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13 permits · verified 2026-10-07

What permits do you need to open a retail store in Brown County Wi?

In short

A retail store in Brown County Wi, WI has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services charges $100 one-time filing, on paper or online for the articles of incorporation. 8 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-07 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a retail store in Brown County Wi

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Retail Food Establishment – Not Serving Meals LicenseBrown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit)$145–$1,242 annual license fee by tier (2026 Adopted Budget): Prepackaged $145, Simple (TCS) $414, Simple (Non-TCS) $516, Moderate $650, Complex $1,242; plus a pre-inspection fee of 40% of the license total for a new establishment or 30% for an existing one; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5))annual license year July 1 to June 30; the 2026 budget charges a $150 late penalty for establishment licenses not renewed by July 12026-10-07
Public Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Feesonly if it applies to youBrown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit)Re-inspection for non-compliance: $150 (first), $300 (second), $450 (third). Certified Food Manager not on staff: $150 for the first offence; $255 if still out of compliance 12 months later. Operating without a valid Health Department license: $500. Licensed establishment closure / re-open: $107. Late penalty for establishment licenses not renewed by July 1: $150.per occurrence; charged when the triggering event happens2026-10-07
Micro Market Licenseonly if it applies to youBrown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit)$40–$60 annual license fee: $40 for a micro market; $60 where 2 or more micro markets are located in the same building (2026 Adopted Budget; the amounts set by Wis. Stat. §97.30(3s))annual license year July 1 to June 302026-10-07

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Brown County Wi

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Emergency Alarm User Permit (burglar and hold-up alarms)only if it applies to youBrown County ClerkVaries — formula on the Brown County Wi pageone 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 youBrown County Highway DepartmentVaries — formula on the Brown County Wi pageone-time, per access point2026-10-07
Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas without public sewer)only if it applies to youBrown County Planning and Land Services Department, ZoningVaries — formula on the Brown County Wi pagevalid 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 youBrown County Planning and Land Services Department, ZoningVaries — formula on the Brown County Wi pageone-time, per project2026-10-07
County Trunk Highway Building Setback Permit (towns)only if it applies to youBrown County Highway DepartmentVaries — formula on the Brown County Wi pageper project; work must be completed within one year2026-10-07

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

WI registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services$100 one-time filing, on paper or onlineperpetual, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
General Business License — Wisconsin positiononly if it applies to youWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer ServicesNo feenot applicable2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services$130 one-time online filing plus a $1 portal fee; $170 on paperperpetual, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services$25 a year online; $40 on paper, which is the $25 plus a $15 paper surchargeannual — due at the end of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of formation2026-09-03
Seller's Permit and Business Tax RegistrationWisconsin Department of Revenue$20 initial registration covering two years; $10 to renew each two-year period2 years2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a retail store in Brown County Wi?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a retail store in Brown County Wi, WI, 2 apply to every business of this type and 11 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $20.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Retail Food Establishment – Not Serving Meals License: $145–$1,242 annual license fee by tier (2026 Adopted Budget): Prepackaged $145, Simple (TCS) $414, Simple (Non-TCS) $516, Moderate $650, Complex $1,242; plus a pre-inspection fee of 40% of the license total for a new establishment or 30% for an existing one; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5))

Public Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Fees: Re-inspection for non-compliance: $150 (first), $300 (second), $450 (third). Certified Food Manager not on staff: $150 for the first offence; $255 if still out of compliance 12 months later. Operating without a valid Health Department license: $500. Licensed establishment closure / re-open: $107. Late penalty for establishment licenses not renewed by July 1: $150.

Micro Market License: $40–$60 annual license fee: $40 for a micro market; $60 where 2 or more micro markets are located in the same building (2026 Adopted Budget; the amounts set by Wis. Stat. §97.30(3s))

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Brown County Wi permits page and the WI state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Brown County Wi?

Permits for a retail store in Brown County Wi, WI come from 6 separate offices: Brown County Clerk, Brown County Highway Department, Brown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit), Brown County Planning and Land Services Department, Zoning, Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services, Wisconsin Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a retail store need in Brown County Wi that other businesses do not?

1 of the 3 permits particular to a retail store here applies to no other business type we cover in Brown County Wi: Micro Market License.

Micro Market License

A business operating a micro market (an unstaffed self-service food market) in Brown County outside the City of De Pere is licensed by the Brown County Health & Human Services Public Health Division as the State's agent. The 2026 Adopted Budget, adopted by the County Board on October 29, 2025, lists the micro market license at $40, or $60 for 2 or more micro markets in the same building. Those are the amounts the Legislature set in Wis. Stat. §97.30(3s)(a) and (b), and §97.30(4)(b) has an applicant to an agent health department pay that fee. The 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. A store whose food sales go beyond a micro market needs the retail food not-serving-meals license instead. Contact the Environmental Health Unit at 920-448-6400.

Shared with other businesses in Brown County Wi

  • Retail Food Establishment – Not Serving Meals License — Brown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit), $145–$1,242 annual license fee by tier (2026 Adopted Budget): Prepackaged $145, Simple (TCS) $414, Simple (Non-TCS) $516, Moderate $650, Complex $1,242; plus a pre-inspection fee of 40% of the license total for a new establishment or 30% for an existing one; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)), annual license year July 1 to June 30; the 2026 budget charges a $150 late penalty for establishment licenses not renewed by July 1. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Public Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Fees — Brown County Health & Human Services, Public Health Division (Environmental Health Unit), Re-inspection for non-compliance: $150 (first), $300 (second), $450 (third). Certified Food Manager not on staff: $150 for the first offence; $255 if still out of compliance 12 months later. Operating without a valid Health Department license: $500. Licensed establishment closure / re-open: $107. Late penalty for establishment licenses not renewed by July 1: $150., per occurrence; charged when the triggering event happens. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, fitness studios and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the salons and barbers page.

The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Brown County Wi, WI; what each one involves is set out on the Brown County Wi permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WI and are covered on the WI state page.

How does a retail store compare with other businesses in Brown County Wi?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A retail store also needs Micro Market License. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Establishment – Serving Meals License, Transient Retail Food Establishment License (events), Retail Food Establishment License and Certified Food Protection Manager, which a retail store does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Brown County Wi, WI, compared with a retail store
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a retail storeOnly a retail store needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6214
Fitness studios2121
Salons and barbers3122
Restaurants5124
Food trucks6125
Auto repair shops1031
Childcare centres1031
Contractors and trades4034
Veterinary clinics1031

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page and salons and barbers page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Brown County Wi permits page and the WI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Brown County 2026 Adopted Budget, Rates and Fees AppendixBrown County, Wisconsin · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
  2. Wis. Stat. §97.30 — retail food establishments; micro market fees (sub. (3s)); fee paid to agent (sub. (4)(b))Wisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  3. Brown County Code ch. 37 — Health licenses (§37.02 jurisdiction; §37.07 fees in the annual budget; §37.08), revised 04-16-2024Brown County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  4. Wis. Stat. §97.41 — agent local health departments; state fees included in license fees (sub. (5))Wisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.