Wis. Stat. § 804.03 — WI Code / Chapter 804 / Section 804.03
Persons before whom depositions may be taken.
Status: in_force

(1) Within the United States. Within the United States or within a territory or insular possession subject to the dominion of the United States, depositions shall be taken before an officer authorized to administer oaths by the laws of the United States or of this state or of the place where the examination is held, or before a person appointed by the court in which the action is pending. A person so appointed has power to administer oaths and take testimony.

(2) In foreign countries. In a foreign country, depositions may be taken on notice before a person authorized to administer oaths in the place in which the examination is held, either by the law thereof or by the law of the United States; before a person commissioned by the court, and a person so commissioned shall have the power by virtue of the commission to administer any necessary oath and take testimony; or pursuant to a letter rogatory. A commission or a letter rogatory shall be issued on motion and notice and on terms that are just and appropriate. It is not requisite to the issuance of a commission or a letter rogatory that the taking of the deposition in any other manner is impracticable or inconvenient; and both a commission and a letter rogatory may be issued in proper cases. A notice or commission may designate the person before whom the deposition is to be taken either by name or descriptive title. A letter rogatory may be addressed “To the Appropriate Authority in (here name the country)”. Evidence obtained in response to a letter rogatory need not be excluded merely for the reason that it is not a verbatim transcript or that the testimony was not taken under oath or for any similar departure from the requirements for depositions taken within the United States under this chapter.

(3) Disqualification for interest. No deposition may be taken before a person who is a party to the action or a relative or employee or attorney, or counsel of any of the parties, or is a relative or employee of such attorney or counsel, or is financially interested in the action. No deposition may be taken before a person who has entered into a contract for court reporting services unless the contract is limited to a particular action or incident. This subsection does not apply to a person who records or transcribes depositions for a public agency, as defined in s. 66.0825 (3) (h) .

(4) Remotely located individuals.

(a) For the purposes of this section, an oath may be administered to a remotely located individual using audio-visual equipment. An officer administering an oath shall be in simultaneous communication with all parties to the deposition, whether or not in the physical presence of any of them. Remote administration of an oath at a deposition via audio-visual communications technology shall constitute the administration of an oath before a court reporter.

(b) Court reporters qualified to administer an oath in this state may administer an oath to a witness at a deposition remotely via audio-visual communications technology from a location within this state provided the person administering the oath can see and hear the witness and can identify the witness.

(c) If a witness is not located within this state, the witness may consent to being placed under oath remotely via audio-visual communication technology by a court reporter qualified to administer an oath in this state.

History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 663 (1975); 1975 c. 218 ; 2003 a. 227 ; Sup. Ct. Order No. 21-05 , 2022 WI 24, 401 Wis. 2d xix; 2021 a. 238 s. 45 ; 2025 a. 129 .