How to Obtain a Business License in the State of Wisconsin

Obtaining a business license in the state of Wisconsin varies according to the business structure. Business licenses are a formal means of creating legal parameters for conducting business. The steps below outline how to obtain a license in Wisconsin according to the type of business structure.

Instructions

Proprietorships, Patnerships and Cooperatives

1. Obtain a Sole Proprietorship or General Partnership license. There are no legal formalities in the state of Wisconsin for opening a sole proprietorship or general partnership. If you will operate under a name other than your birth name, you must apply for a Registration of Firm Names with the county's Register of Deeds Association.

2. Obtain a Limited Partnership license. To obtain a Domestic (Form 302) or Foreign (Form 321) Limited Partnership license, you must fill out the appropriate form. Submit the document plus a duplicate and filing fee to: Department of Financial Institutions, Attn: Corporate and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 7846, Madison, WI 53707-7846. See Resources for all the forms listed here.

3. Obtain a Limited Liability Partnership license. To obtain a Domestic or Foreign Limited Liability Partnership license, you must fill out Form 602. Submit the document plus a duplicate and filing fee to the address in Step 2.

4. Obtain a Limited Liability Company license. To obtain a Domestic (Form 502) or Foreign (Form 521) Limited Liability Company license, you must fill out the appropriate form. Submit the document plus a duplicate and filing fee to the address in Step 2.

5. Obtain a Cooperative Association license. You must fill out Form 202 and submit two signed, notarized copies of the form and two separate checks, one for the filing fee and the other for the county recording fee to the address listed in Step 2.

6. Fill out Form 20 for Newly Elected Officers and Directors for a Cooperative Association license by submitting the original and a copy of the form with a check for the filing fee made payable to Department of Financial Institutions. Send to the address in Step 2.

Corporations

1. Obtain an Articles of Incorporation Stock-for-Profit license. Fill out Form 2, submitting the original and a copy of the form with a check for the filing fee made payable to: Department of Financial Institutions, Attn: Corporate and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 7846 Madison, WI 53707-7846. See Resources for all the forms listed here.

2. Fill out Form 21 for a Foreign Business Corporation Certificate of Authority application by submitting the original and a copy of the form with a check for the filing fee made payable to Department of Financial Institutions. Send to the address in Step 1.

3. Fill out Form 102 for Articles of Incorporation for a Non-Stock license by submitting the original and a copy of the form with a check for the filing fee to the address in Step 1.

4. Fill out Form 121 for Articles of Incorporation for a Foreign Non-Stock Certificate of Authority application and the Current Certificate of Status by submitting the original and a copy of the form with a check for the filing fee to the address in Step 1.

5. Fill out Form 128 for Articles of Domestication for a Non-Stock Corporation by submitting the original and a copy of the form with a check for the filing fee made payable to the address in Step 1.

Resources

• Wisconsin Business Forms (Licenses)
• Wisconsin Registration of Firm Names Form
• Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association