Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Charleston, WV

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. West Virginia State Tax Department — Business Registration

   Before engaging in business activity in West Virginia every individual or business entity must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the WV Tax Division (WV Code §11-12-1 et seq.), applied for through the Business for West Virginia portal at business4.wv.gov or on form BUS-APP. A separate certificate is needed for each business name and each location. The certificate is permanent — it does not expire — until the legal name, location or ownership changes, and it must be surrendered when the business stops operating in West Virginia. It also authorises you to collect the 6% state sales tax plus any municipal sales tax of up to 1%.

   Official government source

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location·1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location

   1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

2. West Virginia Child Care Background Check (WV CARES)

   Every staff member and volunteer at a West Virginia child care center — and, for family child care homes, adult household members — must clear a state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background investigation through WV CARES, the West Virginia Clearance for Access: Registry and Employment Screening system (WV Code §16-49-1 et seq. and 69CSR10), administered under the WV Bureau for Family Assistance, WV Department of Human Services. A signed WV CARES self-disclosure and consent form must be on file and uploaded no later than the date of hire, and the provider must hold a fitness determination of eligibility from the WV CARES unit before the person works unsupervised. A separate state background check is required for any other state where a staff member has lived.

   Official government source

   Fingerprint and processing fees are set by WV CARES and its vendor and are not published in the child care regulations; confirm the current per-person amount with the Bureau for Family Assistance before budgeting.·1–4 weeks

   Fingerprint and processing fees are set by WV CARES and its vendor and are not published in the child care regulations; confirm the current per-person amount with the Bureau for Family Assistance before budgeting.

   1–4 weeks

1. West Virginia Department of Human Services (Bureau for Family Assistance) — Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in West Virginia must be licensed through the WV Department of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance (early care and education). Requirements include background checks, health and fire safety inspections, and staff-to-child ratio compliance per WV Child Care Center Regulations. Confirm current fee with the Bureau.

   Official government source

   Fee not published online — confirm with WV Dept of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance·6–12 weeks

   Fee not published online — confirm with WV Dept of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance

   6–12 weeks

2. City of Charleston Office of the City Collector — Business Registration / General Business License

   Charleston requires businesses within city limits to register with the Office of the City Collector and obtain a General Business License (flat $20 fee), plus pay the city's Business & Occupation (B&O) privilege tax on gross receipts (rate varies by classification) and a City Service Fee of $3/week per employee working within city limits. Renewed annually and displayed at the place of business.

   Official government source

   $20 flat General Business License fee, plus B&O gross-receipts tax and $3/week per employee City Service Fee·1–3 weeks

   $20 flat General Business License fee, plus B&O gross-receipts tax and $3/week per employee City Service Fee

   1–3 weeks

3. City of Charleston Building and Fire Safety Inspection (child care center)

   A child care center in Charleston must pass inspection and approval for occupancy by the City of Charleston Planning/Zoning, Building and Fire Departments, which sign the Business Registration Application directly. Safety, accessibility, fire suppression and egress are checked, and state child care licensing separately requires health and fire safety inspections. Kanawha County does not operate a building department inside the city. Schedule inspections with the permit office at (304) 348-6833.

   Official government source

   No separate inspection or occupancy fee — sign-off is part of the $20 Business Registration Application; if you do build-out work, construction permit fees follow the city's Schedule of Permit Fees and are waived for total job cost up to $2,500·2–6 weeks

   No separate inspection or occupancy fee — sign-off is part of the $20 Business Registration Application; if you do build-out work, construction permit fees follow the city's Schedule of Permit Fees and are waived for total job cost up to $2,500

   2–6 weeks

Official Sources

• West Virginia Department of Health — Child Care Center License
• City of Charleston Business License Division

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