Dane County Recorder Information

Land records in Dane County are recorded by the Register of Deeds. The office is held by Kristi Chlebowski.

The online index of real estate documents is available beginning January 1975 and is subject to change during a long-term back indexing project. Most document images are available by document number, including all subdivision plats, condominium plats and certified survey map images. Most records are available for viewing in the office free of charge.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43 · Contact Us | Register of Deeds · Online Real Estate Record Search | Register of Deeds

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

Other charges

StatewideCopies of recorded documents are $2 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page of each document. Recording a cemetery plat, subdivision plat, or condominium plat is $50. Of each $30 recording fee, $15 is submitted to the Department of Administration for land record modernization, less up to $8 a qualifying county may retain (Wis. Stat. § 59.72(5)).

Termination of Decedent's Property Interest forms: $30. Certified Survey Maps: $30.00. Copies of filed documents are reduced to 8.5" X 14" or 11" X 17". In-person copy requests require cash only; no personal or business checks, debit or credit cards are accepted.

Paying the office

StatewideFees are payable in advance by the party procuring the services of the register of deeds; fees for services to a state department, board, or commission or a contracting person may be invoiced.

Credit cards are accepted in person. The transfer fee and recording fee can be combined on one check, made payable to Register of Deeds.

Transfer tax

Real estate transfer fee. 30 cents for each $100 of value or fraction thereof. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 77.22(1))

StatewideThe register collects the fee when the conveyance is submitted for recording and enters the fee paid on the face of the instrument. Except as provided in s. 77.255, a completed real estate transfer return and payment of the fee are prerequisites to acceptance for recording. Exemptions are listed in s. 77.25, and an exempt conveyance must state the reason for exemption on its face by reference to the subsection of s. 77.25. Twenty percent of fees collected is retained by the county (s. 77.24). No city, village, town, or county may impose a fee on a conveyance exempt under s. 77.25 (s. 77.256).

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43 · Wisconsin Legislature: 77.22 · Real Estate Recording Fees | Register of Deeds · Deeds | Register of Deeds

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

StatewideTop margin of each page is 0.5 inch; company logos may appear within it. The first page must have a blank space of at least 3 inches by 3 inches in the upper right corner, within the margins, for recording information. A document without this space may not be recorded.

StatewideThe register of deeds may refuse to record a document that does not substantially comply with the standard format. The document name must be clear and located not less than 0.5 inch nor more than 6 inches from the top of the first page. Multiple pages may not be hinged or otherwise joined completely at the top or sides. The document must be legible when copied or scanned. A register of deeds may not record a document that contains an individual's social security number, subject to statutory exceptions. A county that requires parcel identification numbers may require one for each parcel affected.

The name and return address must be either (1) directly under the recording area, or (2) on the left side of the page and within the top 3 inches. The parcel identifier number (PIN) must be placed directly under the return address. The title of the document must be within the top 3 inches of the page but not in the 3"x3" right corner. A valid notary expiration/commission date is required. Certified copies are exempt from s. 59.43(2m) but a cover sheet may be needed to record the document.

Forms filed along with a transfer

• Wisconsin Electronic Real Estate Transfer Return (eRETR) Statewide Wisconsin Department of Revenue
  Executed at the time a conveyance is submitted for recording, except as provided in s. 77.255; filed electronically

Submitting documents

StatewideDocuments are recorded in the order received and endorsed with the date, hour, and minute of recording. Except as provided in any agreement with the submitter, documents left for recording are delivered to the recipient the submitter authorizes, once the submitter provides adequate postage. A register of deeds may return unrecorded an entire group of related documents identified as a single transaction if one of them may be refused.

If you need a copy of your document time-stamped, bring a photocopy when you come to the office, or send a note to that effect with the photocopy and a self-addressed envelope.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43 · Wisconsin Legislature: 77.22 · Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43(2m) · Standard Document Requirements for Recording | Register of Deeds · Mail Recording | Register of Deeds · Electronic Recording | Register of Deeds