Home Bakery 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 Certified Food Protection Manager (not required of unlicensed home bakers)

   DATCP requires most licensed food establishments to have at least one manager or operator certified in food protection; prepackaged retail food establishments, fresh-produce-only operations, transient events and micro markets are exempt. A home baker producing non-potentially-hazardous baked goods in a home kitchen and selling directly to consumers holds no license at all under Wisconsin's court-ordered exemption (see Wis. Stat. 97.29(1)(dm) and 97.30(1)(bm)), so the requirement does not reach them - but it applies the moment you make potentially hazardous products or sell wholesale, both of which require a license.

   Official government source

   No DATCP fee. Certification is earned by passing an exam from an ANSI-accredited provider on DATCP's approved list, and each provider sets its own price; Wisconsin publishes no figure. Operators with five or fewer food handlers may take an approved recertification course instead of the exam.·Certification runs five years - all food managers except small operators must retake and pass an approved exam every five years.

   No DATCP fee. Certification is earned by passing an exam from an ANSI-accredited provider on DATCP's approved list, and each provider sets its own price; Wisconsin publishes no figure. Operators with five or fewer food handlers may take an approved recertification course instead of the exam.

   Certification runs five years - all food managers except small operators must retake and pass an approved exam every five years.

1. Wisconsin Home Bakery Exemption (no license required)

   Wisconsin does not require home bakers to obtain a license to sell non-potentially-hazardous baked goods (heated above 140F) directly to consumers, following court rulings against DATCP's prior licensing requirement. No DATCP registration or license applies to qualifying home baked goods.

   Official government source

   $0 (no license required for qualifying baked goods)·N/A

   $0 (no license required for qualifying baked goods)

   N/A

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

• Wisconsin Home-Based Food Producer License
• City of Green Bay Office of the City Clerk

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