Certificate of need · Wisconsin
Wisconsin certificate of need
Wisconsin has a certificate of need program, run by Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It covers 5 kinds of services, listed below.
- CON program
- Yes
- Services covered
- 5
On this page
Certificate of need
Wisconsin CON program
Wisconsin has a certificate of need program, run by Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It covers 5 kinds of services, listed below.
- CON program
- Yes
- Program
- Approval of nursing home and ICF/IID projects under Wis. Stat. ch. 150 (not called certificate of need)
- Application fee
- 0.37% of estimated project cost, minimum $1,850 and maximum $37,000; an application is incomplete without the fee (Wis. Stat. §150.13).
- Moratoria
- The statute caps licensed nursing home beds statewide at 51,795 and beds in facilities primarily serving persons with developmental disabilities at 3,704. DHS may adjust the caps only as the statute allows and must recommend changes every two years (Wis. Stat. §150.31).
- Recent changes
- Wisconsin has no general CON program. An Arizona legislative staff summary (2025) lists Wisconsin among states that do not officially operate CON but have similar approval processes. Prior DHS approval is still required for the nursing home projects listed here, and statewide bed caps apply.
- Statute
- Wis. Stat. ch. 150 (§§150.13, 150.21, 150.29, 150.31–150.35)
Scope
Services that need a certificate of need
- construction of new nursing homes
- nursing home bed capacity increases
- nursing home capital expenditures over $1,000,000 (excluding renovation or replacement)
- nursing home clinical equipment over $600,000 (excluding renovation or replacement)
- conversion between nursing home and facility primarily serving persons with developmental disabilities
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Wisconsin have a certificate of need law?
Wisconsin has a certificate of need program, run by Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It covers 5 kinds of services, listed below.
How much is a Wisconsin CON application?
0.37% of estimated project cost, minimum $1,850 and maximum $37,000; an application is incomplete without the fee (Wis. Stat. §150.13).