Daycare / Child Care Center Permit Requirements in Morgantown, 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 must be licensed by the Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA), part of the WV Department of Human Services. Requires background checks, health and fire safety inspections, and staff ratio compliance under Title 78 Series 1 Child Care Center Licensing Regulations.

   Official government source

   Fee not published on the official site; contact BFA (350 Capitol Street, Charleston) for current requirements·6–12 weeks

   Fee not published on the official site; contact BFA (350 Capitol Street, Charleston) for current requirements

   6–12 weeks

2. City of Morgantown Finance Department — Municipal Business License

   Every business operating inside Morgantown city limits must hold a Municipal Business License issued by the city Finance Department (304-284-7408) and applied for through the Morgantown Access Portal. You must first hold a WV State Business Registration Certificate, and if you have a physical location in the city you must also obtain a Certificate of Occupancy ($65) before the license will issue. Licenses run on the city fiscal year and expire June 30, so renew on or before July 1. The license is separate from the city's Business & Occupation (B&O) gross-receipts tax and its municipal service fee on employees and self-employed owners working in the city.

   Official government source

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately·1–3 weeks

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately

   1–3 weeks

3. Monongalia County / Morgantown Building and Fire Safety Inspection

   Child care centers in Morgantown must pass building and fire safety inspections (Planning, Engineering, Fire, and Code Enforcement) as part of the Certificate of Occupancy process, which carries a $65 flat application fee. No separate 'building and fire safety inspection' fee is published.

   Official government source

   $65 (Certificate of Occupancy application fee, which bundles this inspection); confirm if any separate fire-inspection fee applies with Morgantown Code Enforcement·2–6 weeks

   $65 (Certificate of Occupancy application fee, which bundles this inspection); confirm if any separate fire-inspection fee applies with Morgantown Code Enforcement

   2–6 weeks

Official Sources

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

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