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If you have questions about locating, opening, or expanding your business within the City of Madison, the Office of Business Resources can help.

General Licensing

For all license applications we now require a copy of your State Seller's Permit ID certificate.

Unless otherwise specified, all licenses expire June 30.

View License and Permit Fees.

Clerk Licenses

• General Application Form
  Includes: Amusement Devices, Beaches, Bed & Breakfasts, Body Art Establishments, Campgrounds, Hotel/Motel/Tourist Rooming Houses, Mobile Home Parks, Outdoor Wood Boilers, Trapping, Recreational/Educational Camps, and Swimming Pools
• Adult Entertainment Establishment Application
• Affiliated Organization Registration
  Raising funds for City operations
• Auto Salvage Dealer
• Bicycle Dealer
• Cigarette & Tobacco Products Application
• Close Out Sale
• Room Tax Packet
• Room Tax Application
• Solicitor Application
  Door to door, no merchandise in hand
• Solicitor - Non-profit
• Tattooist or Body Piercer, State of WI License
• Theater License Application
• Transient Merchant Application
• Trucker/Peddler
  Door to door, merchandise in hand

Health Licenses

Public Health Madison Dane County Permits

• Food and Drink Licenses
• Other Health Licenses

Scrap & Recycling

• Scrap & Recycling License Application
• Scrap & Recycling FAQ

Secondhand Dealer

Our Secondhand Dealer Ordinance requires any entity engaged in the buying or selling of certain used goods to hold an appropriate license.  Please see our FAQ for more details.

• Secondhand Dealer Application
• Secondhand Textbook Dealer

Transportation and Paratransit

• Motor Bus or Fixed Route Transportation Vehicle
• Taxicab Information, Traffic Engineering
  • Taxi License
  • Taxicab Pre-Permit Check
  • Taxi Rate Change
• Pedal Cab Operator Application
• Parade Permit Application
• Bicycle Dealer Application

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Alcohol Licensing

Entertainment Licenses

Entertainment licenses are required for premises providing amplified or live entertainment regardless of capacity. For all license applications we now require a copy of your State Seller's Permit ID certificate.

• 21+ Entertainment/18+ Center for Visual & Performing Arts
• Theatre License Application Form
• Adult Entertainment License
• Temporary Entertainment (21+) Permit

Establishments: New

• New Liquor or Beer Establishment application (Class A, B, or C)
  The City of Madison currently has two Regular Class B Combination Liquor and Beer License available. A Reserve Class B Combination Liquor and Beer License will be subject to a $10,000 reserve fee upon issuance. **PLEASE NOTE: only COMPLETE applications will be accepted (see the checklist on the last page).***
• Appointment of Liquor/Beer Agent
• Background Check for Corporate Officers
• Surrender of Previous License
• Alcohol Beverage Laws for Retailers, State of WI
• New Liquor or Beer Application Checklist
  Lista de Verificación de Aplicación de Licor o Cerveza Nueva
  新酒或啤酒申請清單

Establishments: Existing

• Alcohol Beverage Laws for Retailers, State of WI
• Things to Know about License Renewals, Changes, and Permits
• Appointment of New Liquor/Beer Agent
• Change of Licensed Premises
• Change of Conditions on a License
• Change of Corporate Officers/Entity Reorganization
• Change of dba
• Transfer License to Another Address
  Available to all alcohol licenses except reserve Class B Combination Liquor and Beer licensed establishments and also requires completion of a new license application to go along with the transfer form.

Existing Establishment License Renewals

• Instruction Letter - English
  Carta de Instrucciones
  指示信
• Filing Deadlines
  Fecha límite de presentación
  申请截止日期
• Alcohol License Renewal Form
• Entertainment License Renewal Form
• Convictions Supplement
• Pending Charges Supplement

New Alcohol Servers - Apply Online

• City of Madison Licenses & Permits portal
  Login to the portal to file online. If you do not have an account, you will need to create an account to fill out the registration.

New Alcohol Servers - In Person or Mail

• Operator License Application
  Please note you must list all pending citations, tickets, or criminal charges as well as any previous citations, municipal or ordinance violations and criminal convictions (excluding parking tickets) or your application may not pass review. Please read the entire application before you submit it for consideration.
• Operator License Application Requirements
• Operator License Policy Guidelines
• Juvenile Records Release Form
  Required of applicants under 21 years of age

Existing Alcohol Servers - Renewal

• Operator license renewals must be completed online in the Licensing & Permits portal (linked below). Current license holders should have received an e-mail with instructions on how to renew their license. License holders, who have not previously registered an account on the portal, must use the name and e-mail associated with their license to create their account; the exact name and e-mail was included in the renewal instructions.

• City of Madison Licenses & Permits portal
  Please note you must list all pending citations, tickets, or criminal charges as well as any previous citations, municipal or ordinance violations and criminal convictions (excluding parking tickets) or your application may not pass review. Please read the entire application before you submit it for consideration.
• Renewal Instructions

State & Federal Forms

• Business Tax Registration Form, Wisconsin Department of Revenue
• Special Tax Registration & Return (Federal), Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
• Employer Identification Number, Internal Revenue Service

Temporary (Picnic Beer) Licenses

• Temporary Beer & Wine Application
• FAQ Letter to Applicants
  Includes extended definitions of who qualifies for the license

Wholesalers

• Wholesaler Report
• Wholesaler Release