Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Newark, NJ

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. New Jersey Division of Taxation — Sales Tax Certificate of Authority

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in New Jersey. New Jersey charges a 6.625% state sales tax. Most services are exempt; retail product sales and certain services are taxable. Register free online via the State of New Jersey Business Registration portal.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate to 3 business days (online)

   Free

   Immediate to 3 business days (online)

2. New Jersey Child Care Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) Check

   Staff at New Jersey licensed child care centers who are 18 or older must clear a Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) fingerprint background check, which is run through the Department of Human Services CHRI unit and covers both State Police and FBI records. Registered family child care providers, and the adult household members of a family child care home, are screened under the family child care registration rules. Fingerprinting is done by the State's contracted vendor at an appointment you schedule after the provider or centre submits your authorisation. Ask the DCF Office of Licensing (877-667-9845) which form applies to your role, or the DHS CHRI unit at 609-633-3761 for questions about the check itself.

   Official government source

   Paid by the applicant or the centre to the State's fingerprinting vendor; neither DCF nor DHS publishes the amount online, so confirm the current fee with the CHRI unit at 609-633-3761 before scheduling·No published turnaround; schedule fingerprinting as soon as your authorisation is issued because the clearance must be on file before you work with children

   Paid by the applicant or the centre to the State's fingerprinting vendor; neither DCF nor DHS publishes the amount online, so confirm the current fee with the CHRI unit at 609-633-3761 before scheduling

   No published turnaround; schedule fingerprinting as soon as your authorisation is issued because the clearance must be on file before you work with children

1. New Jersey Department of Children and Families — Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in New Jersey must be licensed by the NJ Department of Children and Families (DCF) Office of Licensing under the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers, N.J.A.C. 3A:52. Licensing requires criminal-history background checks for all staff, a fire safety inspection, a health and sanitation inspection, and compliance with staff-to-child ratio and physical-plant requirements. Centers are licensed for a three-year period. The $25 fee you may see quoted elsewhere is for registering a family child care home in a provider's own residence, which is a different program from a center license.

   Official government source

   DCF does not publish a center licensing fee schedule; the Office of Licensing confirms the amount for your licensed capacity when you apply. Budget separately for the fire inspection and staff background checks.·Licenses are issued for a three-year term. A license is issued only once the background checks and the fire and health inspections have all cleared, so start well before your planned opening date.

   DCF does not publish a center licensing fee schedule; the Office of Licensing confirms the amount for your licensed capacity when you apply. Budget separately for the fire inspection and staff background checks.

   Licenses are issued for a three-year term. A license is issued only once the background checks and the fire and health inspections have all cleared, so start well before your planned opening date.

2. City of Newark Business License (category-specific)

   The City of Newark licenses businesses by specific enumerated category (e.g., Restaurant/Eatery, Bakery, Retail, Public Garage, Dog Kennels, Food Caterer, Dry Cleaners, etc.) through its online Business License Portal, rather than issuing one universal registration certificate to every business type. Check the City's license list for your specific business type -- some service businesses (e.g., personal training, tutoring, insurance/real estate sales, cleaning, handyman, massage therapy, landscaping, HVAC/electrical/plumbing contracting, photography, pet sitting) may not appear on Newark's enumerated license list at all. Where a license does apply, it must be displayed at the place of business and renewed per the category's terms.

   Official government source

   Varies by license category; fees are listed per-category on Newark's Business License Portal·1–3 weeks

   Varies by license category; fees are listed per-category on Newark's Business License Portal

   1–3 weeks

3. City of Newark Building Division (Office of Uniform Construction Code) — Building and Fire Safety Inspection

   Child care centers must pass building and fire-safety inspections covering egress, fire protection, accessibility, and child-safety standards. Newark's Building Division administers the Uniform Construction Code building and fire protection subcodes and performs these inspections; this is a City of Newark function, not an Essex County one.

   Official government source

   Newark's UCC permit and certificate fees are set by city ordinance and calculated from the cost of construction and subcode units for the work — request the fee calculation from the Building Division (City Hall, Room B-23).·Inspections are booked through Newark's inspection request process — confirm current lead times with the Building Division.

   Newark's UCC permit and certificate fees are set by city ordinance and calculated from the cost of construction and subcode units for the work — request the fee calculation from the Building Division (City Hall, Room B-23).

   Inspections are booked through Newark's inspection request process — confirm current lead times with the Building Division.

Official Sources

• New Jersey Department of Children and Families — Child Care Center License
• City of Newark Division of Revenue & Finance

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