What permits do you need to open a food truck in Waukesha County?

Environmental Health Re-inspection, Late and Penalty Fees

These charges sit on top of the Environmental Health license fees for food establishments and pools in Waukesha County. As listed on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026, a re-inspection costs one quarter of the license fee, a late renewal costs $100, operating without a Certified Food Protection Manager costs $150, a duplicate permit costs $5, and an inspection of a transient vendor costs $42. County Code §14-413 (Enrolled Ordinance 173-093) provides for penalties, re-inspections and temporary restaurant inspections, with fees set by the Division within the limits of the annual budget. An increase of up to about 6% in restaurant and retail food license rates is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026.

Mobile Retail Food Establishment License

A food truck or other mobile retail food establishment licensed through Waukesha County gets this license from the Environmental Health Division, acting as the agent of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The amounts shown are for units serving meals and include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)). These are the amounts on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 (the 2026 schedule, applied under the 2026 Adopted Budget and County Code §14-413(a)); an increase of up to about 6% is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026. Units that do not serve meals are on the county's not-serving-meals tier list; the 2026 Adopted Budget's stated 9% retail food rate increase differs from the posted amounts, so contact the Division for that fee. Under ATCP 75.07(1), every mobile unit other than one operating only as a transient needs a base with its own license (see the mobile service base license). DATCP's Mobile and Transient Retail Food Establishments page states that these license types are transferable from one location to another, for example from Sheboygan County to Marathon County without additional licensing, and that local jurisdictions reserve the right to inspect a unit and charge an inspection fee.

Mobile Service Base License

Under ATCP 75.07(1), a mobile retail food establishment, other than one operating only as a transient, needs "a base with its own license". A service base located in Waukesha County is licensed by the county Environmental Health Division as the State's agent, and DATCP's mobile page states that an operator whose service base is in a different jurisdiction from the mobile unit must apply for the base license in that jurisdiction. The amounts shown are for bases supporting units that serve meals and include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)). These are the amounts on the county's Environmental Health fee schedule page for 2026 (the 2026 schedule, applied under the 2026 Adopted Budget and County Code §14-413(a)); an increase of up to about 6% is proposed in the 2027 Executive Budget, which the County Board considers in November 2026. The fee page also lists a no-food-prep base line and a not-serving-meals tier list; those amounts are tied to the retail food rate question described in the not-serving-meals license record, so contact the Division for them. The county posts a service base sharing agreement form for operators who use a shared kitchen.

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 Waukesha County

• Transient Retail Food Establishment License (special events) — Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, Environmental Health Division, $105–$165 license fee (2026 schedule): $165 where the final product requires temperature control (TCS); $105 where it does not (non-TCS); $105 for prepackaged TCS; no pre-licensing inspection fee; amounts include the State fee (Wis. Stat. §97.41(5)), not stated in the county's published fee schedule; ask the Environmental Health Division for the term when applying. Also required for restaurants and 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 restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.