Fitness Studio Permit Requirements in Green Bay, WI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required for LLCs, corporations, and any business with employees. Free from the IRS. You will need this to open a business bank account, hire staff, and file taxes.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

2. ADA Compliance

   Fitness studios open to the public must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This includes accessible entrances, restrooms, parking, and accessible fitness equipment (where feasible). Compliance is enforced by the Department of Justice.

   Official government source

   Cost of accessible design (varies)·Required before opening

   Cost of accessible design (varies)

   Required before opening

1. Wisconsin DFI - Register Your Business Entity

   File with the Department of Financial Institutions to create the legal entity: Articles of Organization for an LLC, or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation. Wisconsin has no state-level license for fitness studios or health clubs - no gym, health club, personal trainer or fitness instructor credential appears in DSPS's A-Z list of licensed professions - so DFI registration plus DOR tax registration is the state-level baseline. A sole proprietor or general partnership files nothing with DFI to exist, but also gets no liability shield.

   Official government source

   Domestic LLC Articles of Organization: $130.00 filed online, $170.00 on paper. Domestic business corporation Articles of Incorporation: $100.00 either way. Annual report thereafter: $25.00 online or $40.00 on paper. Optional expedited counter service is $250.00 for four-hour or $500.00 for one-hour handling.·Online filings are processed through DFI's online system; DFI publishes no standard paper turnaround, which is what the $250/$500 expedited options exist for.

   Domestic LLC Articles of Organization: $130.00 filed online, $170.00 on paper. Domestic business corporation Articles of Incorporation: $100.00 either way. Annual report thereafter: $25.00 online or $40.00 on paper. Optional expedited counter service is $250.00 for four-hour or $500.00 for one-hour handling.

   Online filings are processed through DFI's online system; DFI publishes no standard paper turnaround, which is what the $250/$500 expedited options exist for.

2. Wisconsin Seller's Permit / Business Tax Registration (required for a fitness studio)

   This is not optional for a gym. Wisconsin taxes 'the privilege of access to or the use of amusement, entertainment, athletic, or recreational facilities for dues, fees, or other considerations' (DOR Publication 201, Part 11.A(1)), which covers memberships, class fees and drop-in charges, alongside any merchandise or drinks sold on site. The rate is 5% state plus a 0.5% county tax in the seventy counties that impose one. The two exceptions to that 0.5%: Milwaukee County is 0.9%, and the City of Milwaukee adds a 2% city tax - the only municipal sales tax in Wisconsin - for 7.9% inside the city.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration (BTR) fee, 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 before you take your first membership payment. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time.

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration (BTR) fee, 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 before you take your first membership payment. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time.

3. Personal Trainer / Group Fitness Certifications - an employer standard, not a Wisconsin license

   Wisconsin does not license personal trainers or group fitness instructors: neither appears in DSPS's A-Z list of the professions the department licenses, so no state credential, exam or CE requirement exists. Certification is a hiring and insurance standard instead. Studios and their liability carriers typically want an NCCA-accredited credential - NASM, ACE, ACSM, NSCA or ISSA - plus current CPR/AED for all floor staff. Because there is no state standard, which credential is accepted is set by the employer or the insurer, so confirm before paying for a program.

   Official government source

   No state fee. Exam and course prices are set by each private certifying body and change with their promotions; Wisconsin publishes no schedule, so price the specific body you intend to use rather than relying on a range.·Set by the certifying body, not the state - self-study programs are typically sold with a fixed study window ending in a proctored exam.

   No state fee. Exam and course prices are set by each private certifying body and change with their promotions; Wisconsin publishes no schedule, so price the specific body you intend to use rather than relying on a range.

   Set by the certifying body, not the state - self-study programs are typically sold with a fixed study window ending in a proctored exam.

1. Green Bay — Business / Occupational 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). Fitness studios are not a regulated category on the City Clerk's license list, so no general business license applies. You will need building-permit and occupancy approval from the City's Dept. of Community & Economic Development before opening (see Building Permits & Inspections).

   Official government source

   not applicable·not applicable

   not applicable

   not applicable

2. City of Green Bay - Building Permit & Certificate of Occupancy

   If you are building out, renovating, or changing the use of a commercial space for your fitness studio, you will need building permits from the City of Green Bay's Department of Community & Economic Development. Occupancy/change-of-use approval is required before legally operating, and electrical, plumbing and fire safety inspections are typically required. Brown County does not issue building permits inside the city.

   Official government source

   City of Green Bay Fee Schedule: commercial plan approval $125.00 principal-use building plan, $125.00 HVAC/mechanical systems plan, $125.00 plumbing system plan, $75.00 sign structural plan. Commercial construction permits $0.07/sq ft (building group 1) or $0.14/sq ft (group 2). Commercial electrical permits by project cost: $100.00 ($0-$10,000) rising to $600.00 (over $300,000). Certificate of occupancy $75.00.·Not published - confirm current review times with the City of Green Bay Department of Community & Economic Development.

   City of Green Bay Fee Schedule: commercial plan approval $125.00 principal-use building plan, $125.00 HVAC/mechanical systems plan, $125.00 plumbing system plan, $75.00 sign structural plan. Commercial construction permits $0.07/sq ft (building group 1) or $0.14/sq ft (group 2). Commercial electrical permits by project cost: $100.00 ($0-$10,000) rising to $600.00 (over $300,000). Certificate of occupancy $75.00.

   Not published - confirm current review times with the City of Green Bay Department of Community & Economic Development.

3. Green Bay Fire Department - Fire Inspection (assembly occupancy)

   Fitness studios open to the public must comply with fire safety codes. The City of Green Bay charges fire inspection fees under Green Bay Municipal Code Ch. 18, Art. III, and fire/life-safety review is also part of the City's building permit and occupancy process (Department of Community & Economic Development). Occupancy limits, exits, extinguishers, sprinkler systems and egress paths are checked before you can open. The dead /334/Business-Licenses page cited in the original does not cover this.

   Official government source

   Fire inspection fee by floor area (City of Green Bay Fee Schedule, Sec. 18-65): $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 for compliance $75.00.·Not published - confirm scheduling with the Green Bay Fire Department or the Department of Community & Economic Development.

   Fire inspection fee by floor area (City of Green Bay Fee Schedule, Sec. 18-65): $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 for compliance $75.00.

   Not published - confirm scheduling with the Green Bay Fire Department or the Department of Community & Economic Development.

Official Sources

• Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
• Green Bay Business Licensing
• ADA.gov — Fitness Facilities

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