Who We Are
The Office of the Register of Deeds (noted often hereafter, as ROD) was established in Wisconsin in 1836. Before that, land registration was handled by the Register in Probate. The 1848 Wisconsin Constitution established the ROD as a permanent element of the county-level governmental structure. Each county in Wisconsin has a Register of Deeds.
The Register of Deeds files, records, and issues instruments and documents of significance both to the community as a whole and to its individual citizens. Vital records document the span of our lives from birth to death. Land records documenting title in Wisconsin are maintained. The office also maintains land records documenting title to over $982.8 billion* in real property in Wisconsin.
Since 1836, the Register of Deeds office has utilized advanced technology to handle the increasing work load. From quill pens to computerized indexes to internet - accessible documents to electronic filing, these advancements have allowed us to provide a higher level of service to our customers during tough budget constraints.
*2025 equalized value of real property, WI Dept. of Revenue
Statutory Duties
The Register of Deeds performs essential functions, which include but are not limited to filing, recording, and issuing instruments and documents of significance both to the community as a whole and to its individual citizens.
- Review, record, scan, eRecord, and maintain all documents authorized by law to be recorded as outlined in Wisconsin Statutes Chapters 59.43 and 69.
- Prepare documents for indexing, imaging, and eRecording using quality control procedures.
- Safely keep and return to the proper party, documents which have been recorded.
- Make and deliver to any person, upon payment of proper fees, certified and uncertified copies of official office records.
- Register, index, and file all births, marriages, divorces, deaths, and domestic partnerships occurring in the county.
- Perform the duties that are related to vital statistics under Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 69.
- Record, index, and maintain military discharges per Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 45.
- Record federal tax liens, articles of incorporation, firm names, and fixture filings.
- Record all types of plats and certified survey maps.
