Ch. 814: Court Costs, Fees, and Surcharges · Last amended 2015 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 814.76 lists the surcharges a Wisconsin court must add to a fine imposed in a criminal action, mirroring the surcharge list in section 814.75 but limited to criminal cases rather than civil actions and forfeitures.
(19)The wild animal protection surcharge under s. 29.983.
(20)The wildlife violator compact surcharge under s. 29.99.
End
Plain-English Summary
Section 814.76 is the criminal-action counterpart to s. 814.75. It uses the same style of numbered, cross-referenced entries, applied whenever a court imposes a fine in a criminal action rather than a forfeiture or civil judgment.
Most of the surcharges that appear in s. 814.75 also show up here — the crime victim and witness surcharge, the jail surcharge, the penalty surcharge, the deoxyribonucleic acid analysis surcharge, the domestic abuse surcharge, the drug abuse program improvement surcharge, the environmental surcharge, the weapons surcharge, and several wildlife-related surcharges among them. What’s missing are the ones tied specifically to civil filings or to forfeitures under particular chapters, like the court support services surcharge and the justice information system surcharge, which are keyed to fees paid under ss. 814.61 to 814.63 rather than to a criminal fine.
As with s. 814.75, every item here applies only “if applicable.” A defendant owes only the surcharges tied to the specific offense of conviction, not the entire list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What surcharges apply to a criminal fine in Wisconsin?
Section 814.76 lists them — including the crime victim and witness surcharge, the jail surcharge, the penalty surcharge, the deoxyribonucleic acid analysis surcharge, and several others.
Does the justice information system surcharge apply in a criminal action?
No. That surcharge under s. 814.86 is tied to the fee list in s. 814.75 for civil actions and various forfeitures, not to s. 814.76’s criminal-action list.
Do I owe every surcharge listed in section 814.76 if I’m convicted of a crime?
No. Each surcharge applies only “if applicable” — only the ones tied to your specific offense.
How does section 814.76 differ from section 814.75?
Section 814.75 covers civil actions and various forfeiture proceedings; section 814.76 covers criminal actions specifically, with a similar but not identical surcharge list.
Where is the dollar amount of a surcharge listed in section 814.76 set?
In the specific statute each numbered item cross-references, not in section 814.76 itself.
Amendment History
History: 2003 a. 139; 2005 a. 25, 282, 288; 2005 a. 433 ss. 13 to 14; 2007 a. 20, 84, 97; 2009 a. 28, 100; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55.
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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