Wis. Stat. § 779.97 — WI Code / Chapter 779 / Section 779.97
Uniform federal lien registration act.
Status: in_force

(1) Scope. This section applies only to:

(a) Federal tax liens; and

(b) Other federal liens, if any act of congress or any regulation adopted under an act of congress requires or permits notices of such liens to be filed or recorded in the same manner as notices of federal tax liens.

(2) Place of filing or recording.

(a) Notices of liens, certificates and other notices affecting federal tax liens or other federal liens shall be filed or recorded under this section.

(b) Notices of liens upon real property for obligations payable to the United States, and certificates and notices affecting the liens shall be filed or recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which real property subject to the liens is situated.

(c) Notices of liens upon personal property, whether tangible or intangible, for obligations payable to the United States and certificates and notices affecting the liens shall be filed or recorded as follows:

1. If the person against whose interest the lien applies is a partnership or a corporation, as defined in 26 USC 7701 (a) (2) and (3), whose principal executive office is in this state, with the department of financial institutions.

2. If the person against whose interest the lien applies is a trust not covered under subd. 1. , with the department of financial institutions.

3. If the person against whose interest the lien applies is the estate of a decedent, with the department of financial institutions.

4. In all other cases in the office of the register of deeds of the county where the person against whose interest the lien applies resides at the time of filing or recording of the notice of lien.

(3) Execution of notices and certificates. Certification of notices of liens, certificates or other notices affecting federal liens by the secretary of the U.S. treasury, by the secretary’s designee or by any other official or entity of the United States responsible for filing or certifying notice of any other lien entitles them to be filed or recorded and no other attestation, certification or acknowledgment is necessary.

(4) Duties of filing or recording officer.

(a) If a notice of federal tax lien or a notice of revocation of a certificate of release is presented to the filing or recording officer who is:

1. With the department of financial institutions, the filing officer shall cause the notice to be dealt with in accordance with s. 409.519 as if the notice were a financing statement within the meaning of chs. 401 to 411 ; or

2. Any other officer described in sub. (2) , the officer shall make the endorsements required under s. 59.43 (1c) (e) and (f) and forthwith record the notice and enter it in the index under s. 59.43 (9) .

(b)

1. If a refiling of a notice of lien is presented to the department of financial institutions for filing, the filing officer shall cause the refiled notice of federal lien to be dealt with in accordance with s. 409.519 as if the refiling were a continuation statement within the meaning of chs. 401 to 411 .

2. If a certificate of release is presented to the department of financial institutions for filing, the filing officer shall cause the certificate to be dealt with in accordance with s. 409.513 as if the certificate were a termination statement within the meaning of chs. 401 to 411 , and the filing officer may remove the notice of federal lien and any related refiling of a notice of lien, certificate of nonattachment, discharge, or subordination from the files at any time after receipt of the certificate of release, but the department of financial institutions shall keep the certificate of release or a microfilm or other photographic record or optical disc or electronic record of the certificate of release in a file, separate from those containing currently effective notices of liens, for a period of 30 years after the date of filing of the certificate of release.

3. If a certificate of discharge is presented to the department of financial institutions for filing, the filing officer shall cause the certificate to be dealt with as if the certificate were an amendment that deletes collateral within the meaning of chs. 401 to 411 .

4. If a certificate of nonattachment or subordination of any lien is presented to the department of financial institutions for filing, the filing officer shall cause the certificate to be dealt with as if the certificate were an amendment that deletes collateral within the meaning of chs. 401 to 411 .

(c)

1. If a refiled notice of federal lien or a certificate of nonattachment, discharge or subordination is presented for filing to any other filing or recording officer specified in sub. (2) , the officer shall permanently attach the refiled notice or the certificate to the original notice of lien and shall enter the refiled notice or certificate with the date of filing or recording in any alphabetical federal lien index on the line where the original notice of lien is entered.

2. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, if a certificate of release or other document associated with a recorded notice of federal tax lien is presented for filing or recording with any other filing or recording officer specified in sub. (2) , the officer shall treat the certificate or document in the same manner as a notice filed or recorded under par. (a) 2. The officer shall also reference the certificate or document to the recorded notice of federal lien by document number in the index maintained under s. 59.43 (9) .

(e) Upon request of any person, the filing or recording officer shall issue a certified copy of any notice of federal lien or any related refiling of a notice of lien, certificate of nonattachment, discharge or subordination filed or recorded on or after February 1, 1968. The officer may charge the fee specified under s. 59.43 (2) (b) for the copy. If the filing officer is the department of financial institutions, the filing officer shall include the information concerning the notice of federal lien, or notice or certificate affecting a federal lien, in the information communicated or otherwise made available in response to a request under s. 409.523 (3) , and the fee charged shall be that charged in accordance with s. 409.525 .

(5) Fees.

(a) The fee for recording or filing and indexing each notice of lien or certificate or notice affecting the lien is the fee specified under s. 59.43 (2) (ag) .

(b) The officer may bill the district directors of internal revenue on a monthly basis for fees for documents recorded or filed by them.

(6) Uniformity of application and construction. This section shall be applied and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this section among those states which enact it.

(7) Short title. This section may be cited as the Uniform Federal Lien Registration Act.

(8) Tax liens and notices filed on or before February 1, 1968. Filing or recording officers with whom notices of federal tax liens, certificates and notices affecting such liens have been filed or recorded on or before February 1, 1968 shall, after that date, continue to maintain a file labeled “federal tax lien notices filed or recorded prior to ....” containing notices and certificates filed or recorded in numerical order of receipt. If a notice was filed or recorded on or before February 1, 1968 any certificate or notice affecting the lien shall be filed or recorded in the same office.

History: 1977 c. 29 , 418 ; 1979 c. 89 , 177 , 223 , 312 , 355 ; Stats. 1979 s. 779.97; 1991 a. 39 , 148 , 304 , 315 ; 1993 a. 70 , 172 , 214 ; 1995 a. 27 , 201 , 417 ; 2001 a. 10 ; 2003 a. 206 ; 2015 a. 48 , 196 ; 2025 a. 234 .