Badger HomeownerWisconsin home guide

New to Dane County: Your Checklist

Pick your town and whether you own or rent. You'll get the first-week, first-month and first-year list for that town: who supplies your power and water, when trash goes out, when the tax bill is due, and the guides that go deeper.

  • Last checked
  • Every fact linked to its official source
  • Independent. How We Research

Build Your Checklist

Every town fact comes from the town registry and links to its official source.

The steps below apply in every town. The tool adds your town's own: utilities, trash, tax due dates, the lottery credit, the assessor, schools, building inspection and housing age.

First Week

  • Change your address with the DMV. WisDOT asks for it within 10 days of a move; state law allows 30.(WisDOT)(Wis. Stat. 343.22) You can do it online or by mail, and it doesn't mail you a new card.(WisDOT) New to Wisconsin? Get a Wisconsin license within 60 days and title and plate your car here.(WisDOT)
  • Test the smoke and CO alarms. Wisconsin requires smoke and CO alarms in the basement and on each floor of a home, installed by the owner.(Wis. Stat. 101.645)(Wis. Stat. 101.647) The alarm checker shows which ones your home needs.
  • Return the check-in sheet within 7 days. Your landlord must give you one, and you have 7 days from the start of the tenancy to note existing damage.(Wis. Stat. 704.08) Build a room-by-room sheet.
  • Ask about sewer backup and flood coverage. Standard homeowners and renters policies exclude both; sewer backup is an endorsement you may have to ask for.(OCI) Homeowners insurance in Wisconsin.

First Month

  • Register to vote at your new address. Anyone who moves must update their registration, and you need 28 days at the address before an election.(City of Madison)(City of Madison) Online at myvote.wi.gov until 20 days before; after that at your clerk's office or the polls, with proof of address.(City of Madison)
  • License your dog. Wisconsin requires a license for any dog over 5 months old, with proof of rabies vaccination.(Wis. Stat. 174.07) In Madison the City Treasurer licenses dogs and cats.(City of Madison) Elsewhere, ask your city, village or town.
  • Test for radon. Public Health Madison & Dane County sells test kits for $10.(PHMDC) What your result means.
  • Know the deposit rules now. Security deposits: the 21-day return deadline and which deductions are allowed. Renting in Wisconsin covers the rest.

First Year

Town by Town

Each town page collects that town's tax rate, utilities, trash, schools and inspection office, with sources: Madison · Cottage Grove · DeForest · Fitchburg · Maple Bluff · McFarland · Middleton · Monona · Mount Horeb · Oregon · Shorewood Hills · Stoughton · Sun Prairie · Verona · Waunakee. Compare them side by side.

Still deciding where to live? Property tax rates by town and utility costs by town show what the same house costs in each. Buying a home covers the purchase.

Questions

What should I do first after buying a house in Dane County?

In the first week: get electric, gas and water in your name, find your trash day, test the smoke and CO alarms, and change your address with the DMV. Then learn when your property tax is due and who you pay; in Madison it's four installments to the City Treasurer, elsewhere usually two.

How long do I have to change my address in Wisconsin?

WisDOT asks you to update it within 10 days of moving. The statute, Wis. Stat. 343.22, allows 30 days. You can change it online or by mail.

Do I need to license my dog?

Yes. Wisconsin requires a license for any dog over 5 months old, with proof of rabies vaccination. In Madison the City Treasurer issues dog and cat licenses.

Does the lottery credit transfer when I buy a house?

It can. If the previous owner lived there as a primary residence on January 1, the new owner who lives there can claim it, but you have to apply. If the bill doesn't show it, apply to the treasurer by January 31.