Milwaukee
Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division
In short
Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division issues 4 permits we publish for Milwaukee, last verified 2026-09-06. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon / Barbershop Licensing — City of Milwaukee positiononly if it applies to you | Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-06 |
| Auto Repair Licensing — City of Milwaukee positiononly if it applies to you | Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-06 |
| Home Improvement Contractor License | Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division | $290 new; $25 reinstatement fee if insurance lapses | 2 years | 2026-09-06 |
| Food Dealer License | Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division | New application fee $385, non-refundable once an inspection is performed. Annual, by category and gross sales — Restaurant/Food Processing: prepackaged $250, ≤$20,000 gross sales $605, $20,001–$200,000 $920, $200,001–$2,000,000 $1,440, over $2,000,000 $1,985 (additional site $100; bed and breakfast $200). Retail/Food Processing: ≤$20,000 $400, $20,001–$200,000 $660, $200,001–$2,000,000 $1,525, over $2,000,000 $2,350 (no-processing tiers run $230–$1,005; mobile peddler food base $175). | annual | 2026-09-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Salon / Barbershop Licensing — City of Milwaukee position
There is no city license fee. The City Clerk's Licenses and Permits list, covering over 100 activity-specific categories, names no salon, barber, cosmetology, or beauty entry; the trade is licensed statewide by Wisconsin DSPS's board.
Auto Repair Licensing — City of Milwaukee position
There is no city license fee for a plain auto repair or auto body shop: the City Clerk's Licenses and Permits list names no auto repair entry, leaving only the generic building/zoning/occupancy permits. A shop that also does towing, salvage, or used-car sales instead needs a Recycling, Salvaging or Towing Premises License ($400 for a 2-year term, or 1 year if non-consensual towing is included) or a Secondhand Motor Vehicle Dealer's License.
Home Improvement Contractor License
Explicitly scoped to a single-family home, duplex, or small apartment building of 6 units or less — Milwaukee has no separate commercial general contractor license, consistent with Wisconsin DSPS handling general/commercial contractor credentialing at the state level. Requires insurance of $25,000/person and $50,000/accident bodily injury, $10,000 property damage (or $60,000 combined single limit). A secondary source's claim of a $225 fee does not match this current, directly-fetched document, which shows $290.
Food Dealer License
Issued by the City Clerk's License Division, not the Health Department — the Health Department's own page states directly, 'THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES NOT ISSUE FOOD LICENSES,' and does plan review/inspection only.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Milwaukee
- Phone
- (414) 286-2238
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Milwaukee — Complete Licences and Permits ListMilwaukee City Clerk, License Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- City of Milwaukee — Food Dealer Licence Fee ScheduleMilwaukee City Clerk, License Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- City of Milwaukee — Home Improvement Contractor Licence Application (updated January 1, 2026)Milwaukee City Clerk, License Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- City of Milwaukee — Recycling, Salvaging or Towing Premises LicenceMilwaukee City Clerk, License Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Milwaukee Code of Ordinances, chapter 68, Food and Food EstablishmentsCity of Milwaukee · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
Other offices serving Milwaukee
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Wisconsin jurisdictions
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