Catering Business Permit Requirements in Green Bay, WI

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. Wisconsin Department of Revenue - Seller's Permit

   Required of every individual, partnership, corporation or other organization with a Wisconsin sales location making retail sales of taxable products or taxable services, with limited exceptions for wholesalers, manufacturers and certain marketplace sellers. The permit is issued through Business Tax Registration, which also covers withholding and use tax accounts. Rates: 5% state; seventy counties add 0.5%; Milwaukee County is 0.9% and the City of Milwaukee adds 2%, both effective January 1, 2024, so the rate inside Milwaukee is 7.9% - the only Wisconsin city with a municipal sales tax.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration fee, then $10 to renew every two years - it is not free. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit. DOR can additionally require a security deposit of up to $15,000 in some cases, returned after 24 consecutive months of compliance.·Register online through My Tax Account. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time - contact [email protected] or 608-266-2776 to check status.

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration fee, then $10 to renew every two years - it is not free. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit. DOR can additionally require a security deposit of up to $15,000 in some cases, returned after 24 consecutive months of compliance.

   Register online through My Tax Account. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time - contact [email protected] or 608-266-2776 to check status.

2. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection - Certified Food Protection Manager

   Wisconsin requires at least one Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) per licensed food establishment that processes potentially hazardous food. The manager must pass an ANSI-accredited food protection manager examination (for example ServSafe) - not an 'ANSI/ASTM-accredited' exam; ASTM is unrelated to this certification. DATCP oversees retail food safety under the Wisconsin Food Code (ATCP 75).

   Official government source

   No DATCP fee - the examination and any preparatory course are priced by private ANSI-accredited providers.·Certification must be in place shortly after the business opens - Milwaukee's food dealer guidance states 90 days under city ordinance and the Wisconsin Food Code. Confirm the deadline for your establishment with DATCP or your local health department.

   No DATCP fee - the examination and any preparatory course are priced by private ANSI-accredited providers.

   Certification must be in place shortly after the business opens - Milwaukee's food dealer guidance states 90 days under city ordinance and the Wisconsin Food Code. Confirm the deadline for your establishment with DATCP or your local health department.

1. Brown County Health Department - Retail Food License (catering)

   Catering businesses working out of Green Bay must hold a Retail Food license from Brown County Health & Human Services (Environmental Health), which licenses retail food, lodging, recreational water, campgrounds and body art. You need an approved commercial kitchen and must pass a plan review and inspection under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 75 before the license is issued.

   Official government source

   Brown County sets the retail food license fee; the County's 2026-2027 fee schedule had not been posted as of September 2026, so call Brown County Health & Human Services at (920) 448-6400 for the current amount. A plan review fee applies on top of the annual license fee, and paying online carries a 3.75% processing charge.·Not published - the license is issued after the plan review and a pre-opening inspection of the commercial kitchen are complete.

   Brown County sets the retail food license fee; the County's 2026-2027 fee schedule had not been posted as of September 2026, so call Brown County Health & Human Services at (920) 448-6400 for the current amount. A plan review fee applies on top of the annual license fee, and paying online carries a 3.75% processing charge.

   Not published - the license is issued after the plan review and a pre-opening inspection of the commercial kitchen are complete.

2. City of Green Bay Office of the City Clerk — Business License

   Green Bay does not require a general/all-purpose business license. The City Clerk's office (Green Bay Municipal Code Ch. 10) licenses only specific regulated categories (e.g. Adult Entertainment, Alarm Business, Direct Seller/Solicitor, Entertainment Facility, Home-Based Businesses, Junk Collector, Massage Establishments, Mobile Food Vendor, Public Vehicle, Salvage, Secondhand Dealer, Tree & Brush Trimmer). Most business types listed here (barber shop, yoga studio, home bakery, daycare, handyman, cleaning service, photography, auto repair, electrical contractor, tutoring, nail salon, tattoo parlor, pet sitting, catering, personal trainer, hair salon, landscaping, plumbing) do NOT require a general city business license. Massage-therapy businesses need a specific Massage Establishment License, mobile-dog-grooming/pet-sitting need an Animal Establishment License, and food trucks need a Mobile Food Vendor License — each covered separately. Confirm with the City Clerk if unsure.

   Official government source

   no general license fee applies to most business types listed here·not applicable for most listed business types

   no general license fee applies to most business types listed here

   not applicable for most listed business types

Official Sources

• Brown County Health Department
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Seller's Permit

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