Wisconsin — statewide
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety
In short
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety issues 2 permits we publish for Wisconsin — statewide, last verified 2026-09-03. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Establishment License | Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety | $105–$1,457.35 a year — $105 to $540 from the state, more where a local health department is the licensing agent | annual, expiring 30 June | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety | No fee | 5 years | 2026-09-03 |
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
Retail Food Establishment License
Who licenses you depends on your address. The agriculture department licenses retail food across most of the state at $105 for prepackaged, $230 simple, $330 moderate and $540 complex, plus a one-off pre-inspection of $130 to $770 — but a local health department that has signed an agent contract licenses and prices in the state's place within its own jurisdiction. The spread is real: Oneida County charges $120 to $615 with identical pre-inspection fees, while Public Health Madison and Dane County charges an agency fee from $266.76 to $1,457.35 banded by food and drink sales, collects the state portion on top and remits it, and adds plan review of $562.50 to $1,200. So a single Wisconsin restaurant fee does not exist. Every license expires on 30 June whenever it was issued, though one granted after 1 April runs to the following June. Operating unlicensed adds a $749 surcharge. The department's restaurants and catering page states that organisations such as youth groups, churches and service clubs that prepare, serve or sell food to the public on no more than three days in any twelve-month period do not need a serving-meals license.
Certified Food Protection Manager
No state fee and no state certificate — an accredited exam provider issues it and sets the price, which is a real contrast with states that run a registry and charge for it. Most licensed food establishments need at least one certified manager, but the exemptions are broader than usual: prepackaged retail establishments whether or not they serve meals, operations handling only fresh fruit or produce, transient events and micro markets are all outside it. A new establishment or one changing operator has ninety days to have a certified manager in place, and the certificate must be posted in public view. A small operator with five or fewer food handlers may recertify through an approved short course rather than sitting the full exam, provided they do it within ninety days of expiry; past that, everyone retakes the exam.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Wisconsin — statewide
- Phone
- (608) 224-4720
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.
- Oneida County Public Health Department — food and lodging licensing as a DATCP agentOneida County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Public Health Madison and Dane County — food license fees effective 4 May 2026Public Health Madison and Dane County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Wisconsin DATCP — certified food protection manager requirement and exemptionsWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Wisconsin DATCP — restaurants and catering, confirming licenses are issued by the department or its agent health departmentsWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Wisconsin DATCP — retail food establishment fee scheduleWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Other Wisconsin statewide offices
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Division of Industry Services
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection
- Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Early Care Regulation
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Barbering and Cosmetology Examining Board
- Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board
Wisconsin jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.