Property Lookup for Madison and Dane County

Each row names the official tool and the clicks that get you to the answer.

• Who owns this property?AccessDane or Madison AssessorOutside Madison: AccessDane, choose Address, type the street address without the city, press Search, and read Owner Names under Parcel Summary.(AccessDane)(AccessDane) In Madison: the Assessor's lookup shows the owner and mailing address.(City of Madison)
• What is my house assessed at?AccessDane or Madison AssessorAccessDane: open your parcel, read Assessment Summary, then click More for every year back to 1999.(AccessDane) Madison: the Property Value box shows land, improvements and total for the last two years.(City of Madison) To question a value, see assessment appeals.
• What were the property taxes?AccessDane, Tax InformationOpen your parcel and scroll to Tax Information. Each year shows the taxes, credits and amount due. Tax Info Details splits the tax by state, county, city, school district and technical college, with the mill rate.(AccessDane)(AccessDane) Madison records also have a Tax Details tab.(City of Madison) See Madison property tax to estimate a bill.
• Can I get a copy of my tax bill?AccessDane, E-BillUnder Tax Information, click E-Bill and pick a tax year, back to 1999. Bills for past years don't show that year's owner or billing address.(AccessDane)
• When was my house built?Madison AssessorMadison: open the record and look under Residential Building Information for Year Built (and Roof Replaced).(City of Madison) AccessDane doesn't show year built.(AccessDane) Sun Prairie's Assessing page has its own detailed report.(City of Sun Prairie) For older or other houses, see house history.
• What did it sell for?Madison Assessor, Sale/ConveyanceMadison: click the Sale/Conveyance Details tab for grantor, grantee, date, price and deed type.(City of Madison) Elsewhere: AccessDane's Recorded Documents lists each deed with its date and document number.(AccessDane) The state's transfer return system can also search Wisconsin property data.(Wisconsin DOR)
• How do I get a copy of my deed?Register of DeedsFind the document number under Recorded Documents in AccessDane, then get the image online (DocLink or Tapestry, both paid) or at the Register of Deeds office, Room 110 of the City-County Building.(AccessDane)(Dane County Register of Deeds) Steps and fees: deeds and records.
• Where are my property lines?Recorded plat or surveyOnline parcel maps are for tax listing, not surveys.(AccessDane) Your subdivision plat or certified survey map at the Register of Deeds shows the lot's dimensions.(Dane County Register of Deeds) See property lines.
• Is my house in a flood zone?FEMA Flood Map Service CenterGo to the Flood Map Service Center, type your address in Address Search, and view or print the effective flood map.(FEMA) In Madison, also check the city's flood risk map.(City of Madison) More in flood maps.
• How is my lot zoned?Town zoning mapMadison: the record lists the zoning district, and the city's Zoning Districts map shows it.(City of Madison)(City of Madison) AccessDane only gives your zoning office's contact, not the district.(AccessDane) Other towns: see your town's maps.
• Which school district am I in?AccessDane, District InformationOpen your parcel and scroll to District Information. It lists the school district and technical college.(AccessDane) DCiMap also has a School Districts layer.(Dane County DCiMap)
• What permits were pulled on this house?Madison permit searchMadison: the Permit Reports page links an address search in the city's permit system.(City of Madison) For the full permit record of an address, the city says to file a public records request.(City of Madison) Other towns: ask the building inspection office (see permits by town).
• Who is my assessor?AccessDane, Municipal ContactsOpen your parcel and click Show Municipal Contact Information. It lists the assessor, clerk, treasurer and zoning administrator with phone and email.(AccessDane)
• What did my lot look like in 1937?DCiMap, Basemap GalleryOpen DCiMap, search your address, click Basemap Gallery and pick a year: 2024 back to 1937.(Dane County DCiMap) See old aerial photos.
• Is my house historic?Wisconsin Historical SocietyThe Society's property record search shows whether a property is on the State or National Register. Its Architecture and History Inventory covers more than 151,000 buildings.(Wisconsin Historical Society)(Wisconsin Historical Society) Madison's five local historic districts are listed by the city.(City of Madison)
• Are there wetlands or contamination nearby?DNR map viewersWetlands: the DNR's Surface Water Data Viewer, wetland theme.(Wisconsin DNR) Known contamination and cleanups: the DNR's RR Sites Map.(Wisconsin DNR)
• Is there a record of my private well?DNR well recordsSearch the DNR's well construction reports.(Wisconsin DNR)
• What's my trash day? (Madison)Madison collection lookupUse the city's schedule lookup on the trash and recycling page. If it can't find your address, use the collection map.(City of Madison) See Madison trash and recycling.