Food Truck 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 (mobile food)

   Food trucks in Milwaukee are licensed by the City Clerk's License Division, not by a county health department - Milwaukee County is fully incorporated and the City runs its own Health Department. A mobile vendor working out of another licensed food dealer's kitchen files the Food Dealer License For Shared Kitchen Users; a vendor selling from a pushed, pedaled, pulled or motorized vehicle on the public way also needs a Food Peddler permit. The Milwaukee Health Department inspects before the license is issued. Both run 12 months from the date of issuance and renew annually.

   Official government source

   $300 nonrefundable Food Dealer application fee, plus an annual license fee set by establishment type and gross sales: restaurant with food processing $525 ($20,000 or less in 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. The Food Peddler permit fee varies with the mobile unit (City of Milwaukee License Division).·Not published; the remaining license fee is invoiced after the Health Department inspection.

   $300 nonrefundable Food Dealer application fee, plus an annual license fee set by establishment type and gross sales: restaurant with food processing $525 ($20,000 or less in 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. The Food Peddler permit fee varies with the mobile unit (City of Milwaukee License Division).

   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.

3. Commissary Agreement

   Most jurisdictions require mobile food units to operate from an approved commissary — a licensed commercial kitchen for food prep, storage, and cleaning. A signed commissary agreement must be submitted with the permit application.

   Official government source

   $200–$700/month (commissary rental fees vary)·Arranged before permit application

   $200–$700/month (commissary rental fees vary)

   Arranged before permit application

Official Sources

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

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