Food Truck Permit Requirements in Madison, 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. Public Health Madison & Dane County - Mobile Food Establishment License

   Food trucks and carts operating in Madison are licensed as mobile food establishments - held to the same food code as a restaurant. File the Mobile Food Establishment licensing application with the Madison City Clerk's Office, send your operational plan and cart and base plans to the Environmental Health Division of Public Health Madison & Dane County for approval, and pass a pre-inspection before the license is issued. Most mobiles also need a separate licensed service base. Licenses renew annually.

   Official government source

   Mobile food establishments are charged on the PHMDC retail food fee schedule (effective May 4, 2026) by anticipated gross annual food sales and food-handling complexity, plus a one-time pre-inspection/plan review fee. Lowest tier serving meals ($0-$10,000 in sales): $266.76 PHMDC annual fee + $14.70-$75.60 state annual fee + $562.50 pre-inspection = $843.96-$904.86 for a new license; renewal is the PHMDC fee plus the state fee. A mobile service base with no food processing is $266.76 + $6.30 + $150.00 = $423.06 for a new license.·Not published - the license is issued once the application and fee are processed and the pre-inspection is complete. Call (608) 242-6515 to schedule the pre-inspection.

   Mobile food establishments are charged on the PHMDC retail food fee schedule (effective May 4, 2026) by anticipated gross annual food sales and food-handling complexity, plus a one-time pre-inspection/plan review fee. Lowest tier serving meals ($0-$10,000 in sales): $266.76 PHMDC annual fee + $14.70-$75.60 state annual fee + $562.50 pre-inspection = $843.96-$904.86 for a new license; renewal is the PHMDC fee plus the state fee. A mobile service base with no food processing is $266.76 + $6.30 + $150.00 = $423.06 for a new license.

   Not published - the license is issued once the application and fee are processed and the pre-inspection is complete. Call (608) 242-6515 to schedule the pre-inspection.

2. City of Madison - No General Business License

   The City of Madison does not have a general/generic business license. Per the city's own guidance: "The City of Madison does not have a generic business license. Most licenses issued by the Clerk's Office are for things that need to be inspected" (e.g. restaurants, pools, hotels). There is no general or blanket business license and no annual renewal or display requirement for most business types. The Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco and vaping, adult entertainment, secondhand dealers, transportation and tattooing among them. A Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Inspection Division is still required for a commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 - Madison has no general or blanket business license. Fees apply only to the specific regulated activities the Clerk's Office licenses. If you are taking a commercial space, the Certificate of Occupancy is $10.00 first certificate, $150.00 each additional, or $75.00 for a zoning change of use or occupancy (City of Madison Building Inspection fee schedule).·Not applicable - there is no general city license to apply for.

   $0 - Madison has no general or blanket business license. Fees apply only to the specific regulated activities the Clerk's Office licenses. If you are taking a commercial space, the Certificate of Occupancy is $10.00 first certificate, $150.00 each additional, or $75.00 for a zoning change of use or occupancy (City of Madison Building Inspection fee schedule).

   Not applicable - there is no general city license to apply for.

3. Commissary / Shared Food Facility Agreement

   A mobile food establishment in Madison must operate from an approved base - a licensed commercial kitchen used for food prep, storage, water and waste servicing and cleaning. Submit the Shared Food Facility Agreement with your operational plan and cart and base plans to the Environmental Health Division of Public Health Madison & Dane County before the license is issued. A base that does no food processing is licensed separately as a mobile retail food establishment service base.

   Official government source

   No government fee for the agreement itself - commissary rent is set by the private kitchen you contract with. PHMDC charges for the base license: mobile retail food establishment service base with no processing is $266.76 annual fee + $6.30 state fee + $150.00 pre-inspection = $423.06 for a new license (fee schedule effective May 4, 2026).·Arrange the base before you apply - the signed agreement and plans must be submitted and approved before the license is issued.

   No government fee for the agreement itself - commissary rent is set by the private kitchen you contract with. PHMDC charges for the base license: mobile retail food establishment service base with no processing is $266.76 annual fee + $6.30 state fee + $150.00 pre-inspection = $423.06 for a new license (fee schedule effective May 4, 2026).

   Arrange the base before you apply - the signed agreement and plans must be submitted and approved before the license is issued.

Official Sources

• Madison / Dane County Health Department
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Seller's Permit

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