What do these permits involve in Brown County?

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Emergency Alarm User Permit (burglar and hold-up alarms)

A business with a burglar or hold-up alarm system needs an emergency alarm user permit. The Brown County Clerk's Emergency Alarm Permit page states that alarms located in the Villages of Bellevue, Denmark, Howard, Pulaski, Suamico and Wrightstown and the Towns of Eaton, Glenmore, Green Bay, Holland, Humboldt, Lawrence, Ledgeview, Morrison, New Denmark, Pittsfield, Rockland, Scott and Wrightstown must apply with Brown County, and directs alarms in the City of Green Bay, the City of De Pere and the Villages of Allouez, Ashwaubenon and Hobart to those municipalities. The page lists an annual fee of $40 per permit, and the Rates and Fees appendix of the 2026 Adopted Budget lists $40, or $45 with the late fee; the 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. Under County Code §30.03(3)(b) a separate permit is needed for each type of system (burglar or hold-up) at a location, and each permit is valid for one year and renewed by January 1. Section 30.03(2)(b) excludes fire alarms and alarms monitoring temperature, humidity or other conditions not tied to intrusion or robbery. Mail the application and a check payable to the Brown County Clerk to P.O. Box 23600, Green Bay, WI 54305-3600.

County Trunk Highway Access (Driveway) Permit

A business adding or changing a driveway onto a County Trunk Highway in Brown County needs a permit from the Brown County Highway Department. The department's Permits page lists a "Permit to add or revise an access point onto a County Trunk Highway", says to submit page 1 of the Driveway Permit Application, that the owner must sign it, and that page 2 contains requirements and restrictions that must be observed. No fee is printed on the application, and the fee table on the Permits page has no driveway line, so no amount is given here; ask the Highway Department before applying. Submit to Highway.Engineering@browncountywi.gov or call 920-492-4925.

Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas without public sewer)

A business whose premises use a private onsite wastewater treatment system (septic, mound, holding tank or similar) needs a county sanitary permit from the Brown County Planning and Land Services Zoning office before a system is installed, replaced, repaired or reconnected. The county's Zoning Ordinances page says the Private Sewage System Ordinance (ch. 11) "covers all municipalites in Brown County where public sewer is not available", so this applies in cities, villages and towns alike. County Code §11.09 says the fees are "as established in the annual county budget"; the amounts are those in the Rates and Fees appendix of the 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted October 29, 2025), and the 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. A new conventional or mound system permit is $600 and a holding tank $750. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 302.67(2) requires the county to forward $100 of each sanitary permit fee to the Department of Safety and Professional Services; the note to that rule says the $100 includes the $25 groundwater fee that Wis. Stat. §145.19(6) requires for each sanitary permit. The budget and ch. 11 do not say whether the county's amounts already contain the State share; contact the Zoning office at 920-448-6480 for the total due. A permit is valid for two years (§11.07(1)(c)).

Shoreland Permit — Commercial, Industrial or Manufacturing Structure (unincorporated shorelands and Bellevue)

A business building a commercial, industrial or manufacturing structure, an accessory structure or an addition, or filling, grading or excavating, in a shoreland area needs a county shoreland permit from the Brown County Planning and Land Services Zoning office. The county's Zoning Ordinances page says the Shorelands Ordinance (ch. 22) "applies to all unincorporated areas in Brown County and, by contract, the village of Bellevue"; §22.05 defines shorelands as land within 1,000 feet of a navigable lake, pond or flowage and within 300 feet of a navigable river or stream, or to the landward side of the floodplain if farther. Section 22.61 says the fees are "as established in the annual county budget"; per the Rates and Fees appendix of the 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted October 29, 2025), a commercial, industrial or manufacturing structure is $500, or $550 in the floodplain. The same budget lists a floodplain zone determination at $50, a Board of Adjustment appeal at $350 and a shoreland map amendment at $350, and charges twice the normal fee for after-the-fact permits. The 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. Contact the Zoning office at 920-448-6480.

County Trunk Highway Building Setback Permit (towns)

The Brown County Highway Department's Permits page requires a permit to "Construct any type of structure in a Brown County township located within 200 feet of a County Trunk Highway", including new buildings, additions, signs, repairs, alterations, moving or wrecking. A business building, extending or putting up a sign on a site in a town within 200 feet of a County Trunk Highway applies on the county's setback permit application, which cites County Code ch. 6; the work must be completed within one year. No fee is printed on the application or in the Permits page fee table, so no amount is given here; ask the Highway Department for the current fee. The town's own building and zoning permits are separate. Submit pages 1 and 2 of the application to Highway.Engineering@browncountywi.gov or call 920-492-4925.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Emergency Alarm User Permit (burglar and hold-up alarms)only if it applies to you	Brown County Clerk	$40–$45 per permit per year: $40; $45 with the late fee (2026 Adopted Budget; the Clerk's page lists an annual fee of $40 per permit); a separate permit for each type of system (burglar, hold-up)	one year; renew by January 1 each year (County Code §30.03(3)(b))	2026-10-07
County Trunk Highway Access (Driveway) Permitonly if it applies to you	Brown County Highway Department	No fee is printed on the county's Driveway Permit Application, and the Highway Permits page fee table has no driveway line; contact the Highway Department (920-492-4925) for any charge before applying.	one-time, per access point	2026-10-07
Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas without public sewer)only if it applies to you	Brown County Planning and Land Services Department, Zoning	New system permits: conventional, mound, in-ground pressure and at-grade $600 each; holding tank $750; pretreatment unit $550 ($650 with an additional tank); remediation unit (no maintenance required) $400. Reconnection, soil-absorption field repair or replacement, and tank replacement only: $450 each. Renewals: conventional, mound / in-ground pressure and at-grade $300; holding tank $400. Existing system inspection $400; permit transfer $60; maintenance program $16 a year; Wisconsin Fund grant application $100. Plan approvals: holding tank up to 5,000 gallons $100, over 5,000 gallons $150; pressure distribution $250; pressure tank replacement $125; pressure soil-absorption repair $125; plan revision $85. Construction other than excavating before the permit is issued: double fee (§11.07(1)(f)).	valid two years from the date of issue, renewable (County Code §11.07(1)(c))	2026-10-07
Shoreland Permit — Commercial, Industrial or Manufacturing Structure (unincorporated shorelands and Bellevue)only if it applies to you	Brown County Planning and Land Services Department, Zoning	$150–$550 per permit (2026 Adopted Budget): commercial, industrial or manufacturing structure $500 ($550 in the floodplain); accessory structure or addition $150 (in the floodplain $150 if not designed for human habitation, $275 if designed for habitation); filling, grading or excavating 1,000–15,000 sq ft $300, over 15,000 sq ft $550; after-the-fact permits twice the normal fee	one-time, per project	2026-10-07
County Trunk Highway Building Setback Permit (towns)only if it applies to you	Brown County Highway Department	No fee is printed on the county's setback permit application or in the Highway Permits page fee table; contact the Highway Department (920-492-4925) for the current fee before applying.	per project; work must be completed within one year	2026-10-07

Business licenses and permits in Brown County, Wisconsin

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Brown County