12 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Madison?
In short
A restaurant in Madison, WI has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Madison Fire Department charges $125 a year, per triggered hazard category for the fire occupancy license. 3 of the 12 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 restaurant in Madison
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Occupancy Licenseonly if it applies to you | Madison Fire Department | $125 a year, per triggered hazard category | annual | 2026-09-06 |
| Food Establishment License | Public Health Madison & Dane County, Environmental Health Division | New license fee for a retail food establishment serving meals, by gross annual sales: $0–$10,000 $861.46 (simple) or $904.86 (complex); $10,001–$100,000 $1,223.28; $100,001–$250,000 $1,466.76; $250,001–$500,000 $1,845.03; $500,001–$1,000,000 $2,023.11; $1,000,001–$5,000,000 $2,394.94; over $5,000,000 $2,689.55. Separate, lower tables apply for establishments not serving meals, mobile/service-base units, micro markets, and schools. | 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 Madison
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Madison Positiononly if it applies to you | City of Madison Clerk's Office | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-06 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Madison Development Services Center, Building Inspection Division | $10 for the first certificate; $150 for each additional certificate | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Madison Development Services Center, Building Inspection Division | Varies — formula on the Madison page | one-time, per project | 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 restaurant in Madison?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a restaurant in Madison, WI, 5 apply to every business of this type and 7 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $30.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 12 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:
Food Establishment License: New license fee for a retail food establishment serving meals, by gross annual sales: $0–$10,000 $861.46 (simple) or $904.86 (complex); $10,001–$100,000 $1,223.28; $100,001–$250,000 $1,466.76; $250,001–$500,000 $1,845.03; $500,001–$1,000,000 $2,023.11; $1,000,001–$5,000,000 $2,394.94; over $5,000,000 $2,689.55. Separate, lower tables apply for establishments not serving meals, mobile/service-base units, micro markets, and schools.
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
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Madison permits page and the WI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Madison?
Permits for a restaurant in Madison, WI come from 7 separate offices: City of Madison Clerk's Office, Madison Fire Department, Public Health Madison & Dane County, Environmental Health Division, City of Madison Development Services Center, Building Inspection Division, 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 Madison Clerk's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — City of Madison Position210 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Room 105, Madison, WI 53703 · (608) 266-4601www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/licenses-permits
- Madison Fire DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Occupancy License(608) 266-4420www.cityofmadison.com/fire/permits-inspections/construction
- Public Health Madison & Dane County, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment License2300 S. Park Street, Suite 2010, Madison, WI 53713 · (608) 242-6515publichealthmdc.com/businesses-licensing/food-establishments
- City of Madison Development Services Center, Building Inspection DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit215 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Madison, WI 53703 · (608) 266-4551www.cityofmadison.com/development-services-center/fees/building-inspection-fees
- 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 restaurant need in Madison that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Madison
- Fire Occupancy License — Madison Fire Department, $125 a year, per triggered hazard category, annual. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the salons and barbers page.
- Food Establishment License — Public Health Madison & Dane County, Environmental Health Division, New license fee for a retail food establishment serving meals, by gross annual sales: $0–$10,000 $861.46 (simple) or $904.86 (complex); $10,001–$100,000 $1,223.28; $100,001–$250,000 $1,466.76; $250,001–$500,000 $1,845.03; $500,001–$1,000,000 $2,023.11; $1,000,001–$5,000,000 $2,394.94; over $5,000,000 $2,689.55. Separate, lower tables apply for establishments not serving meals, mobile/service-base units, micro markets, and schools., annual. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- 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 coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Division of Food and Recreational Safety, No fee, 5 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Madison, WI; what each one involves is set out on the Madison 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 restaurant compare with other businesses in Madison?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Madison, WI need exactly the same 4 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the salons and barbers page, coffee shops page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Madison permits page and the WI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.