The clerk shall not permit any paper filed in the clerk’s office to be taken therefrom unless upon written order of a judge of the court. The clerk shall take a written receipt for all papers so taken and preserve the same until such papers are returned. Papers so taken shall be returned at once upon request of the clerk or presiding judge, and no paper shall be kept longer than 10 days.
807.08.Borrowing court files regulated.
Ch. 807: Miscellaneous Provisions · Last amended 1993 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 807.08 bars the clerk from letting anyone remove a filed paper from the clerk’s office without a judge’s written order, requires a written receipt for any paper taken, and caps how long a borrowed paper may be kept outside the office at 10 days.
Full Text of Section 807.08
Plain-English Summary
Section 807.08 keeps tight control over court files. The clerk shall not permit any paper filed in the clerk’s office to be taken from it unless upon written order of a judge of the court. When a paper is taken under that kind of order, the clerk must take a written receipt for it and preserve that receipt until the paper is returned.
The section also fixes how long a borrowed paper can stay out of the office. Papers taken this way must be returned at once upon request of the clerk or presiding judge, and no paper may be kept longer than 10 days in any case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just ask the clerk to let me take a filed paper out of the office?
No. Section 807.08 states that the clerk shall not permit any paper filed in the clerk’s office to be taken from it unless upon written order of a judge.
What does the clerk have to do when a paper is taken out under a judge’s order?
Take a written receipt for all papers so taken and preserve it until the papers are returned.
How long can someone keep a borrowed court paper?
No longer than 10 days. Section 807.08 sets that as the outside limit regardless of any earlier request for return.
What happens if the clerk or presiding judge wants the paper back before the 10 days are up?
Section 807.08 requires papers taken this way to be returned at once upon request of the clerk or presiding judge.
Does this rule apply to every paper filed with the clerk?
Yes. Section 807.08 refers to any paper filed in the clerk’s office.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 745 (1975); 1993 a. 486.
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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