Food, Dairy, and Retail Food Licenses

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Bulk Milk Weighers & Samplers training manual and video are available to assist you with training. If you cannot access them here, you can acquire a copy by contacting our department at (608) 224-4700. It is recommended that you review these prior to testing. With a failing score you forfeit your application fee, and must resubmit the fee and application for another opportunity to test.​

After reviewing study materials, contact the dairy sanitarian assigned to your plant. They will arr​ange a time to administer the test at the dairy plant, a farm, or​ other mutually agreed upon location. After the written test is completed and passed, the sanitarian will arrange to meet you at a farm for the field test component. After successfully passing both the written and field tests, you will receive a temporary license valid for 40 days until a permanent license is processed.​

For the cheese or butter graders, cheese or butter makers, or the cream and milk tester exams, simply submit the application and fee for a personal lice​​nse, and you will be contacted to schedule the test, at your dairy plant by one of our dairy sanitarians. 

​If you wish to take the pasteurizer operators exam, contact one of DATCP’s da​ir​y technical specialists. They will arrange a date and time to administer the test to you, at your dairy plant. ​

In some cases, you can contact our staff based upon your specific needs. For those who currently hold certain licenses, including questions about renewals, use the number labeled as "existing licensees." For those seeking a new license, use the number labeled "new licensees."

Dairy Processor

Li​​cense or P​​ermit​

​Fees
(Subject to change)

Resources

Contact


​Buttermaker

​$75 (2-year)

(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

​Butte​​r Grader

​$75 (2-year)

(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

​Cheesemaker

​$75 (2-year)

(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

​Cheese Grader​​

​$75 (2-year)

(608) 224-4720​​ ​

Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​​

​Dairy Plant License

Fee Schedule

​An operator who procures milk from producers must also hold a milk contractor license. 

DATCP Rule 65​

(715) 839-3844 ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

​Dairy Plant/Grade A BMT Cleaning Facility

(715) 839-3844 
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

​Dairy Plant/Grade A Permit

(715) 839-3844 
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

Milk and Cream Tester License

​$50 (2-year)
$25 reinspection fee as needed

(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

​Pasteurizer Operator

DATCP Rule 65​

(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​

Food Processor

​License or Permit


​Fees 
(Subject to change)

​Resources

​Contact

​Food Processing Plant License (Wholesale)

​Fee Schedule

​A processor who procures vegetables from producers must also hold a vegetable contractor license. 

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923
​​New Licensees

Food Retail

License or Permit​

​Fees
(Subject to change)

​Resources

​Contact

​Food Retail License

​​Fee Schedule


 

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​Food Retail Inspection/Agent County or Municipality

​DFS Agent Contacts

Mobile/Temporary Retail Food Establishment
Start the licensing process​​​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​

Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​​​Retail Food/Caterer​


 

Start the licensing process

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

Vending Machine​


 

Start the licensing process

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​​

Laboratory

L​​icense or Permit

​Fees
(Subject to change)

​Resources

​Contact


​Laboratory Analyst Certification (Dairy, Food and Water Labs)

​(608) 224-4720

​Laboratory Certification (Dairy, Food and Water Labs)

(608) 224-4720

​Laboratory/Milk Screening Test Approval

DATCP Rule 77

(608) 224-4720

Meat Processing

​​Lice​nse or Permit

​Fees
(Subject to change)

​Resources

​Contact

Meat Establishment License

​$200 annually ($80 if engaged only in custom slaughter or processing)

​​(608) 224-4694

​Meat/Mobile Slaughter or Processing/Registration Certificate​

​None

​(608) 224-4694

DATCPMeatPoultryLicensing@wi.gov

​Meat Broker/Distributor Registration​

​None

​(608) 224-4681

DATCPMeatPoultryLicensing@wi.gov


Milk Producer

​​​​Li​​cense or P​ermit

​​Fees 

(Subject to change)

​Resources

​Contact

​Dairy Farm/Grade A Permit

​None

​(715) 839-3844

​Dairy Farm/Milk Producer License

​$30 annually (paid by dairy plant)

DATCP Rule 65

​​​(715) 839-3844​

​Dairy Farm/Milk Producer License Status Change​

​Status change form

(715) 839-3844​


Milk Distributor / Transportation

​​​​License or Permit

​Fees 
(Subject to change)

​Resources

Contact

​Bulk Milk Tanker/Grade A Permit

​None​

(715) 839-3844
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​Bulk Milk Tanker/License to Operate

​(715) 839-3844

​Bulk Milk Weigher and Sampler License

​$60 (2-years)

* If completing a renewal, a field inspection completed within the previous 24 months is required.

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​Industry Bulk Milk Truck/Tanker Inspector-Appointed

(715) 839-3844

Milk Distributor

​$75 annually per milk storage facility

License Fee​ Schedule

​​(715) 839-3844
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​


 

Other

​​​License or Permit

​Fees
(Subject to change)

​Resources

​​Contact

​Animal Food Processor License

​$200 annually
$25 one-time inspection

​(608) 224-4681

Certified Food Manager​



​​(608) 224-4720

​​Cheese Logo (Wisconsin) Permit for Use​​

​None

(608) 224-4720

​​Dead Animal Collector License​

​$100 annually per location

​(608) 224-4681

​Dead Animal Carcass Dealer Registration

​None

​(608) 224-4681

​Dead Animal Transport Vehicle Permit

​None

​(608) 224-4681

​​​Food/Farm Product Grader License

​$25 (2-year)

(608) 224-4720

Food Marketing Permit​​

​None

(608) 224-4720

​​Food Warehouse

​License Fee Schedule

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​​Grease Processor License​

​$200 annually

​(608) 224-4681

​Honey Producer-Certified

​$50 (biennial)

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees

​Maple Sap Processor Registration

​None

​​(608) 224-4720​​ ​
Existing Licensees/Renewals

(608) 224-4923 
​​New Licensees​​

​Wild Game Serving Permit ​(608) 224-4923


Currently Licensed Facilities

Lists of currently licensed facilities are updated quarterly. Lists do not include facilities licensed by Dane, Milwaukee,​ or Taylor counties​. Contact those public health​ departments directly for licensed facilities. For additional information, visit the DATCP public records​ page.​

Retail food facilities​ (2.803 MB,​ last updated: 07​/24​)​​​​​​​