Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Nashua, NH

Complete permit and license guide for starting a daycare / child care center in Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

Verified 2026-09-06 6 stops $500–$2,000 est. 8–16 weeks to obtain all licenses and pass inspections
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Not legal advice. Requirements may change — always verify with your local government authority before applying. Key agencies and fees on this page were re-checked against official government sources on .

Federal — start here

1 stop

  1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

    Official government source

    FreeImmediate (online application)

State of New Hampshire

2 stops

  1. New Hampshire — No Sales Tax

    New Hampshire has no state sales tax and no local sales taxes, so businesses need no sales tax permit or resale registration for sales tax purposes. Businesses may instead owe the Business Enterprise Tax and the Business Profits Tax, both administered by the NH Department of Revenue Administration; BET paid can be credited against BPT. Restaurants, caterers and lodging operators separately collect the Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax and must hold a DRA license for it. Filing and payment are handled through DRA's Granite Tax Connect portal.

    Official government source

    No fee to register for business taxes with DRA. For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a BET return is due from any enterprise with more than $298,000 in gross receipts or an enterprise value tax base above $298,000; the BET rate is 0.55%Immediate — registration and filing are done online through Granite Tax Connect

  2. New Hampshire Child Care Background Record Check

    The DHHS Child Care Licensing Unit requires a comprehensive Background Record Check for all child care staff, substitutes, other employees, volunteers who may be alone with children or counted in ratios, and household members aged 18 or older, submitted through the NH Connections (NHCIS) portal. The check covers a NH criminal record check, the state Abuse and Neglect Registry, the NH Sex Offender Registry, a national FBI criminal history check requiring LiveScan fingerprints, the National Sex Offender Registry, and out-of-state checks for every state lived in during the past five years.

    Official government source

    $27.00 per person for the NH Criminal History Record Information check, payable to "State of NH - Criminal Records," plus the LiveScan vendor's fingerprinting feeThe Child Care Licensing Unit makes its determination when all results are back or 45 days after a complete submission, whichever comes first

City of Nashua / Hillsborough County

3 stops

  1. New Hampshire DHHS Child Care Licensing Unit — Child Care License

    Child care programs in New Hampshire are licensed by the DHHS Child Care Licensing Unit, which licenses seven categories: family child care homes, family group child care homes, group child care centers, child care nurseries, school age programs, night care programs and residential child care programs. Licensure begins with a complete application package — incomplete packages are returned — including personnel health forms, a Health Officer Report, a Life Safety Compliance Report, zoning verification and a staff and household list, plus background record checks submitted through the NH Connections portal. An on-site evaluation follows, and the program must comply with staff-to-child ratio, health and fire safety rules.

    Official government source

    No license fee is published by the Child Care Licensing Unit; the background record check costs $27.00 per person for the NH criminal record check plus the LiveScan fingerprinting vendor's feeNo licensing processing time is published; background record check determinations are made when all results are back or 45 days after a complete submission, whichever comes first

  2. City of Nashua — No General Business License

    The City of Nashua does not require a general business license. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific enumerated activities: chauffeurs (taxi drivers), taxicabs, pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, itinerant vendors and hawkers/peddlers, amusement devices, and shows such as carnivals and concerts, plus separate permits for raffles, tag days and public events. A business outside these categories does not need a Nashua business license; confirm with the City Clerk (603-589-3010) if unsure.

    Official government source

    Not applicable for most businesses; enumerated categories are published: taxicab $100/year, chauffeur $80/year, pawnbroker/secondhand dealer $50/year, shows $50, vendors $10/day, $25/week or $100/year, raffles $10, tag days freeNot applicable

  3. City of Nashua Building Safety Department and Fire Marshal's Office — Building and Fire Safety Inspection

    Child care centers must pass building and fire inspections through the City of Nashua Building Safety Department and the Fire Marshal's Office — both city departments; Hillsborough County has no role. Inspections cover egress and fire suppression, accessibility, and child-proofing. Nashua's Environmental Health Department also inspects child care facilities.

    Official government source

    Set by the City's adopted permit fee schedule (Ordinance O-21-045); confirm the amounts for your project with the Building Safety Department (603-589-3080)Confirm scheduling with the Building Safety Department and Fire Marshal's Office

Terminus

Open for business — est. $500–$2,000 · 8–16 weeks to obtain all licenses and pass inspections

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