9 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Green Bay?
In short
A food truck in Green Bay, WI has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Green Bay Clerk's Office charges $50 initial issuance; $50 to renew for the mobile food vendor license. 1 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Green Bay
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Vendor License | City of Green Bay Clerk's Office | $50 initial issuance; $50 to renew | annual | 2026-09-06 |
| 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Green Bay
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Green Bay Fee Schedule Positiononly if it applies to you | City of Green Bay Clerk's Office | No fee | not applicable | 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.
WI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services | $100 one-time filing, on paper or online | perpetual, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Wisconsin positiononly if it applies to you | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services | $130 one-time online filing plus a $1 portal fee; $170 on paper | perpetual, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Wisconsin 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 surcharge | annual — due at the end of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of formation | 2026-09-03 |
| Seller's Permit and Business Tax Registration | Wisconsin Department of Revenue | $20 initial registration covering two years; $10 to renew each two-year period | 2 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.
How much does it actually cost to permit a food truck in Green Bay?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a food truck in Green Bay, WI, 3 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 3 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $70.00. That is a floor, not a total. 1 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Retail Food Establishment License: $105–$1,457.35 a year — $105 to $540 from the state, more where a local health department is the licensing agent
Which offices issue these permits in Green Bay?
Permits for a food truck in Green Bay, WI come from 4 separate offices: City of Green Bay Clerk's Office, Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety, Wisconsin Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Green Bay Clerk's OfficeIssues 2 permits on this page: General Business License — City of Green Bay Fee Schedule Position, Mobile Food Vendor License100 N. Jefferson Street, Room 106, Green Bay, WI 54301 · (920) 448-3010www.greenbaywi.gov/196/Clerk
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer ServicesIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Wisconsin position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Report4822 Madison Yards Way, North Tower, Madison, WI 53705 · (608) 261-7577onestop.wi.gov
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational SafetyIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection ManagerPO Box 93598, Milwaukee, WI 53293-0598 · (608) 224-4720datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/RestaurantsCatering.aspx
- Wisconsin Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Seller's Permit and Business Tax RegistrationPO Box 8902, Madison, WI 53708-8902 · (608) 266-2776www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/pcs-btr.aspx
What does a food truck need in Green Bay that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Green Bay: Mobile Food Vendor License.
Mobile Food Vendor License
A city clerk license, separate from Brown County's own mobile/retail food health-license fees (Simple mobile TCS is $285, up to $745 for Complex). The city's own fee schedule sets this license at a flat $50 for initial issuance and $50 to renew, whether or not it is tied to an existing City-based food business.
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.
Shared with other businesses in Green Bay
- 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. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Green Bay, WI; what each one involves is set out on the Green Bay 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 food truck compare with other businesses in Green Bay?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Vendor License. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Establishment License, Fire Inspection and Sign Permit, which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Green Bay permits page and the WI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Green Bay Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)City of Green Bay · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- City of Green Bay — Mobile Food VendorCity of Green Bay · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Wisconsin DATCP — certified food protection manager requirement and exemptionsWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.