Catering Business Permit Requirements in Milwaukee, 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 Milwaukee - Food Dealer License (caterers)

   A Food Dealer License from the City of Milwaukee City Clerk's License Division is required of any person, partnership, association or corporation that manufactures, offers for sale, stores, distributes or sells food in the City of Milwaukee. Caterers operating out of another licensed food dealer's kitchen apply on the Food Dealer License for Shared Kitchen Users form instead. The license is issued by the City Clerk, not a county health department; the Milwaukee Health Department inspects, and the balance of the license fee is invoiced after that inspection. The license runs 12 months from issuance. At least one manager or operator must be certified in food protection within 90 days after the business opens.

   Official government source

   $300 nonrefundable application fee, plus an annual license fee set by establishment type and gross sales. Restaurant with food processing: $525 ($20,000 or less gross sales), $800 ($20,001-$200,000), $1,250 ($200,001-$2,000,000), $1,725 (over $2,000,000). Prepackaged food $250; each additional site $100 (City of Milwaukee Food Dealer License Information, ccl-foodplan).·Not published; the remaining license fee is invoiced after the Health Department inspection.

   $300 nonrefundable application fee, plus an annual license fee set by establishment type and gross sales. Restaurant with food processing: $525 ($20,000 or less gross sales), $800 ($20,001-$200,000), $1,250 ($200,001-$2,000,000), $1,725 (over $2,000,000). Prepackaged food $250; each additional site $100 (City of Milwaukee Food Dealer License Information, ccl-foodplan).

   Not published; the remaining license fee is invoiced after the Health Department inspection.

2. No general business license in Milwaukee

   Milwaukee has no general business license. The City Clerk's License Division publishes the complete list of licenses and permits it administers, and every entry is a specific regulated activity (alcohol, cigarette and tobacco, food dealer, massage establishment, secondhand dealer, home improvement contractor, public entertainment premises, snow plowing, weights and measures and the like). The Department of City Development does not issue business licenses at all. What most businesses actually need from the City is a Certificate of Occupancy from the Department of Neighborhood Services before opening a commercial space, plus any specific license that matches their activity.

   Official government source

   $0 for a general license (none exists). Certificate of Occupancy fee varies by proposed use, size of space and how long it was vacant, plus a $6 processing fee and a 1.6% IT and Training surcharge.·Not applicable for a general license.

   $0 for a general license (none exists). Certificate of Occupancy fee varies by proposed use, size of space and how long it was vacant, plus a $6 processing fee and a 1.6% IT and Training surcharge.

   Not applicable for a general license.

Official Sources

• Milwaukee County Health Department
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Seller's Permit

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