Washburn County Recorder Information

Office locations, recording fees, and document requirements in Wisconsin

Recorder Office

Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.

Washburn County Register of Deeds
10 4th Avenue, Shell Lake, Wisconsin 54871
Mailing address: P.O. Box 607, Shell Lake, WI 54871
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 – 4:30 | Genealogy Hours: 9:00 – 3:00
(715) 468-4616 fax (715) 468-4658
regdeeds@co.washburn.wi.us
Checked September 2026 against the office's own page.

About the Washburn County Register of Deeds

Land records in Washburn County are recorded by the Register of Deeds. The office is held by Jessica Hedinger.

The Color Tract Index is free to view; links to tract book images were discontinued effective July 1, 2010, ending with Document #343259. Grantor/Grantee indexes for 1863-1999 are free to view as downloadable PDFs. CSM, plat, and TPP reference lists are posted.

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43 · Recording Requirements & Other Forms - Washburn County · Access Real Estate Records Online - Washburn County

Recording Fees

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

All documents$30.00 flat

Other charges

Certification$1.00

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)).

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.

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).

Verified September 2026 against official publications. Sources: Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43 · Wisconsin Legislature: 77.22

Document Requirements

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

Paper size8.5 inches wide by 11 or 14 inches long, with a maximum deviation of 0.25 inch (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(a)7.)
First page top margin0.5 in (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(a)14.)
Other margins0.25 in (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(a)15.)
Ink and paperWhite paper of at least 20 pound weight; black, blue, or red ink, except that signatures and coded notations on maps may be other colors (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(a)6., 13.)
Return address requiredYes (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(a)4m.)
Prepared-by statement requiredYes (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(a)16.)
Parcel number requiredYes
Cover sheetOptional (statewide, Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2m)(c))

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.

Forms filed along with a transfer

Submitting documents

Electronic recordingAccepted
eRecording through Deeds.comAvailable for this office

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.

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43 · Wisconsin Legislature: 77.22 · Wisconsin Legislature: 59.43(2m) · Recording Requirements & Other Forms - Washburn County · E-Recording Companies - Washburn County

Deeds.com Resources & Services

Using Deeds.com is optional. Contact the recorder's office directly for its services and submission options.

How to Get a Copy of Your Deed

Read Deeds.com's guide to requesting document copies from the recorder's office.

Deeds.com eRecording

Available through Deeds.com

Use Deeds.com's paid service to submit documents electronically to the recorder's office. Deeds.com service fees are separate from government recording fees and taxes.

Recorder Office

Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.

Washburn County Register of Deeds
10 4th Avenue, Shell Lake, Wisconsin 54871
Mailing address: P.O. Box 607, Shell Lake, WI 54871
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 – 4:30 | Genealogy Hours: 9:00 – 3:00
(715) 468-4616 fax (715) 468-4658
regdeeds@co.washburn.wi.us
Checked September 2026 against the office's own page.

Deeds.com Forms

Blank legal forms sold by Deeds.com, not by the recorder's office.

Deeds.com Customer Care

For help with Deeds.com products, services, or your account. This does not contact the recorder's office.

Contact Deeds.com
Deeds.com is an independent, private website. We provide this free directory for informational purposes and are not affiliated with any government agency. No purchase is required to use this information.