Wisconsin professional license fees remain among lowest in nation
Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) has published an updated fee schedule that includes adjustments to initial license applications and renewals for some professions.
Every two years, DSPS reviews and, when necessary, adjusts fees based on the cost of work needed to license and regulate each profession. The Evers Administration lowered fees in 2019 and then lowered them again in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve always worked to align fees to the cost of work to support the profession,” said DSPS Secretary Dan Hereth. “We’re keeping that approach and adjusting appropriately.”
Trades licenses will see no adjustment and the cost of most business and health licenses will also remain the same. Most impacted professions, like nurses and dentists, will see a fee adjustment of less than $20 for a two-year renewal. Only physicians will see a more significant increase. Their fee for a Wisconsin license will rise to $120 every two years, remaining the lowest physician renewal rate in the nation.
“Most licenses will not experience a fee change and all license fees remain lower than they were in 2018,” Hereth explained. “I am proud to continue this administration’s efforts to ensure we have one of the lowest licensing fee structures in the United States.”
Wisconsin DSPS is funded by fees and receives no tax dollars for licensing work, meaning the fees charged for initial applications and license renewals entirely fund the department’s credentialing and regulation of licensed professions.
The updated fees are posted here on the DSPS website and take effect for initial and renewal applications that open in August.
About DSPS
DSPS issues more than 240 unique licenses, administers dozens of boards and councils that regulate professions, enforces state building codes, and maintains the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is a key tool in the multi-faceted public health campaign to stem excessive opioid prescribing. A fee-based agency, DSPS is self-sustaining and receives no general fund tax dollars for its day-to-day operations. With two offices and roughly 250 employees, DSPS collaborates with constituents and stakeholders across a wide range of industries to promote safety and advance the economy.
