Food Truck 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. City of Green Bay - Mobile Food Establishment License

   Food trucks operating in Green Bay obtain a Mobile Food Establishment (Mobile Food Vendor) license from the City Clerk's Office, not from a health department. The license expires annually on December 31 (Green Bay Municipal Code Sec. 10-573). Separately, Brown County Health & Human Services licenses and inspects the unit as a retail food establishment under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 75, including a plan review before you operate.

   Official government source

   $50.00 to obtain the Mobile Food Establishment license to operate and $50.00 to renew - the same amount whether or not the license is tied to an existing City-based food business (City of Green Bay Fee Schedule, Sec. 10-574). Brown County charges a separate retail food license and plan review 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.·Not published. The City license runs to December 31 regardless of when it is issued; the Brown County plan review and inspection must be finished before you operate.

   $50.00 to obtain the Mobile Food Establishment license to operate and $50.00 to renew - the same amount whether or not the license is tied to an existing City-based food business (City of Green Bay Fee Schedule, Sec. 10-574). Brown County charges a separate retail food license and plan review 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.

   Not published. The City license runs to December 31 regardless of when it is issued; the Brown County plan review and inspection must be finished before you operate.

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. Licensed Service Base (Wisconsin's equivalent of a commissary)

   Wisconsin does not use the term commissary. A mobile food establishment must hold two licenses - one for the MFE itself and one for its service base - and must return to that base at least every 24 hours unless operating at a special event where services are available. The base must be designed to support all of the MFE's operations and must provide water filling, wastewater disposal and cleaning facilities; if you process food or wash utensils there, it must meet the applicable sections of the Wisconsin Food Code. The regulatory authority must complete a plan review before the MFE license is issued, and the submission has to identify the licensed base and its amenities. For Green Bay that authority is Brown County Health & Human Services' Environmental Health Unit (920-448-6400), acting as DATCP's agent.

   Official government source

   No government fee for the base arrangement itself - what you pay is rent negotiated privately with the base operator, and no Wisconsin authority publishes a rate. Budget separately for the two licenses and plan review, whose fees are set by Brown County Environmental Health; its 2026-2027 fee schedule is not yet published, so call 920-448-6400 for current amounts.·Secure and document the base before submitting plan review - the base location and amenities are part of the plan review packet, and no MFE license issues until plan review is complete.

   No government fee for the base arrangement itself - what you pay is rent negotiated privately with the base operator, and no Wisconsin authority publishes a rate. Budget separately for the two licenses and plan review, whose fees are set by Brown County Environmental Health; its 2026-2027 fee schedule is not yet published, so call 920-448-6400 for current amounts.

   Secure and document the base before submitting plan review - the base location and amenities are part of the plan review packet, and no MFE license issues until plan review is complete.

Official Sources

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

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