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Waukesha County

Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division

In short

Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division issues 9 permits we publish for Waukesha County, last verified 2026-10-07. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Transient Retail Food Establishment License (special events)only if it applies to youWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$105–$165 license fee (2026 schedule): $165 where the final product requires temperature control (TCS); $105 where it does not (non-TCS); $105 for prepackaged TCS; no pre-licensing inspection fee; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5))not stated in the county's published fee schedule; ask the Environmental Health Division for the term when applying2026-10-07
Environmental Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Feesonly if it applies to youWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health DivisionRe-inspection fee: one quarter of the license fee. Late fee: $100. Operating without a Certified Food Protection Manager: $150. Duplicate permit: $5. Inspection fee for a transient vendor: $42.per occurrence; charged when the triggering event happens2026-10-07
Mobile Retail Food Establishment LicenseWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$196–$742 annual license fee for a unit serving meals (2026 schedule): Prepackaged $196, Simple $524, Moderate $622, Complex $742; plus a one-time pre-license fee of $101, $262, $312, $371 respectively; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)); units not serving meals are licensed on a separate tier list, not reproduced hereannual; every license expires June 30, and a license first issued between April 1 and June 30 runs to June 30 of the following year (County Code §14-412(c))2026-10-07
Retail Food Establishment – Serving Meals LicenseWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$196–$742 annual license fee by complexity (2026 schedule): Prepackaged $196, Simple $524, Moderate $622, Complex $742; plus a one-time pre-license fee for a new establishment: $101, $262, $312, $371 respectively; each amount includes the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5))annual; every license expires June 30, and a license first issued between April 1 and June 30 runs to June 30 of the following year (County Code §14-412(c))2026-10-07
Retail Food Establishment – Not Serving Meals LicenseWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health DivisionThe county's Environmental Health fee schedule sets an annual license fee and a one-time pre-inspection fee by tier (prepackaged, simple, moderate, complex). The 2026 Adopted Budget states "a 9% rate increase" for retail food licenses in 2026, while the tier amounts posted on the county fee page are about 6% above the 2025 amounts, so the posted amounts are not reproduced here. Contact the Environmental Health Division (262-896-8300) for the current fee for your tier. By statute the fee includes the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)).annual; every license expires June 30, and a license first issued between April 1 and June 30 runs to June 30 of the following year (County Code §14-412(c))2026-10-07
Preliminary Site Evaluation (properties on a private septic system)only if it applies to youWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$56–$87 per evaluation (2026 schedule): $87 for an addition or remodel that increases bedrooms or is an increase or change of use for a commercial building; $72 for an addition or remodel with no bedroom addition; $56 for accessory structures such as pools, decks, garages and outbuildingsone-time, per project2026-10-07
Mobile Service Base Licenseonly if it applies to youWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$524–$742 annual license fee for a service base supporting units that serve meals (2026 schedule): Simple $524, Moderate $622, Complex $742; plus a one-time pre-license fee of $262, $312, $371 respectively; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)); the no-food-prep and not-serving-meals lines are not reproduced hereannual; every license expires June 30, and a license first issued between April 1 and June 30 runs to June 30 of the following year (County Code §14-412(c))2026-10-07
Public Swimming Pool Licenseonly if it applies to youWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$321–$471 annual license fee per pool (2026 schedule): Simple $321, Simple with Features $369, Moderate $386, Moderate with Features $401, Complex $428, Complex with Features $471; plus a pre-licensing inspection fee for a new pool of $161, $185, $192, $201, $214, $236 respectively; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.615(2)(e))annual; licenses expire June 30 each year (County Code §14-412(c); county licensing page)2026-10-07
Sanitary Permit (Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System)only if it applies to youWaukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division$551–$1,221 per permit by system type (2026 schedule): in-ground soil absorption (non-pressurized) $551; in-ground pressure distribution $811; holding tank $869; experimental $1,135; mound, at-grade, sand filter/drip line and large systems of 3,000 to under 8,000 gpd $1,167; large system of 8,000 gpd or more $1,221; permit transfer/renewal $170; reconstruction $252 or $381; appeal to the LUPE Committee $752 years from issuance (County Code §14-579; Wis. Stat. §145.19(7)); transfer or renewal $1702026-10-07

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

Transient Retail Food Establishment License (special events)

A vendor selling food or drink from a stand at a fair, festival, sporting event or farmers market in Waukesha County needs a transient food license from the Environmental Health Division, issued as the State's agent. The county's food licensing page describes a transient food stand as one that "serves food to the public at one location for no more than 14 consecutive days". Applicants submit the transient Plan of Operation and the transient application (the form is marked Expires 12/31/2026) with the fee. The fee is $165 where the final product requires temperature control and $105 otherwise, as listed on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 and on the application; the amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)). The 2026 Adopted Budget counts transient licenses with restaurant licenses, whose rates rise "up to 7% in 2026", and the 2027 Executive Budget proposes an increase of up to about 6%, which the County Board considers in November 2026. The county's page says a vendor holding a current transient food license from another jurisdiction can vend at Waukesha County events, but may still be inspected and charged an inspection fee; the fee page lists a $42 transient inspection fee.

Environmental Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Fees

These charges sit on top of the Environmental Health license fees for food establishments and pools in Waukesha County. As listed on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026, a re-inspection costs one quarter of the license fee, a late renewal costs $100, operating without a Certified Food Protection Manager costs $150, a duplicate permit costs $5, and an inspection of a transient vendor costs $42. County Code §14-413 (Enrolled Ordinance 173-093) provides for penalties, re-inspections and temporary restaurant inspections, with fees set by the Division within the limits of the annual budget. An increase of up to about 6% in restaurant and retail food license rates is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026.

Mobile Retail Food Establishment License

A food truck or other mobile retail food establishment licensed through Waukesha County gets this license from the Environmental Health Division, acting as the agent of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The amounts shown are for units serving meals and include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)). These are the amounts on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 (the 2026 schedule, applied under the 2026 Adopted Budget and County Code §14-413(a)); an increase of up to about 6% is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026. Units that do not serve meals are on the county's not-serving-meals tier list; the 2026 Adopted Budget's stated 9% retail food rate increase differs from the posted amounts, so contact the Division for that fee. Under ATCP 75.07(1), every mobile unit other than one operating only as a transient needs a base with its own license (see the mobile service base license). DATCP's Mobile and Transient Retail Food Establishments page states that these license types are transferable from one location to another, for example from Sheboygan County to Marathon County without additional licensing, and that local jurisdictions reserve the right to inspect a unit and charge an inspection fee.

Retail Food Establishment – Serving Meals License

A restaurant, or a coffee shop that the county classifies as serving meals, needs this license from the Waukesha County Environmental Health Division, which issues it as the agent of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (Enrolled Ordinance 173-093). The license applies anywhere in the county, the City of Waukesha and the other cities included: the county's inspector coverage sheet assigns staff to every city, and Wis. Stat. §97.41(1m) makes the agent's license the one license required. Under Wis. Stat. §97.41(5) the agent must "include the state fees in the license fees", so each amount shown is the full amount paid to the county. These are the amounts on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 (the 2026 schedule, applied under the 2026 Adopted Budget and County Code §14-413(a)); an increase of up to about 6% is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026. The 2026 Adopted Budget describes restaurant rates rising "up to 7% in 2026". The license fee is set by food-handling complexity; the one-time pre-license fee, per the county's food licensing page, covers plan review, work on equipment installation and facility design, and the on-site evaluation before the license is issued. The county starts the process with its Retail Food Plan of Operation, which lists "Coffee Shop" among establishment types; a coffee shop is classified by the county as serving or not serving meals from that plan, and the tier is assigned under ATCP 75. New or remodelled premises file the Plan Review Application 30 days before construction. The county's fee page also lists a $100 late fee and a $150 charge for operating without a Certified Food Protection Manager.

Retail Food Establishment – Not Serving Meals License

A grocery, convenience store or other shop that sells food without serving meals, and a coffee shop that the county classifies as not serving meals, needs this license from the Waukesha County Environmental Health Division, issued as the agent of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (Enrolled Ordinance 173-093). The county's food licensing page names grocery stores and convenience stores among the facilities it licenses countywide, the cities included. The tier depends on the food handled (prepackaged only, simple with or without temperature-controlled foods, moderate or complex), assigned from the county's Retail Food Plan of Operation under ATCP 75. Under Wis. Stat. §97.41(5) the license fee includes the State fee. The fee page lists amounts for each tier, but the 2026 Adopted Budget describes a 9% retail food rate increase that the posted amounts do not reflect, so no figure is given here; the Environmental Health Division quotes the current amount. A 2027 increase is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026.

Preliminary Site Evaluation (properties on a private septic system)

The county's septic systems page says: "A Preliminary Site Evaluation (PSE) is required prior to the issuance of a zoning and/or building permit on properties served by a private sewage system." For a business, the relevant line on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 is usually the $87 evaluation for an increase or change of use of a commercial building; additions without a use change are $72 and accessory structures $56. The evaluation is done by the Environmental Health Division under County Code §14-588 and comes before the municipal or county building or zoning permit. The requirement is tied to properties served by a private sewage system.

Mobile Service Base License

Under ATCP 75.07(1), a mobile retail food establishment, other than one operating only as a transient, needs "a base with its own license". A service base located in Waukesha County is licensed by the county Environmental Health Division as the State's agent, and DATCP's mobile page states that an operator whose service base is in a different jurisdiction from the mobile unit must apply for the base license in that jurisdiction. The amounts shown are for bases supporting units that serve meals and include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)). These are the amounts on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 (the 2026 schedule, applied under the 2026 Adopted Budget and County Code §14-413(a)); an increase of up to about 6% is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026. The fee page also lists a no-food-prep base line and a not-serving-meals tier list; those amounts are tied to the retail food rate question described in the not-serving-meals license record, so contact the Division for them. The county posts a service base sharing agreement form for operators who use a shared kitchen.

Public Swimming Pool License

A fitness studio or gym that operates a public swimming pool needs a pool license for each pool from the Waukesha County Environmental Health Division, which licenses recreational facilities countywide as the State's agent (Enrolled Ordinance 173-093). A studio without a pool has no pool license. The fee depends on the pool's classification (simple, moderate or complex, with or without features). Under Wis. Stat. §97.615(2)(e) the agent includes the State fee in its license fee, so the amounts are the full amount paid to the county. The figures are those on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026; the county's pool application, marked Expires 12/31/2026, shows the license and pre-licensing fees together as totals of $482 to $707 for a new pool. The license year runs July 1 to June 30. The 2027 Executive Budget states no pool rate change. The fee page's re-inspection fee (one quarter of the license fee) and $100 late fee also apply to pool licensees.

Sanitary Permit (Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System)

A business whose premises are served by a private onsite wastewater treatment system (septic system, mound or holding tank) needs a county sanitary permit from the Environmental Health Division before installing, replacing or reconstructing the system. The figures are those on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026; County Code §14-580 says the fees are those "identified in the Sanitary Permit Fee Schedule posted at the Department" and are set and adjusted annually through the county budget. Under Wis. Stat. §145.19(3), a portion of the permit fee is forwarded to the State. Wis. Stat. §145.19(6) provides for a $25 State groundwater fee for each sanitary permit; the county fee schedule does not state whether that $25 is included in the amounts shown, so contact the Environmental Health Division (262-896-8300). The 2027 Executive Budget expects a septic permit rate increase of approximately 6%, which the County Board considers in November 2026.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Waukesha County
Phone
262-896-8300

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.

  1. Enrolled Ordinance 173-093 — retail food and recreational establishment program (DATCP agent recital; County Code §§14-412, 14-413), effective March 1, 2019Waukesha County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  2. Environmental Health Fee Schedule (2026 figures: licensing, pools, sanitary permits, preliminary site evaluations, inspection and other fees)Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  3. Environmental Health licensing coverage areas — inspector assignments by municipalityWaukesha County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  4. Food and Recreational Licensing — license year July 1 to June 30, pre-inspection fee, transient vendors, mobile food establishmentsWaukesha County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  5. Mobile and Transient Retail Food EstablishmentsWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  6. Public swimming pool license application (form marked Expires 12/31/2026)Waukesha County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  7. Retail Food Plan of Operation — establishment types including Coffee ShopWaukesha County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  8. Septic Systems — sanitary permits and Preliminary Site EvaluationWaukesha County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  9. Transient Retail Food Establishment license application (form marked Expires 12/31/2026)Waukesha County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  10. Waukesha County 2026 Adopted Budget (Parks and Land Use: Licensing and Septic/Well/Lab program highlights)Waukesha County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  11. Waukesha County 2027 Executive (proposed) BudgetWaukesha County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  12. Waukesha County Code chapter 14 compilation — stormwater (§§14-331, 14-334) and private sewage systems (§§14-576 to 14-589)Waukesha County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  13. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 75.06 — retail food establishment licenses: term and pre-licensing inspectionWisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  14. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 75.07 — mobile retail food establishments and service basesWisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  15. Wis. Stat. §145.19 — sanitary permits; state portion (sub. (3)); groundwater fee (sub. (6)); 2-year validity (sub. (7))Wisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  16. Wis. Stat. §97.41 — agent local health departments; state fees included in license fees (sub. (5))Wisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  17. Wis. Stat. §97.615 — agent local health departments for lodging and recreational facilities; state fees included (sub. (2)(e))Wisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07

Other offices serving Waukesha County

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