Daycare / Child Care Center 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 Background Check Requirement

   All staff, volunteers and, for family child care, household members age 10 and over in Wisconsin child care settings must pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check through the state and the FBI. Fingerprints are scheduled and captured through Fieldprint Wisconsin. Under the Caregiver Background Law (Wis. Stat. 48.686), new fingerprints are required every five years for everyone working or residing in a child care.

   Official government source

   DCF publishes no fee - fingerprinting is scheduled and paid through Fieldprint Wisconsin, which sets the price. Check fieldprintwisconsin.com when you book the appointment.·Not published by DCF. Fingerprints must be renewed every five years after the initial fingerprint for everyone working or residing in a child care (Wis. Stat. 48.686).

   DCF publishes no fee - fingerprinting is scheduled and paid through Fieldprint Wisconsin, which sets the price. Check fieldprintwisconsin.com when you book the appointment.

   Not published by DCF. Fingerprints must be renewed every five years after the initial fingerprint for everyone working or residing in a child care (Wis. Stat. 48.686).

1. Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in Wisconsin must be licensed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Licensing requires fingerprint-based background checks, a building inspection, compliance with staff-to-child ratios and health and safety training. Licenses run two years; a new center is first issued a six-month probationary license.

   Official government source

   Wisconsin DCF licensing fees are set by formula, not a flat amount. Family child care (4-8 children): $15.12 initial six-month probationary fee, then $60.50 per two-year license. Group child care (9 or more children): $45.68 non-refundable initial fee, then $30.25 base plus $16.94 per child of licensed capacity per two-year license.·Not published by DCF - licensing follows orientation, application, background checks and a pre-licensing inspection. Confirm current processing times with your DCF regional licensing office.

   Wisconsin DCF licensing fees are set by formula, not a flat amount. Family child care (4-8 children): $15.12 initial six-month probationary fee, then $60.50 per two-year license. Group child care (9 or more children): $45.68 non-refundable initial fee, then $30.25 base plus $16.94 per child of licensed capacity per two-year license.

   Not published by DCF - licensing follows orientation, application, background checks and a pre-licensing inspection. Confirm current processing times with your DCF regional licensing office.

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

3. City of Green Bay - Building and Fire Safety Inspection (child care)

   A child care center in Green Bay must pass building and fire-safety inspections run by the City of Green Bay's Department of Community & Economic Development (building inspection) and the Green Bay Fire Department - not by Brown County. Inspectors check egress, fire suppression, accessibility and code compliance before occupancy is signed off.

   Official government source

   City of Green Bay Fee Schedule: fire inspection $50.00 (3,000 sq ft or less), $100.00 (3,001-10,000 sq ft), $150.00 (10,001-50,000 sq ft), $250.00 (50,001 sq ft or more), reinspection $75.00 (Sec. 18-65). Certificate of occupancy $75.00; commercial zoning certificate (initial letter) $100.00. Buildout is charged separately: commercial construction $0.07/sq ft (building group 1) or $0.14/sq ft (group 2), plus $125.00 for each commercial plan review (building, HVAC or plumbing).·Not published - confirm current review and inspection scheduling with the City of Green Bay Department of Community & Economic Development and the Green Bay Fire Department.

   City of Green Bay Fee Schedule: fire inspection $50.00 (3,000 sq ft or less), $100.00 (3,001-10,000 sq ft), $150.00 (10,001-50,000 sq ft), $250.00 (50,001 sq ft or more), reinspection $75.00 (Sec. 18-65). Certificate of occupancy $75.00; commercial zoning certificate (initial letter) $100.00. Buildout is charged separately: commercial construction $0.07/sq ft (building group 1) or $0.14/sq ft (group 2), plus $125.00 for each commercial plan review (building, HVAC or plumbing).

   Not published - confirm current review and inspection scheduling with the City of Green Bay Department of Community & Economic Development and the Green Bay Fire Department.

Official Sources

• Wisconsin Department of Children and Families — Child Care Center License
• City of Green Bay Office of the City Clerk

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