(1) The clerk of circuit court shall, upon the production of a duly certified transcript of a judgment for more than $10, exclusive of costs, rendered by any municipal judge in the county, enter the judgment in the judgment and lien docket of the court in the manner prescribed in s. 806.10. When the transcript shows that execution was stayed in the municipal court, with the name of the surety thereof, the clerk of circuit court shall enter the judgment against the surety as well as the judgment debtor, and the surety shall be bound thereby as a judgment debtor and the surety’s property shall be subject to lien and be liable on the lien to the same extent as the surety’s principal.
806.12.Transcript of municipal judge’s judgment.
Ch. 806: Judgment · Last amended 1995 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 806.12 lets a certified transcript of a municipal court judgment over $10 be entered on the circuit court’s judgment and lien docket, turning it into a judgment the circuit court can enforce, including against any surety who guaranteed a stay of execution in municipal court.
Full Text of Section 806.12
(2) Every judgment entered in the judgment and lien docket under sub. (1), from the time of the filing of the transcript of the judgment, shall be considered the judgment of the circuit court. The judgment shall be equally under the control of the circuit court and municipal court. The judgment shall be carried into execution, both as to the principal judgment debtor and the debtor’s surety, if any, in the same manner and with like effect as judgments of the circuit court, except that no action can be brought upon the judgment as a judgment of the circuit court nor execution issued on that judgment after the expiration of the period of the lien of the judgment on real estate provided by s. 806.15.
Plain-English Summary
Section 806.12 lets a party bring a municipal court money judgment into circuit court for docketing and enforcement. Upon production of a duly certified transcript of a judgment for more than ten dollars, exclusive of costs, rendered by a municipal judge in the county, the clerk of circuit court enters the judgment in the judgment and lien docket the same way it enters any other judgment. If the transcript shows that execution was stayed in municipal court and names a surety for that stay, the clerk also enters the judgment against the surety, who becomes bound as a judgment debtor with property subject to the same lien and liability as the principal debtor.
From the time the transcript is filed, the judgment entered this way is considered a circuit court judgment, equally under the control of the circuit court and the municipal court, and it is carried into execution against both the principal debtor and any surety the same way circuit court judgments are. The one limit is timing: no action can be brought on the judgment as a circuit court judgment, and no execution can issue on it, after the judgment lien on real estate expires under the section governing lien duration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a municipal court judgment become enforceable in circuit court?
A party produces a duly certified transcript of the municipal judgment, and if it exceeds ten dollars exclusive of costs, the clerk of circuit court enters it in the judgment and lien docket the way any other judgment is entered.
Can the surety who guaranteed a stay in municipal court be held liable too?
Yes. If the transcript shows execution was stayed in municipal court and names the surety, the clerk enters the judgment against the surety as well, and the surety’s property becomes subject to lien and liability the same as the principal debtor’s.
Once entered, is the transcript judgment treated the same as one the circuit court issued itself?
Yes. From the time of filing, the judgment is considered the circuit court’s judgment, under the control of both the circuit and municipal courts, and carried into execution the same manner as other circuit court judgments.
Is there a time limit on enforcing this transcript judgment?
Yes. No action can be brought on it as a circuit court judgment, and no execution can issue, after the period of the judgment lien on real estate expires under the section governing lien duration.
What is the minimum judgment amount for this transcript process?
More than ten dollars, exclusive of costs.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 731 (1975); 1975 c. 218; 1977 c. 305 s. 64; 1995 a. 224.
Source & verification. Section text and official notes are
reproduced verbatim from the Wisconsin Statutes, published by the
Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau). Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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