Ch. 809: Rules of Appellate Procedure · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 809.01 defines the vocabulary used throughout chapter 809, from basic party labels like appellant, respondent, and cross-appellant to the electronic filing system terminology — document, portable document format, registration, opt in, opt out, mandatory user — that governs how documents move through Wisconsin’s appellate courts.
Full Text of Section 809.01
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In this chapter: (1) “Appeal” means a review in an appellate court by appeal or writ of error authorized by law of a judgment or order of a circuit court. (2) “Appellant” means a person who files a notice of appeal. (3) “Bookmark” means a hyperlink allowing the reader to quickly navigate to different sections of a document. (4) “Clerk of court” or “clerk” means the clerk of the supreme court and court of appeals. (5) “Co-appellant” means a person who files a notice of appeal in an action or proceeding in which a notice of appeal has previously been filed by another person and whose interests are not adverse to that person. (6) “Converted” means that all documents in a paper case file have been imaged by the clerk of court and the case file is available to accept filings via the electronic filing system. (7) “Court” means the court of appeals or, if the appeal or other proceeding is in the supreme court, the supreme court. (8) “Cross-appellant” means a respondent who files a notice of cross-appeal or a respondent who files a statement of objections under s. 808.075 (8). (9) “Director” means the director of state courts. (10) “Docketing” means receiving a document and entering its receipt into the court record. A new matter is “docketed” when the clerk accepts an initiating document and creates a new case. (11) “Document” means a pleading, notice of appeal, petition, writ, form, notice, motion, order, affidavit, exhibit, brief, judgment, opinion, or other filing in an action or proceeding. (12) “Electronic filing system” means an Internet-accessible system established by the supreme court for the purpose of filing documents in an appellate court, automatically integrating them into the court case management system, and electronically serving them on the parties. (13) “Electronic signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the document. To be considered electronically signed, a document must be submitted by or on behalf of a user through the electronic filing system. An electronic signature shall state “Electronically signed by” followed by the name of the signatory, and shall be placed where the person’s signature would otherwise appear.
“Electronic signature” includes only those signature technologies specifically approved by the director. (14) “Filing agent” means a person authorized under s. 799.06 (2) to appear on behalf of another. (15) “High-volume filing agent” means a person authorized under s. 799.06 (2) who appears on behalf of an entity filing 10 or more actions per calendar year in the circuit courts of this state. (16) “Hyperlink” means a link allowing the reader to quickly navigate to a location within or external to the document. (17) “Imaged document” means an electronic copy of a document originally created or submitted on paper. (18) “Initiating document” means a notice of appeal, petition, complaint, certification from the court of appeals, pre-appeal motion, or any other document filed to commence an action or proceeding in the appellate court. (19) “Mandatory user” means a user who is subject to s. 809.801 (3) (a). (20) “Monospaced font” means a font in which each character uses an equal amount of horizontal space. (21) “Notice of activity” means a notice sent by the electronic filing system to alert the parties that there has been a new user, filing, or activity on the case. (22) “Notice of docketing” means a notice sent by clerk after an appeal or other appellate court proceeding has been initiated that identifies the assigned appellate case number, caption, and court, and that includes relevant information and instructions about the case. (23) “Opt in” means to agree to receive electronic service and file electronic documents on a particular case, after first registering for access to the electronic filing system. (24) “Opt out” means to cease participation as a voluntary user or to indicate withdrawal from the case as an attorney. (25) “Paper party” means a party not subject to s. 809.801 (3) (a) who chooses not to participate in the electronic filing system. (26) “Portable document format” means a universal file format that preserves the fonts, formatting, pagination, and graphics of a source document. (27) “Proportional font” means a font in which the horizontal space used by a character varies. (28) “Registration” means entering into an agreement to access the electronic filing system prior to filing documents under s. 801.18 (3) (d) or 809.801 (3) (d). (29) “Respondent” means a person adverse to the appellant or co-appellant. (30) “Serif font” means a font that has short ornaments or bars at the upper and lower ends of the main strokes of the characters. (31) “Traditional methods” means those methods of filing and serving documents, other than electronic filing, provided under statutes and local rules. (32) “Transmit” means to send or transfer documents and records from one court to another and may be completed by making the documents and records electronically available to the other court. (33) “User” means an individual who has registered to use the electronic filing system. Users of the electronic filing system shall be individuals, not law firms, agencies, corporations, or other groups. (34) “Voluntary user” means a party not subject to s. 809.801 (3) (a) who voluntarily registers to use the electronic filing system under s. 809.801 (3) (b). (35) “Word” means a group consisting of one or more letters, numbers or symbols with a space or punctuation mark preceding and succeeding the group.
Official Notes
Judicial Council Committee’s Note, 1978: The definitions reflect some of the changes incorporated into the rules. The term “appeal” applies both to an appeal authorized by statute and the writ of error guaranteed by Section 21 of Article I of the Constitution. The objective of these rules is to provide the same procedure for appeals and writs of error. Historically, the review authorized by a writ of error was limited to questions of law, while both the law and the facts could be reviewed on appeal. The Wisconsin Supreme Court does not distinguish between its power in appeals and in writs of error. Although under the former procedure appeals were normally used in civil cases and writs of error in criminal cases, the only differences between them were in nomenclature and method of initiating the review process. There is no reason to retain the formalistic differences between them.
The definitions of the parties to the appeal are intended to change the former statute, section 817.10, under which the party first appealing was the appellant, and all other parties were respondents. This often resulted in a party with interests identical to the appellant being labeled a respondent, while two parties opposed to each other were both labeled respondents. Under this section the party first appealing is the appellant, parties appealing from the same judgment or order not opposed to the appellant are co-appellants, and parties adverse to the appellant or co-appellant are respondents. The terms “plaintiff in error” and “defendant in error” previously used in connection with writs of error are no longer used. [Re Order effective July 1, 1978]
NOTE: Sup. Ct. Order No. 20-07 states that “the Comments to the statutes created pursuant to this order are not adopted, but will be published and may be consulted for guidance in interpreting and applying the rule.”
Comment, 2021: The definitions of s. 809.01 have been broadened to incorporate electronic filing terminology.
Plain-English Summary
Section 809.01 is the glossary for chapter 809, defining more than thirty terms that recur throughout the Rules of Appellate Procedure. Some of the definitions are foundational: an appeal covers both a statutory appeal and a constitutional writ of error; an appellant is whoever files the notice of appeal; a co-appellant is someone who appeals the same judgment or order without adverse interests to the first appellant; a cross-appellant is a respondent who files a notice of cross-appeal or a statement of objections under section 808.075(8); and a respondent is anyone adverse to the appellant or co-appellant.
A large share of the definitions exist to support Wisconsin’s electronic filing system. The electronic filing system itself is defined as the internet-accessible system the supreme court established for filing, integrating, and serving appellate documents. Around that core sit definitions for registration, opt in and opt out, mandatory and voluntary users, paper parties, electronic signatures, notices of activity and docketing, and technical formatting terms like monospaced font, proportional font, serif font, and portable document format. Traditional methods is defined separately, covering the older filing and service methods that continue alongside electronic filing.
Because these definitions apply throughout the chapter, later rules build on them without repeating the underlying concepts. A rule that refers to a document, a paper party, or an initiating document is drawing on the precise meaning section 809.01 assigns to that term, not a general or informal understanding of the word.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does appellant mean under Wisconsin’s appellate rules?
Section 809.01(2) defines appellant as a person who files a notice of appeal.
What is the difference between a co-appellant and a cross-appellant under Section 809.01?
A co-appellant is a person who files a notice of appeal after another person already has, with interests not adverse to that first person. A cross-appellant is a respondent who files a notice of cross-appeal, or who files a statement of objections under section 808.075(8).
What counts as a traditional method of filing under Wisconsin appellate rules?
Section 809.01(31) defines traditional methods as those methods of filing and serving documents, other than electronic filing, provided under statutes and local rules.
What is a paper party in a Wisconsin appeal?
Section 809.01(25) defines a paper party as a party not subject to mandatory electronic filing under section 809.801(3)(a) who chooses not to participate in the electronic filing system.
Does Section 809.01 define what an electronic signature looks like?
Yes. It must be submitted through the electronic filing system, must state “Electronically signed by” followed by the signer’s name, and must be placed where the signature would otherwise appear.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 83 Wis. 2d xiii (1978); 1977 c. 449; Sup. Ct. Order No. 93-20, 179 Wis. 2d xxv (1993); Sup. Ct. Order No. 00-02, 2001 WI 39, 242 Wis. 2d xxvii; Sup. Ct. Order No. 15-02, 2015 WI 102, 365 Wis. 2d xix; Sup. Ct. Order No. 20-07, 2021 WI 37, 397 Wis. 2d xiii.
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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