Event Planning Permit Requirements in Green Bay, WI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if operating as a business entity (LLC or corporation) or if you have employees. Free from the IRS. You will need an EIN to open a business bank account and sign vendor contracts professionally.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Wisconsin Business Registration

   Event planning businesses operating in Wisconsin as an LLC, corporation, or partnership register with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI); Wisconsin has no Secretary of State business-filing role. Wisconsin's DBA (fictitious name) filing under Wis. Stat. 134.17 is narrow: it applies only when a name purporting to be a corporate name is used with intent to obtain credit, and it is recorded with the county Register of Deeds - not a general requirement for all trade names, and not filed at the state or with a county clerk. An LLC provides personal liability protection, which matters when coordinating large events.

   Official government source

   DFI filing fees: limited liability company $130 online / $170 by paper; business corporation $100; limited partnership $70; nonstock corporation $35. Annual report thereafter $25 online ($40 by paper) for an LLC or business corporation.·DFI does not publish a guaranteed standard turnaround; paid expedited service is available at $100 (next business day), $250 (four hours, in person) or $500 (one hour, in person).

   DFI filing fees: limited liability company $130 online / $170 by paper; business corporation $100; limited partnership $70; nonstock corporation $35. Annual report thereafter $25 online ($40 by paper) for an LLC or business corporation.

   DFI does not publish a guaranteed standard turnaround; paid expedited service is available at $100 (next business day), $250 (four hours, in person) or $500 (one hour, in person).

2. Wisconsin Seller's Permit / Business Tax Registration (only if you sell taxable goods)

   Event planning and coordination is not one of the services Wisconsin taxes - it does not appear in the list of taxable services in DOR Publication 201 - so your planning fee is not taxable. You need a seller's permit only if you also make retail sales of tangible goods such as decorations, favors or floral arrangements. One trap does apply to planners: under Pub. 201 Part 11.A(1), rental fees or admission charges for a hall, gymnasium or reception facility used for a recreational, entertainment or amusement event are taxable unless the renter gives you a resale exemption certificate (Form S-211).

   Official government source

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration (BTR) fee if you do need to register, then $10 to renew every two years. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit.·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 (BTR) fee if you do need to register, then $10 to renew every two years. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit.

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

1. Green Bay General 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). Event planning is not a regulated category on the City Clerk's license list, so no general business license is required. If coordinating events on public property (parks, streets), a Special Event Permit is required from Green Bay's Special Events program.

   Official government source

   not applicable·not applicable

   not applicable

   not applicable

2. City of Green Bay Special Event Permit (events in public spaces)

   Events using Green Bay public parks, streets, plazas or other public venues need a Special Event Permit from the City's Special Events program. As the event planner you may be obtaining it on your client's behalf. Expect to supply event details, expected attendance, proof of general liability insurance and, for larger events, a site plan or traffic management plan; the required insurance limit is set case by case rather than by a fixed minimum.

   Official government source

   City of Green Bay Fee Schedule, Sec. 10-428: simple neighbourhood/non-profit event $25.00; small events $50.00 ($100.00 athletic); medium events $175.00 ($200.00 athletic); large events $275.00 ($300.00 athletic); small budget film/photography $25.00; special hazard event $500.00. Late application fees run $13.00 to $250.00 depending on tier.·Not published as a fixed review period, but late application fees apply - file early and confirm the deadline with the City of Green Bay Special Events office.

   City of Green Bay Fee Schedule, Sec. 10-428: simple neighbourhood/non-profit event $25.00; small events $50.00 ($100.00 athletic); medium events $175.00 ($200.00 athletic); large events $275.00 ($300.00 athletic); small budget film/photography $25.00; special hazard event $500.00. Late application fees run $13.00 to $250.00 depending on tier.

   Not published as a fixed review period, but late application fees apply - file early and confirm the deadline with the City of Green Bay Special Events office.

3. No Brown County Temporary Use or Special Event Permit

   Brown County does not issue a temporary use or special event permit. The County's Zoning Division is authorized to issue sanitary and shoreland, wetland and floodplain permits only; general land-use zoning outside the cities and villages is administered by the individual towns. An event on land outside Green Bay city limits is governed by that town's ordinances, and a Brown County permit is needed only if the site sits in a regulated shoreland, wetland or floodplain area. Inside Green Bay, the City's Special Event Permit applies instead.

   Official government source

   $0 - no county temporary use or special event permit exists. Town permit fees, where a town requires one, are set by that town; Brown County shoreland and floodplain permit fees apply only in regulated areas.·Not applicable - there is no county permit to apply for.

   $0 - no county temporary use or special event permit exists. Town permit fees, where a town requires one, are set by that town; Brown County shoreland and floodplain permit fees apply only in regulated areas.

   Not applicable - there is no county permit to apply for.

Official Sources

• Green Bay Business Licensing
• Wisconsin Secretary of State — Business Registration
• IRS EIN Application

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