Ch. 814: Court Costs, Fees, and Surcharges · Last amended 2025 · Last verified July 15, 2026
NOTE: Par. (a) is shown as amended eff. 11-1-26 by 2025 Wis. Act 179. Prior to 11-1-26 it reads: (a) A fee of $1 for each decision, signing or filing of a document or other ministerial act required by law performed by a supplemental court commissioner. This paragraph does not apply to testimonial proceedings or depositions taken before a supplemental court commissioner. (b) For the following duties performed by a supplemental court commissioner held in the county courthouse or other court facilities provided by law, reasonable compensation as fixed by the court but not more than the hourly equivalent of the salary of a judge of the court: 1. Every attendance upon the hearing of any motion for an order which a supplemental court commissioner is authorized to grant and for attendance upon any motion or an official act to be done by the supplemental court commissioner. 2. Conducting a hearing and deciding on the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus, certiorari, ne exeat and alternate writs of mandamus. 3. Attendance upon the taking of testimony or examination of witnesses in any matter held outside the county courthouse or other court facilities provided by law, whether acting as a referee or otherwise. (2) SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS. For attendance upon an examination under ch. 816, a supplemental court commissioner shall collect a fee of $52 to be paid upon the issuance of the order under s. 816.03 (1). The fee shall be returned in any case in which it appears by affidavit filed that the order was not served upon the judgment debtor. This fee is the only fee a supplemental court commissioner is entitled to for proceedings under ch. 816.
NOTE: Sub. (2) is shown as amended eff. 11-1-26 by 2025 Wis. Act 179. Prior to 11-1-26 it reads: (2) SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS. For attendance upon an examination under ch. 816, a supplemental court commissioner shall collect a fee of $15 to be paid upon the issuance of the order under s. 816.03 (1). The fee shall be returned in any case where it appears by affidavit filed that the order was not served upon the judgment debtor. This fee is the only fee a supplemental court commissioner is entitled to for proceedings under ch. 816.
A supplemental court commissioner appointed under s. 757.675 (1) charges a small per-act fee — currently $1, rising to $3 on November 1, 2026 — for each decision, signing, or filing of a document, or other ministerial act the law requires the commissioner to perform. That fee doesn’t apply to testimonial proceedings or depositions taken before the commissioner.
A separate set of duties performed in the county courthouse or other court facilities is billed differently: attending the hearing of a motion the commissioner is authorized to grant, conducting a hearing and deciding on a writ of habeas corpus, certiorari, ne exeat, or an alternate writ of mandamus, and attending the taking of testimony or examination of witnesses outside the courthouse, whether as a referee or otherwise. For those, the commissioner gets reasonable compensation the court fixes, capped at the hourly equivalent of a judge’s salary — a cap the pending fee changes leave untouched.
Attendance at a supplementary examination of a judgment debtor under ch. 816 carries its own flat fee — currently $15, rising to $52 — paid when the order under s. 816.03 (1) issues. If it turns out by affidavit that the order was never served on the judgment debtor, the fee is returned. This is described as the only fee a supplemental court commissioner may collect for ch. 816 proceedings.
Currently $1 for each decision, signing, or filing of a document or other required ministerial act, rising to $3 on November 1, 2026.
Yes. The court fixes reasonable compensation for that kind of courthouse duty, but it can’t exceed the hourly equivalent of a judge’s salary.
Currently $15, rising to $52 on November 1, 2026, paid when the order under s. 816.03 (1) issues.
The fee is returned in any case where an affidavit filed with the court shows the order wasn’t served on the judgment debtor.
No. Section 814.68 (1) (a) doesn’t apply to testimonial proceedings or depositions taken before a supplemental court commissioner.
History: 1981 c. 317; 2001 a. 61; 2025 a. 179.