Racine and Mount Pleasant Business Licenses: Liquor Waitlist and the New County Tax

If you are opening a business in Racine or Mount Pleasant, start with one fact: Wisconsin does not issue a general business license. The state does not issue one, Racine County does not issue one, and most cities and villages do not either. What you need depends on what you sell, where you sell it, and whether you serve alcohol. Racine also has a newer cost to plan for: Racine County's 0.5% county sales tax took effect April 1, 2025, for a combined rate of 5.5%.

This guide walks through the steps in the order most owners find easiest, covering the City of Racine, the Village of Mount Pleasant and the rest of Racine County. This is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm every figure with the agency named before you commit money. If your situation is complex, such as a partnership, a multi-location food business or an LLC that wants corporate tax treatment, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.

What You Need Before You Start

• A proposed business name, checked in the DFI corporate records database at https://apps.dfi.wi.gov/apps/corpsearch/Search.aspx
• A Wisconsin registered agent with a physical street address in Wisconsin (not a P.O. box) and an email address
• The street address of your business location, which determines which city, village or town office handles your licenses
• A list of what you sell and how: products, food, services, alcohol, lodging, rentals or regulated trades
• A budget that covers the entity filing fee, the $25 annual report, the $20 seller's permit and any local fees you confirm

Step 1: Form the Entity With DFI

Business entities in Wisconsin are filed with the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Corporate and Consumer Services, not the Secretary of State. An LLC files Articles of Organization (Form 502) for a $130 filing fee. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation, Stock, For-Profit Corporation (Form 2) for a $100 filing fee. Online filing is through DFI's Business Entity File Online at https://dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/FileOnline.aspx.

If you want to hold a name while you finish paperwork, DFI's name reservation costs $15 and lasts 120 days. It is optional. Sole proprietors and general partnerships do not form an entity with DFI, but they may record a firm name with the county register of deeds under Wis. Stat. 134.17, at a fee set by the county. Confirm that fee with the Racine County Register of Deeds.

Step 2: Name a Registered Agent

Every LLC and corporation must keep a registered agent with a registered office in Wisconsin. The office must be a real street location that matches the agent's business office. A P.O. box, mailbox service or answering service does not qualify. The formation document and every annual report must include an email address for the agent, because DFI sends official notices there. Your company cannot be its own registered agent. A change of agent costs $10 online or $25 on paper.

Step 3: Register for Taxes Through the Wisconsin One Stop Portal

Wisconsin One Stop at https://onestop.wi.gov registers a new business with DFI, the Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Department of Workforce Development in one pass. If you sell taxable goods or services, you also need a seller's permit. You can apply through DOR's Business Tax Registration at https://tap.revenue.wi.gov/BTR/. The permit costs $20 for an initial two-year period and $10 to renew each two years after that.

Step 4: Plan for the Racine County Sales Tax

The Racine County sales tax began April 1, 2025, and the combined rate is 5.5%. That combined rate is the 5% Wisconsin state sales tax plus the 0.5% county tax. Searches for racine wi sales tax and racine county sales tax usually mean this rate, but the rate you charge depends on where the sale is sourced, which can differ for delivery, online orders and sales made outside your storefront. Before you set up a point-of-sale system or an online cart, confirm with DOR how the county tax applies to your location and your type of sale. Do not assume the rate is the same for every transaction.

Step 5: Check State Activity Licenses

Wisconsin licenses activities, not businesses. Regulated occupations are licensed by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). Food and certain agricultural activities fall under the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), or under a local health department acting as DATCP's agent. Find out which credential, if any, applies to your trade before you advertise, sign a lease or take deposits.

Step 6: Get the Right Health Permit

Health permits in Racine County depend on location, and this is where owners most often call the wrong office.

• Inside the City of Racine: City of Racine Public Health licenses food establishments, mobile food units, lodging, short-term rentals, pools and tattoo shops.
• Elsewhere in Racine County, including the Village of Mount Pleasant: Racine County Public Health handles these licenses.

Confirm the agency, the application timeline and any fees with the office that covers your address before you buy equipment or sign a lease.

Step 7: Start the Liquor License Early

Business liquor license applicants in the City of Racine must contact the City Clerk's Office directly at [email protected] or 262-636-9171. Ask three specific questions: Does a Class B waiting list apply to my application? Is a deposit required, and how much? How long is the wait right now? Do not sign a lease or order a build-out on the assumption that a license will arrive by a particular date. If your location is in Mount Pleasant, the license runs through the village clerk, so confirm the contact and process with the village directly.

Step 8: Check City Licenses for Listed Activities

The City of Racine also licenses massage establishments, pawnbrokers, peddlers, towing operators, junk dealers and amusement centers. If your business falls into one of these categories, confirm the application process and fees with the City Clerk's Office before you open.

Step 9: Get the Occupancy Permit

Most commercial spaces need an occupancy permit through the local Building Department before you open to the public. Confirm requirements and fees with the Building Department for your city or village. A permit issued for one tenant does not necessarily cover a new use, so ask whether a change of use triggers a new inspection.

Step 10: Register a Trade Name If You Need One

Wisconsin's version of a DBA is a trade name, registered with DFI's Trademarks and Trade Names Bureau for $15. Registration is optional, and you do not need one to use a trade name. File online or in person, because DFI stopped accepting mailed trademark filings in March 2020. Renewal is also $15 and may be filed in the six months before it expires. Details are at https://dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/Trademarks/Fees.aspx.

A Note on Mount Pleasant

The Village of Mount Pleasant is the site of a Microsoft data center, and that project has brought construction work and demand for service businesses to the area. If you are a contractor or service provider working on projects like this, check whether your trade needs a DSPS credential and whether the village requires its own permit or registration before you bid or start work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Paying for a general business license. Some websites sell "Racine business license" packages. Wisconsin has no general business license, so anything sold as one should be checked against the agency pages before you pay.
• Using a P.O. box as the registered office. DFI requires a physical Wisconsin street address.
• Naming your own company as registered agent. That is not permitted.
• Calling the wrong health department. Check whether your address is inside city limits first.
• Missing the annual report. LLC and corporation annual reports are $25 and are due during the calendar quarter that contains your anniversary of organization. A paper filing adds a $15 surcharge.
• Setting the sales tax rate by habit. Confirm the combined 5.5% rate and how it applies to your sales before you set up your register.
• Signing a lease before the liquor answer. Ask the clerk about waitlists and deposits first.

What Results to Expect

Owners who work through these steps in order may find the process moves faster than they expected on the state side. Online DFI filings are in most cases accepted on receipt, and DFI's statutory limit for processing new business filings is five business days, so the entity filing may be complete within days. An expedited option is available for an additional $100. Local health, building and liquor approvals usually take longer and depend on the office's workload, so plan those steps around the longest timeline rather than the shortest. The waitlist for a Class B liquor license is something only the City Clerk can confirm for your application, so ask before you plan an opening date.

Official Resources

• DFI business entities: https://dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/GeneralInformation.aspx
• DOR new business registration: https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/Businesses/New-Business-home.aspx
• Wisconsin One Stop: https://onestop.wi.gov
• Wisconsin Small Business Development Center Network: https://wisconsinsbdc.org/
• SBA resources for Wisconsin: https://www.sba.gov/district/wisconsin

This article is informational and is not legal or tax advice. Confirm current fees, timelines and waitlists with the agency that handles your application, and consult a qualified attorney or CPA before making decisions about your entity or tax setup.