The Office
- The Register of Deeds keeps land records and vital records for Dane County.(Dane County Register of Deeds) It's in Room 110 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Phones: general 608-266-4141; recording questions 608-267-1519; real estate search line 608-266-4144 (8–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–3:30 p.m.). Mail: PO Box 1438, Madison WI 53701-1438.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Recorded here: deeds, land contracts, mortgages and their satisfactions, plats and certified survey maps, federal tax liens and more.(Dane County Register of Deeds) Construction liens are not: contractors file those with the Clerk of Circuit Court.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
Find Your Deed
- Look up your parcel on AccessDane and scroll to Recorded Documents. Each line shows the document type (WD for warranty deed, QCD for quit claim deed), the date recorded and the document number.(AccessDane)
- Note the document number. The parcel number identifies the land; each recorded document has its own number.(AccessDane)
- Get the image one of three ways:
- DocLink, from the AccessDane record: $8.75 per search and $1 per printed page, by Visa or Mastercard. No charge when a search finds nothing.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Tapestry, the county's online search for occasional users. It charges per search and per page; prices show inside Tapestry.(Dane County Register of Deeds)(Dane County Register of Deeds) AccessDane notes a Tapestry search by parcel number or legal description is more complete, back to about 1995.(AccessDane)
- In person: most records can be viewed free at the office.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- The online index starts in January 1975. Every subdivision plat, condominium plat and certified survey map can be viewed by document number.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Madison owners can also see past sales, with deed type, on the City Assessor's Sale/Conveyance Details tab.(City of Madison)
Copies and Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Copy of a recorded document | $2 first page, $1 each additional page |
| Certified copy | $1 more than the copy |
| Recording a deed, mortgage, satisfaction or other document | $30 per document, any number of pages |
| Termination of Decedent's Property Interest; Certified Survey Map | $30 |
In-person copies are cash only. Recording fees can be paid by cash, check or money order to "Register of Deeds", or by card in person for an added fee.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
Recording a Deed
- Deeds are usually drafted by attorneys. The office refers deed questions to an attorney and doesn't give legal advice.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- A deed must show the grantor and grantee, a return address, the grantor's notarized signature, the legal description, and the parcel number under the return address. Only the original can be recorded.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- It must come with the receipt from the state's electronic transfer return (eRETR), any transfer fee, and the recording fee. Both fees can go on one check.(Dane County Register of Deeds)(Wisconsin DOR)
- Format (Wis. Stat. 59.43(2m)): leave the top-right 3-by-3-inch corner blank, with the return address and parcel number below it and the title in the top 3 inches. White letter- or legal-size paper, black or red ink, a 1/2-inch top margin and 1/4-inch on the other sides, no folds, and the drafter's name.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- A document that doesn't fit the format can be recorded with a standard cover sheet, on the office's forms page.(Dane County Register of Deeds)(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Use the three-digit municipal code in front of the parcel number on documents.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
Transfer Fee and Exemptions
- Wisconsin's real estate transfer fee is 30 cents per $100 of value ($3 per $1,000), paid by the grantor (the seller).(Wis. Stat. 77.22)
- Common exemptions include transfers between spouses; between parent and child for little or no money; naming a transfer-on-death beneficiary; by will, inheritance or survivorship; to a trust when a direct transfer to the beneficiary would be exempt; correction deeds; and mortgages.(Wis. Stat. 77.25)
Common Situations
- Quit claim vs warranty deed: a quit claim deed hands over whatever interest the grantor has, with no promises. A warranty deed promises clear title; it's the most common and gives the most protection.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Name change after marriage: nothing to record. When you sell, the deed can say "now known as". A deed from yourself to yourself is optional.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Transfer on death: the forms page links a Transfer on Death Deed (Designation of TOD Beneficiary). Naming a TOD beneficiary is exempt from the transfer fee.(Dane County Register of Deeds)(Wis. Stat. 77.25)
- After a co-owner dies: the forms page links the Termination of Decedent's Property Interest form; recording it costs $30.(Dane County Register of Deeds)(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Paid off the mortgage: the release is a satisfaction, a recorded document saying the debt is paid.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- Easements (for example a utility strip) are recorded too and can limit where you build. See property lines.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
Fraud Alert and Scams
- Property Fraud Alert is free: you get a text, email or call when a document is recorded under your name. Sign up at propertyfraudalert.com or 800-728-3858.(Dane County Register of Deeds) It warns you early but can't stop fraud.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
- The office warns that mailers from "TaxRegistry.org" are not from the Register of Deeds.(Dane County Register of Deeds)
Questions
How do I get a copy of my deed in Dane County?
Find the document number in your AccessDane record under Recorded Documents. Then view it online through DocLink or Tapestry (both paid), or go to the Register of Deeds, Room 110 of the City-County Building, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Copies are $2 for the first page and $1 for each page after; certified copies cost $1 more.
How much does it cost to record a deed?
$30 per document, no matter how many pages. Most deeds also need a state electronic transfer return, and many owe the real estate transfer fee of 30 cents per $100 of value, paid by the seller.
Do I need to change my deed after I marry or change my name?
No. The Register of Deeds says no action is required. When you sell, the deed can show your former name with "now known as" your current name. A quit claim deed from yourself to yourself is optional.
Can the Register of Deeds help me write a deed?
No. Deeds are usually drafted by attorneys, and the office points you to one for deed questions. It doesn't give legal advice.
What is Property Fraud Alert?
A free Register of Deeds service that texts, emails or calls you when a document is recorded under your name. It warns you early; it doesn't stop fraud.