Daycare / Child Care Center 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 Background Check Requirement

   All staff, volunteers and, for family child care, household members age 10 and over in Wisconsin child care settings must pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check through the state and the FBI. Fingerprints are scheduled and captured through Fieldprint Wisconsin. Under the Caregiver Background Law (Wis. Stat. 48.686), new fingerprints are required every five years for everyone working or residing in a child care.

   Official government source

   DCF publishes no fee - fingerprinting is scheduled and paid through Fieldprint Wisconsin, which sets the price. Check fieldprintwisconsin.com when you book the appointment.·Not published by DCF. Fingerprints must be renewed every five years after the initial fingerprint for everyone working or residing in a child care (Wis. Stat. 48.686).

   DCF publishes no fee - fingerprinting is scheduled and paid through Fieldprint Wisconsin, which sets the price. Check fieldprintwisconsin.com when you book the appointment.

   Not published by DCF. Fingerprints must be renewed every five years after the initial fingerprint for everyone working or residing in a child care (Wis. Stat. 48.686).

1. Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Child Care Center License

   Child care centers in Wisconsin must be licensed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Licensing requires fingerprint-based background checks, a building inspection, compliance with staff-to-child ratios and health and safety training. Licenses run two years; a new center is first issued a six-month probationary license. Milwaukee County additionally certifies smaller, non-licensed child care providers through a separate DCF certification track.

   Official government source

   Wisconsin DCF licensing fees are set by formula, not a flat amount. Family child care (4-8 children): $15.12 initial six-month probationary fee, then $60.50 per two-year license. Group child care (9 or more children): $45.68 non-refundable initial fee, then $30.25 base plus $16.94 per child of licensed capacity per two-year license. Milwaukee County certification (the separate track for certified, non-licensed providers) is $90.75 initial and $90.75 to recertify.·Not published by DCF - licensing follows orientation, application, background checks and a pre-licensing inspection. Confirm current processing times with your DCF regional licensing office.

   Wisconsin DCF licensing fees are set by formula, not a flat amount. Family child care (4-8 children): $15.12 initial six-month probationary fee, then $60.50 per two-year license. Group child care (9 or more children): $45.68 non-refundable initial fee, then $30.25 base plus $16.94 per child of licensed capacity per two-year license. Milwaukee County certification (the separate track for certified, non-licensed providers) is $90.75 initial and $90.75 to recertify.

   Not published by DCF - licensing follows orientation, application, background checks and a pre-licensing inspection. Confirm current processing times with your DCF regional licensing office.

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.

3. City of Milwaukee - Building and Fire Safety Inspection (child care)

   A child care center in Milwaukee must pass building and fire safety inspections before the City issues a Certificate of Occupancy. The occupancy application triggers inspection by plumbing, construction and electrical inspectors, and by sprinkler, elevator, hazardous and boiler inspectors when applicable; the City notes that a day care center inspection differs from an office or factory inspection because the state building code sets different requirements by use. This is a City of Milwaukee function (Department of Neighborhood Services / Development Center) - Milwaukee County has no building department.

   Official government source

   Certificate of Occupancy fee varies by proposed use, size of the space occupied, and how long the space was vacant; every application also carries a $6 processing fee plus a 1.6% IT and Training surcharge. Call the Development Center Plan Examination staff at (414) 286-8210 for your project's amount.·Not published. The City states that if the use requires Board of Zoning Appeals authorization, that step alone generally takes about 6-8 weeks.

   Certificate of Occupancy fee varies by proposed use, size of the space occupied, and how long the space was vacant; every application also carries a $6 processing fee plus a 1.6% IT and Training surcharge. Call the Development Center Plan Examination staff at (414) 286-8210 for your project's amount.

   Not published. The City states that if the use requires Board of Zoning Appeals authorization, that step alone generally takes about 6-8 weeks.

Official Sources

• Wisconsin Department of Children and Families — Child Care Center License
• City of Milwaukee Department of City Development

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