Food and Recreational Licensing

All establishments licensed by the Health Department must complete an application and be inspected prior to opening. The annual license year is July 1 through June 30. For an application, click on the appropriate type of establishment. Renewals are sent out by the Health Department around May 15th of each year. If you do not receive one or need a duplicate, contact the Health Department at 414-768-8055.

The Registered Sanitarian and the Health Officer enforce Sanitation regulations. The South Milwaukee Health Department is an agent for the State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection and has the authority to license and inspect: 

• Restaurants
• Retail Food Establishments
• Taverns
• Transients (also known as "Temporary Food Operations")
• Mobile Food Trucks and Push Carts
• Micro markets
• Swimming Pools
• Lodging Facilities (includes Hotels, Motels, Bed and Breakfasts, and Tourist Rooming House properties)
• Body Art Facilities (includes Tattooing, Microblading, and Body Piercing operations)

The Environmental Health Consortium is part of the Southeast Wisconsin Food Safety Task Force created to improve the health of the community through prevention and food safety education.

Temporary Food and Farmers' Market Vendors Information

Special events: A department-recognized event that is sponsored, planned, organized and publicly advertised by an organization that includes the following: neighborhood associations, religious and cultural groups, political parties, churches, schools, sports teams, fraternal and non-profit organizations and city, county, state or federal governments. 

Special events include gatherings of people for concerts, sports, trade shows, flea or famers markets, public exhibitions, fairs, carnivals, circuses, holidays, anniversaries or any other event approved by the regulatory authority. A "potluck" is not a special event. 

For Temporary Event Coordinators: 

Vendor List
Temporary Event Safety Map (PDF)

For Temporary Food and Farmers’ Market Vendors:

South Milwaukee-St. Francis Health Department Issues Transient Retail Food licenses (temporary restaurant licenses/temporary retail food licenses) to businesses or organizations that prepare, serve, give away or sell food to the public during events, celebrations, sales promotions or fund raisers. If your group or event organizer will be advertising the event to the public in the paper, on street signs, with local media and/or on social media it is a public event and will be subject to licensing.
Temporary Food Guidelines (PDF)

NO LICENSE OR PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR:

•  A meal following a church service intended for church members only 
• A private event and event by invitation only
• A group pot-luck that is intended for the members only
• Prepackaged food that is not required to be kept hot or cold for food safety (bagged snacks, candy bars, bottled water or soda, etc.)
• Whole fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas
• Lemonade stands, if lemonade or other drinks are made from a powder mix and potable water
•  Bake sales, if all items are prepackaged for sale and do not require refrigeration
•  Non-profit groups (youth groups, churches, service clubs, etc.) that prepare, serve or sell food to the public for 3 days or less during a licensing period (July 1 to June 30)

Wisconsin Food Licensing Presentations

Operators interested in obtaining a Transient Retail Food license: 
Transient (Temporary) Food Licensing Information in Wisconsin Webinar

For information on Wisconsin Food Laws and Licensing: 
Starting a Farm or Home-Based Food Business in Wisconsin Webinar

For information regarding Mobile Food Truck Licensing and Requirements:
Licensing for Your Mobile Food Business in Wisconsin Webinar