is required whenever the property's use changes, the building does not meet current codes for the proposed use, or it has been vacant more than six months. The inspection is part of the Certificate of Occupancy process rather than a separately priced service.

   Official government source

   $190 for the Certificate of Occupancy (No Work). No separate fee is published for the building or fire-safety inspection itself.·Certificate of Occupancy: same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

   $190 for the Certificate of Occupancy (No Work). No separate fee is published for the building or fire-safety inspection itself.

   Certificate of Occupancy: same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

Official Sources

• Louisiana Department of Education — Child Care Center License
• City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue / Department of Safety and Permits

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