Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Shreveport, 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 Shreveport Revenue Division — Occupational License

   Shreveport requires an Occupational License for all businesses operating within city limits, administered by the Department of Finance (318-673-5500). A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained first. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.·Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.

   Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

3. Caddo Parish / Shreveport Building and Fire Safety Inspection

   A child care center in Shreveport must obtain a Certificate of Occupancy before opening — inside city limits from the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission zoning office, outside city limits from the Division of Permits and Inspections. Any build-out requires building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits with inspections at rough and final stages, and fire-safety requirements are enforced through the building code and the state fire marshal's review of child care occupancies. The Certificate of Occupancy must be in hand before you apply for the occupational license.

   Official government source

   Certificate of Occupancy $125 for a commercial location ($75 home-based; no fee outside city limits). Inspections are $68.25 each, and reinspections $68.25 each. Construction permits are calculated under Shreveport Code Sec. 22-1 — commercial repairs/alterations $5.25 per $1,000 of contract price, minimum $31.50, with 25% added for commercial plan review.·Not published by the city; the certificate is applied for after building permits are finaled, so timing follows your inspection schedule. Confirm with Permits and Inspections (318-673-6100) and the MPC zoning office (318-673-6480).

   Certificate of Occupancy $125 for a commercial location ($75 home-based; no fee outside city limits). Inspections are $68.25 each, and reinspections $68.25 each. Construction permits are calculated under Shreveport Code Sec. 22-1 — commercial repairs/alterations $5.25 per $1,000 of contract price, minimum $31.50, with 25% added for commercial plan review.

   Not published by the city; the certificate is applied for after building permits are finaled, so timing follows your inspection schedule. Confirm with Permits and Inspections (318-673-6100) and the MPC zoning office (318-673-6480).

Official Sources

• Louisiana Department of Education — Child Care Center License
• City of Shreveport Revenue Division

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