Chapter 69

69.21(1)(a)2.b. b. Any information of the part of a birth, death, divorce, annulment, or marriage record, the disclosure of which is limited under s. 69.20 (2) (a) and (c), unless the requester is the subject of the information or, for a decedent, unless the requester is specified in s. 69.20 (2) (a) 2.

69.21(1)(a)2.c. c. The birth record of a person if no surname has been entered on the birth record for the person under s. 69.14 (1) (f).

69.21(1)(b) (b)

69.21(1)(b)1. 1. Any copy of a vital record certified under par. (a) shall be on a form provided or approved by the state registrar and shall include the date of issuance, the name of the issuing officer, the issuing officer’s signature or an authorized facsimile of his or her signature and the seal of the issuing officer. The certification shall be applied to the copy in a way that prevents its removal from the copy.

69.21(1)(b)2. 2. Any copy of a birth record issued under par. (a) shall be in a long or short form, as specified by the person submitting the request under par. (a). The long form shall include the name, sex, date and place of birth and parent’s surnames of the registrant, the file date and the file number. The short form may not include any information about the parents of the registrant. The state registrar shall issue the short form for any registrant born of unmarried parents if the registrant’s record was not prepared under s. 69.15 (3) (b), unless the person requesting the copy requests the long form.

69.21(1)(b)3. 3. A local registrar may issue a copy of a record of birth, death, divorce, termination of domestic partnership, marriage, or a declaration of domestic partnership under par. (a) through the state system of vital records if it is enabled.

69.21(1)(b)4. 4. A copy of a death record issued under par. (a) for a death that occurred before September 1, 2013, shall include the name, sex, date and place of death, age or birth date, cause and manner of death, and social security number, if any, of the decedent, and the file number and the file date of the record, except that a requester may, upon request, obtain a copy that does not include the cause of death.

69.21(1)(b)5. 5. A copy of a death record issued under par. (a) for a death that occurs after August 31, 2013, shall be on a form that contains only fact-of-death information specified in s. 69.18 (1m) (a), except that a requester may, upon request, obtain a form that contains extended fact-of-death information specified in s. 69.18 (1m) (b).

69.21(1)(c) (c) Any certified copy of a vital record or part of a vital record issued under this subsection shall be deemed the same as the original vital record and shall be prima facie evidence of any fact stated in the vital record, except that the evidentiary value of a vital record filed more than one year after the event which is the subject of the vital record occurred or of a vital record which has been amended shall be determined by the judicial or administrative agency or official before whom the vital record is offered as evidence.

69.21(2) (2) Uncertified copies.

69.21(2)(a) (a) The state registrar or local registrar shall issue an uncertified copy of the vital record of one or more registrants if the subject of the vital record is an event occurring after September 30, 1907. The requirements of ss. 69.15 (6) (b) and 69.20 (3) (b) for disclosing information under s. 69.20 (1) and (2) shall apply to issuance under this paragraph of any copy of a vital record containing such information. Any uncertified copy issued under this paragraph shall have on its face a notice that it is uncertified.

69.21(2)(b) (b) The state registrar and any local registrar shall issue an uncertified copy of the vital record of one or more registrants, whether specified or not, to any person if the subject of the vital record is an event occurring before October 1, 1907, and if the person submits a request for the copy in writing to the registrar responsible for filing or registering the vital record and if the request is accompanied by the fee required under s. 69.22 (1) (b).

69.21(2)(d) (d)

69.21(2)(d)1. 1. An uncertified photocopy of a vital record for an event occurring before October 1, 1907, other than a vital record held by the state registrar and any local registrar, shall be stamped “NOT FOR IDENTITY PURPOSES” across its face and is subject to this paragraph but is not otherwise subject to the limitations of this section or the requirements of s. 69.22.

69.21(2)(d)3. 3. The holder of the vital record from which uncertified photocopies may be made and issued under this paragraph may establish fees for the photocopies.

69.21(3) (3) Amendments. Any copy of a vital record issued under this section shall show all amendments or changes made on the record since it was filed, the date and authority of the amendment or change unless a record was issued for the registrant under s. 69.14 (1) (h) or 69.15 (2), (3) or (4) (b).

69.21(4) (4) Determination of fraud.

69.21(4)(a) (a) Except as provided under par. (b), if the state registrar or a local registrar determines that a vital record was registered through misrepresentation or fraud, he or she may not issue any copy of the vital record prior to a determination by a court of the actual facts of the event which is the subject of the record.

69.21(4)(b) (b) A person with a direct and tangible interest in a vital record withheld by the state registrar under par. (a) may petition the circuit court of the county in which the event which is the subject of the vital record is shown on the original record to have occurred. The petition shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the original vital record. In issuing the certified copy, the state registrar shall mark the copy to indicate that the copy is for use by the court in making its determination under this paragraph. If the court finds that the petitioner has proven that the information on the vital record is valid, the clerk of court shall report the court’s determination to the state registrar in the manner prescribed by the state registrar, who shall issue the certified copy.

69.21 History History: 1985 a. 315; 1987 a. 307; 1997 a. 210; 1999 a. 185; 2001 a. 16; 2015 a. 142, 157; 2017 a. 334; s. 35.17 correction in (1) (a) 1.

69.21 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See s. 889.18 for evidence of official records and s. 891.09 for evidence of vital statistics.

69.21 Annotation A local registrar has no power to adopt procedures that are more stringent than those directed by the state registrar for issuing certified copies of a vital record under sub. (1). 80 Atty. Gen. 35.

69.22 69.22 Fees.

69.22(1) (1) Except as provided in sub. (6), the state registrar and any local registrar acting under this subchapter shall collect the following fees:

69.22(1)(a) (a) Except as provided under par. (c), $20 for issuing one certified copy of a vital record and $3 for any additional certified copy of the same vital record issued at the same time.

69.22(1)(b) (b) Except as provided under par. (c), $20 for issuing an uncertified copy of a vital record issued under s. 69.21 (2) (a) or (b), $7 for verifying information about the event submitted by a requester without issuance of a copy, and $3 for any additional copy of the same vital record issued at the same time.

69.22(1)(c) (c) Twenty dollars for issuing an uncertified copy of a birth record or a certified copy of a birth record, and $3 for issuing any additional certified or uncertified copy of the same birth record issued at the same time.

69.22(1)(cm) (cm) Ten dollars for issuing one certified copy of a birth record resulting in stillbirth and $3 for any additional certified copy of the same record issued at the same time.

69.22(1)(d) (d) In addition to other fees under this subchapter, $20 for expedited service in issuing a vital record.

69.22(1m) (1m) The state registrar and any local registrar acting under this subchapter shall, for each copy of a birth record for which a fee under sub. (1) (c) is charged that is issued during a calendar quarter, forward to the secretary of administration for deposit in the appropriation accounts under s. 20.433 (1) (g) and (h) $7 by the 15th day of the first month following the end of the calendar quarter.

69.22(1q) (1q) The state registrar and any local registrar acting under this subchapter shall forward to the secretary of administration for deposit in the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (1) (gm) all of the following:

69.22(1q)(a) (a) For any certified copy of a vital record for which a fee of $20 under sub. (1) (a) is charged, $13.

69.22(1q)(b) (b) For any uncertified copy of a vital record for which a fee of $20 under sub. (1) (b) is charged, $13.

69.22(1q)(c) (c) For any copy of a birth certificate for which a fee of $20 under sub. (1) (c) is charged, $8.

69.22(1q)(d) (d) For expedited service in issuing a vital record, $10.

69.22(2) (2) The state registrar and any local registrar may charge $7 for a search of vital records if the registrar finds no record. In addition to the $7, a registrar may charge a fee to cover the costs of a search of vital records if the requester provides no identifying information or identifying information which is imprecise or inadequate.

69.22(3) (3) If a local registrar under s. 69.11 (4) or 69.14 (2) (b) 6. completes the proper forms for the applicant and submits the forms and proofs to the office of the state registrar, the state registrar and the register of deeds shall receive equal amounts of the fee received for the action.

69.22(5) (5) The state registrar shall collect the following fees:

69.22(5)(a) (a) Ten dollars for:

69.22(5)(a)1. 1. Making any change under s. 69.11 (4).

69.22(5)(a)2. 2. Making any change ordered by a court under s. 69.12 (3) or 69.15 (4) (a).

69.22(5)(a)3. 3. Making any change in a birth record under s. 69.15 (3).

69.22(5)(b) (b) Twenty dollars for:

69.22(5)(b)1. 1. Any new vital record registered under s. 69.12 (4), 69.14 (2) (b), 69.15 (2), (3m), (4) (b), or (6), 69.16 (2), or 69.19, or any corrected vital record registered under s. 69.13.

69.22(5)(b)2. 2. The filing of a birth record under s. 69.14 (2) (b) 5. The fee under this subdivision includes the search for the birth record and the first copy of the certificate except that the state registrar shall add to the $20 fee, $5.

69.22(5)(c) (c) The state registrar may charge a reasonable fee to adequately cover the cost of specialized data collection and data production for research or administrative data requested under s. 69.20.

69.22(6) (6) The state registrar may charge a reasonable fee for providing searches of vital records and for providing copies of vital records to state agencies for program use. The register of deeds may provide free searches and free copies to agencies in his or her county at the direction of the county board.

69.22 History History: 1985 a. 315; 1985 a. 332 s. 253; 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 16, 27; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 191, 210; 2001 a. 16, 106; 2003 a. 33, 300; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 28; 2017 a. 334.

69.24 69.24 Penalties.

69.24(1) (1) Any person who does any of the following is guilty of a Class I felony:

69.24(1)(a) (a) Other than as authorized under ss. 69.21 (2) (d) and 69.30 (3), prepares or issues any paper or film which purports to be, or carries the appearance of, an original or a copy of a vital record, certified or uncertified, except as provided under this subchapter or s. 610.50 and except for any hospital which issues any written announcement of the birth of a person to the parents of the person if the announcement contains plain notice that the announcement is not for official use.

69.24(1)(b) (b) Willfully and knowingly makes any false statement in a birth or death record under s. 69.09, 69.10, 69.14 or 69.18, in an application for an amendment to a birth or death record under s. 69.11 or 69.12 or in a request for a certified copy of a birth record under s. 69.21.

69.24(1)(c) (c) Willfully and knowingly supplies any false information with the intent that the information be used in the preparation of a birth or death record or the amendment of a birth or death record.

69.24(1)(d) (d) Counterfeits or, without authorization, makes, alters or amends any birth or death record required by this subchapter or a certified copy of such record.

69.24(1)(e) (e) Mutilates or destroys an original birth or death record filed under this subchapter.

69.24(1)(f) (f) Willfully and knowingly obtains, possesses, uses, sells, furnishes or attempts to obtain, possess, use, sell or furnish to any person for any purpose of deception, any vital record or certified copy of a vital record which is counterfeited, altered or amended or false in part or in whole or which is related to the birth, death, marriage, divorce, domestic partnership, or termination of a domestic partnership of another person, whether living or dead.

69.24(1)(g) (g) Illegally possesses any vital record required under this subchapter with knowledge that the vital record has been illegally obtained.

69.24(1)(h) (h) As a public officer or public employee, furnishes or processes a birth or death record or a certified copy of a birth or death record with the knowledge or intention that the record or copy will be used for the purpose of deception.

69.24(2) (2) Any person who does any of the following shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 90 days or both:

69.24(2)(a) (a) Willfully and knowingly commits any of the actions prohibited under sub. (1) in relation to records of marriage, divorce, declaration of domestic partnership, or termination of domestic partnership.

69.24(2)(b) (b) Willfully and knowingly refuses to provide information required under this subchapter for any part of a birth record which is not designated as the part for statistical or medical and statistical use or for a death record.

69.24(2)(c) (c) Willfully and knowingly effects final disposition of a corpse without complying with s. 69.18 (3) (b).

69.24(2)(d) (d) Willfully and knowingly neglects or violates or refuses to perform any requirement under this subchapter.

69.24 History History: 1985 a. 315; 1987 a. 247; 1987 a. 403 s. 256; 1997 a. 210, 283; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2009 a. 28; 2015 a. 142; 2017 a. 334.

69.24 Annotation A bank, its employees, and agents violate this section when copying a certified copy of a vital record for use by the Federal Reserve Bank. 78 Atty. Gen. 232.

69.30 69.30 Authorized copying of vital records.

69.30(1) (1) In this section:

69.30(1)(a) (a) “County department” means a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42 or 51.437.

69.30(1)(b) (b) “Financial institution” means any bank, savings bank, savings and loan association or credit union that is authorized to do business under state or federal laws relating to financial institutions.

69.30(1)(bd) (bd) “Long-term care district” has the meaning given in s. 46.2805 (7r).

69.30(1)(bm) (bm) “Service office” has the meaning given in s. 45.04 (1) (b).

69.30(1)(c) (c) “State agency” has the meaning given in s. 20.001 (1).

69.30(1)(d) (d) “Wisconsin works agency” has the meaning given in s. 49.001 (9).

69.30(2) (2) A financial institution, state agency, county department, Wisconsin works agency, service office or long-term care district or an employee of a financial institution, state agency, county department, Wisconsin works agency, service office or long-term care district is not subject to s. 69.24 (1) (a) for copying a certified copy of a vital record for use by the financial institution, state agency, county department, Wisconsin works agency, service office or long-term care district, including use under s. 45.04 (5), if the copy is marked “FOR ADMINISTRATIVE USE”.

69.30(2m) (2m) A county clerk under s. 59.23 or a clerk of court under s. 59.40 who processes passport applications is not subject to s. 69.24 (1) (a) for copying a certified copy of a birth certificate, if provided to a person for submission with a passport application and the copy is marked “FOR PASSPORT USE ONLY”.

69.30(3) (3) Any person may copy or may make available electronically an uncertified copy of a vital record for an event occurring before October 1, 1907, that is issued under s. 69.21 (2) (b) or (d).

69.30 History History: 1989 a. 313; 1991 a. 221, 269, 315; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2005 a. 22; 2007 a. 20; 2015 a. 142; 2017 a. 48.

subch. II of ch. 69 SUBCHAPTER II

GENERAL STATISTICS

69.60 69.60 Taxes and bonds. The clerk of each town, city, and village shall annually, at the time required by law to deliver the tax roll to the town, city, or village treasurer, make and transmit to the county treasurer, on forms furnished by the department of revenue, a statement showing the total amount of all taxes levied by the town, city, or village for the current year.

69.60 History History: 1971 c. 154; 1975 c. 295, 421; Stats. 1975 s. 69.60; 1991 a. 39; 2001 a. 107.

69.61 69.61 Annual statement of taxes.

69.61(1) (1) Annually, on or before the 3rd Monday of December, each city, village, and town clerk shall make and file with the department of revenue a statement in detail of all taxes levied in the clerk’s city, village, or town during the year. Any clerk who fails to make the statement required under this section within the required time shall be liable to the city, village, or town for all damages caused by the delinquency.

69.61(2) (2) The department of revenue shall prepare and furnish to each county clerk forms and instructions for the statement required under this section. The clerk of each county shall, immediately upon receipt of the forms and instructions from the department of revenue distribute the forms and instructions to the clerk of each city, village, and town in the county, at the county’s expense.

69.61 History History: 1975 c. 295 ss. 3, 9; 1975 c. 421; Stats. 1975 s. 69.61; 2001 a. 107.

69.62 69.62 Returns to department of revenue.

69.62(1) (1) Annually, on or before November 30, each county clerk shall make and transmit to the department of revenue a statement in detail of all county taxes levied on taxable property in the county during the preceding year, and the purposes for which the taxes were levied and expended. Any county clerk failing to make the statement required under this section within the required time, shall be liable to the county for all damages caused by the delinquency.

69.62(2) (2) The department of revenue shall prepare and furnish to the clerk of each county forms and instructions for the statement required under this section.

69.62 History History: 1971 c. 65; 1975 c. 295 ss. 3, 9; 1975 c. 421; Stats. 1975 s. 69.62; 1977 c. 29 s. 1647 (21); 1983 a. 275; 2001 a. 107.