Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Huntington, 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 Bureau for Family Assistance — Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in West Virginia are licensed by the Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA), part of the WV Department of Human Services — not the Department of Health, and not the former Bureau for Children and Families, which no longer exists after the 2023 DHHR reorganization. Licensing follows Title 78 Series 1, Child Care Center Licensing Regulations, and requires background checks, health and fire safety inspections and staff-to-child ratio compliance. Cabell-Huntington Health Department separately permits and inspects day care facilities locally.

   Official government source

   BFA does not publish a licensing fee on its official site; the local health department day care permit is a separate charge — confirm both before budgeting·6–12 weeks

   BFA does not publish a licensing fee on its official site; the local health department day care permit is a separate charge — confirm both before budgeting

   6–12 weeks

2. City of Huntington Finance Department — General Business License

   Huntington requires a General Business License for businesses operating within city limits. The Finance Department processes applications; a copy of the WV Business Registration Certificate is required. The license must be renewed annually (July 1-June 30) and displayed at your place of business. A Business & Occupation gross-receipts tax and a $5/week/employee City Service Fee apply separately.

   Official government source

   $20 flat annual fee, plus B&O gross-receipts tax and $5/week/employee City Service Fee·1–3 weeks

   $20 flat annual fee, plus B&O gross-receipts tax and $5/week/employee City Service Fee

   1–3 weeks

3. City of Huntington Building Permit, Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy (child care center)

   Child care centers in Huntington must pass building and fire safety inspections (ADA accessibility, fire suppression, exits, child-proofing) as part of the City's building permit and Certificate of Occupancy process. Inspections are requested through the Inspections & Permits Division; there is no separate stand-alone 'child care inspection' permit. Fire inspection is coordinated with the Huntington Fire Marshal.

   Official government source

   $20 building permit application fee plus a permit fee set by total project cost (published schedule: $0 under $500, $50.50 at $5,000, $80.50 at $10,000, $283 at $50,000, $433 at $100,000, then +$2.50 per additional $1,000). Certificate of Occupancy is a separate flat $75. No separate inspection fee.·2–6 weeks

   $20 building permit application fee plus a permit fee set by total project cost (published schedule: $0 under $500, $50.50 at $5,000, $80.50 at $10,000, $283 at $50,000, $433 at $100,000, then +$2.50 per additional $1,000). Certificate of Occupancy is a separate flat $75. No separate inspection fee.

   2–6 weeks

Official Sources

• West Virginia Department of Health — Child Care Center License
• City of Huntington City Clerk

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