Registrations

The City of Pittsburgh requires the registration of childcare facilities, and is currently offering voluntary registration of rental properties in anticipation of a future mandatory registration. For the specifics and requirements of those two registrations, the Child Care Facility and Rental registrations, please see those sections below.

The licenses below can be applied for either online through the OneStopPGH application platform or in-person at the OneStopPGH Counter at 412 Boulevard of the Allies.

For general information on license issuance, expiration, fees, and more please see the main Business Licenses page.

If you're looking for additional info or clarification on your license or registration requirements you can check out the Rules and Regulations or contact the Application Technicians at pliapptech@pittsburghpa.gov

 

Child Care Facility Registry

 

The City of Pittsburgh requires all child-occupied facilities (including active day cares, pre-schools, or kindergarten classrooms) located in Pre-1978 buildings to register with the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections.

Child-Occupied Facility registration applications will be processed within 5-business days after the date of submission to PLI through the OneStopPGH portal.

Child-Occupied Facility registrations are valid for one year and must be renewed annually. Renewals may be submitted 30-days prior to the registration’s expiration date. PLI will send an email to registrants letting them know when it’s time to renew.

Applications will require submission of a valid Certificate of Occupancy for the location. Please use PLI's search tool for a copy of your Certificate of Occupancy. If you do not have a current and valid Certificate of Occupancy, you must obtain one prior to application, which you can do via the Building Development Application process.

Documents Required at Submission:

  1. Valid Government Issued Photo ID
  2. General Liability Certificate of Insurance showing coverage for the applicant at the location where licensed activity will take place, and listing the City of Pittsburgh as the certificate holder and additionally insured. General liability insurance minimums as follows: $1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate. (The insurance cannot state  "This insurance does not apply to any claim made or suit brought against any insured by any person who makes a claim because of bodily injury to any person who is in the care of any insured because of child care services provided by or at the directions of any insured.")
  3. Certificate of Occupancy for use as a childcare facility. Search for existing certificates of occupancy.

 

Please view the Child-Occupied Facilities Rules and Regulations(PDF, 195KB) for full application requirements and conditions.

Fees

All Child-Occupied Facility registrations will be assessed a registration fee annual renewal fees. Please see the current PLI Fee Schedule for current fees.

Inspection Process

Following issuance of a registration, if the building was constructed prior to 1978, owners and responsible agents will be required to schedule an inspection with PLI. Inspections will be requested through the OneStopPGH customer portal. For more information on how to schedule an inspection please watch How to Request an Inspection. PLI's inspectors will perform a lead dust wipe inspection which will be tested by an approved vendor.

If the facility fails the initial lead test, inspections will be performed yearly until the facility passes the lead test, after which point the inspections will be performed every three years.

Please email plicodeenforcementsupervisors@pittsburghpa.gov with any questions about the inspection process.

 

Rental Registration

 

On December 19, 2024, the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI) launched the Residential Housing Rental Permit Program, also known as a rental registry, an initiative designed to ensure rental properties in Pittsburgh meet basic health and safety standards. Rental unit owners could voluntarily register for this program.

Rental registry compliance remains voluntary until further notice. Per PLI’s rental permit program and business licensing rules and regulations, program fees are nonrefundable except for instances where PLI collected fees in error. Any fees collected during voluntary compliance will be applied towards amounts due once full program enforcement begins.

At least thirty (30) days before PLI starts full program enforcement, PLI will notify the public by publishing revised Rules and Regulations on our webpage and transmitting these to the City Council. Until that point, PLI does not enforce the program or seek penalties for non-compliance.

These Rules and Regulations(PDF, 343KB) document how PLI will administer this program. This inspection checklist(PDF, 244KB) lists the items the PLI inspector will inspect. This document includes hyperlinks to referenced codes and regulations.

Owners or their agents may submit a rental permit registration via the OneStopPGH portal or at the OneStopPGH counter located on the first floor of 412 Boulevard of the Allies. The current program fees are:

  • $16.00 flat fee per rental unit for permit registration.
  • $5.50 flat fee per rental until for permit inspection.
  • $14.00 fee per dwelling or sleeping unit for permit inspection.

For example, the registration and inspection fees for an apartment building with four (4) units are $77.50. The rental renewal fee for this example, after passing an inspection, is $16.00.

Please email plicodeenforcementsupervisors@pittsburghpa.gov with questions about this program.

last updated: 07/31/2026

Back to top