The following records series should be retained for the time period indicated in the records retention schedule, below. A retention period is defined as the amount of time an identified record must be kept until destruction. If "waived" is indicated in the Notification column, a Register of Deeds can destroy the records after the prescribed retention period without further notice to the State Historical Society. If "notify" is indicated in the Notification column, the Register of Deeds should notify the State Historical Sociey of their intention to destroy the records (see instructions on notifying the Wisconsin Historical Society).
Legend
The following terms and abbreviations are used in the records retention schedule:
CR: creation date (or receipt date) of the record
FIS: current fiscal year
EVT: event (such as satisfaction of a mortgage)
Records Series |
Retention & Authority |
Notification |
| Accounts payable |
CR +7 years |
Waived |
| Accounts receivable |
CR + 7 years |
Waived |
| Accounts receivable, paid |
CR + 2 years |
Waived |
| Airport protection plans, specifications, and amendments |
CR + 7 years
s. 114.135 |
Waived |
| Any records subject to litigation, claim, audit or other action |
Until permission to destroy obtained from Corporation Council |
Waived |
| Applications for certified copies |
CR + 2 years |
Waived |
| As-built tracings |
Life of project |
Waived |
| Bills of sale |
CR + 6 years |
Waived |
| Blueprints |
Until superseded by as-built tracings |
Notify |
| Breeding service: claim and payment for |
CR + 7 years
s. 779.49 (1) |
Waived |
| Cancelled checks |
CR + 7 years
s. 59.54(16) |
Waived |
| Cash register tapes |
CR + 2 years |
Waived |
| Certificates of old age assistance and indexes |
CR +7 years |
Notify |
| City record of officers and employees' surety bonds |
CR + 7 years
s. 66.145 |
Waived |
| City/Village: Reorganization of city as village, election returns on question of |
CR + 7 years
s. 66.019 (6) |
Waived |
| City/village: lease of space by |
CR + 7 years
s. 66.048 (3)(c) |
Waived |
| Correspondence |
CR + 3 years |
Waived |
| Equipment & furnishings inventories |
Until superseded |
Waived |
| General information |
CR + 7 years |
Notify |
| Guardian, petition for appointment of |
CR + 7 years
s. 880.215 |
Waived |
| Indigent defendants: certificate of legal fees paid by county or state |
CR + 7 years
s. 757.66 |
Waived |
| Insurance policies, claims made |
7 years after expiration
s. 59.52(10) |
Waived |
| Insurance policies, occupance |
CR + 7 years
s. 59.52(10) |
Waived |
| Liquidated insurers' records |
7 years after close of liquidation proceedings
s. 645 |
Waived |
| Municipal redevelopment plan and revisions |
CR + 7 years
s. 66.431 (9)(a)1, 66.431 (11)(b) |
Notify |
| Notice of removal of human corpse |
2 months from date of death; Dept. H&SS directive |
Waived |
| Notification of failure to pay taxes and notification of balances due (veterans) |
CR + 7 years
s. 45.53 |
Waived |
| Order to suspend proceedings for collection of property taxes of property owned by veterans |
CR + 7 years
s. 45.53 (6) |
Waived |
| Purchase orders |
CR + 7 years |
Waived |
| Raze order |
CR + 7 years
s. 66.05 (1)(d) |
Waived |
| Receipt journals |
CR + 7 years |
Waived |
| Receipts |
CR + 7 years |
Waived |
| Report for final disposition of corpse |
2 years from date of death; Dept. H&SS directive |
Waived |
| Treasurers receipts |
CR + 2 years |
Waived |
| UCC filings (Fixture)409.403 (6)409.402 (5) |
EVT = satisfaction of mortgage
s. 409.403 (6), s. 409.402 (5) |
Waived |
| UCC filings (Non-fixture) |
CR + 5 years
s. 409.403 (3) |
Waived |
| UCC - 11, search copies |
CR + 2 years |
Waived |
| Vital record, request for copy of |
FIS + 1 year |
Waived |
| Vouchers order/register |
CR + 7 years |
Waived |
| Wills, foreign: certificate of assignment |
CR + 7 years
s. 868.05 (2) |
Waived |
| Wills, notice that proceedings have been taken to contest the will |
CR + 7 years
s. 868.01 (3) |
Waived |
