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Childcare License in Tennessee: Cost, Steps & How to File

Childcare License in Tennessee sits at the intersection of state, county, and city rules — which is why nobody hands you a single checklist. Below: who issues it in Tennessee, then the general process, with the numbers you should confirm at the source rather than take on faith.

Typical cost (US range)
$25–$2,000
Typical timeline
60–180 days
Renewal
Usually annual, with unannounced inspections.
Who needs it
in-home daycare providers and childcare centers

Who issues a Childcare License in Tennessee

In Tennessee, a childcare license is issued by the office below. That is the office to confirm every figure with.

Starting point for anything else in Tennessee: the state business portal, https://sos.tn.gov/businesses. It is a starting point, not the issuer of this permit.

The general US process

This sequence is the shape the process takes across the US. It is not a list of Tennessee requirements, and no step here should be read as one — the issuing office named above sets the actual requirements.

  1. Step 1: Work out which licence category you fall into. Home-based care and centre-based care are licensed differently, and the capacity boundary between them is set by the state.
  2. Step 2: Complete the orientation and pre-service training the state requires.
  3. Step 3: Hold current paediatric CPR and first aid certification.
  4. Step 4: Clear background checks — for you, for staff, and in home-based care usually for other adults in the household.
  5. Step 5: Pass the safety inspection of the space: fire, water temperature, medication storage, outdoor area and fencing.
  6. Step 6: Provide the health and immunisation records the state asks for.
  7. Step 7: Arrange liability insurance where the state or your local rules require it.

What varies: the capacity thresholds, training hours, ratios, whether relative care is exempt, and the inspection regime.

Documents usually asked for

A typical list, not a Tennessee checklist.

Heads up: A common and expensive assumption: that one filing covers every level of government. It rarely does. State, county and city each run their own list, and clearing one says nothing about the other two.

Related permits in Tennessee

Business License in TennesseeEmployer Registration in Tennessee

Childcare License in states bordering Tennessee

Rules stop at the state line — same permit, each state bordering Tennessee:

Childcare License in AlabamaChildcare License in ArkansasChildcare License in GeorgiaChildcare License in KentuckyChildcare License in MississippiChildcare License in MissouriChildcare License in North CarolinaChildcare License in Virginia

See Childcare License in all 50 states & DC →

Frequently asked questions

Who issues a childcare license in Tennessee?

The state office named at the top of this page.

How much does a childcare license cost in Tennessee?

We don't publish a Tennessee figure we haven't verified. The typical US range is $25–$2,000. The office named above has the real number for your address.

How long does it take to get a childcare license in Tennessee?

Typical US processing is 60–180 days, and expedited handling is often available for a fee. The issuing office publishes its own turnaround, and that is the number to trust.

Nothing on this page is a verified Tennessee requirement beyond the office name above — we hold no researched figure or rule for Tennessee here yet, so this page is left out of search until we do. Everything else — the numbered process, the document list, the cost and timeline — is the general US pattern, not a Tennessee rule, and is labelled that way above. Requirements, fees and deadlines are set by the issuing office; confirm with it before you file or pay.