Every execution shall be made returnable, within 60 days after its receipt by the officer, to the clerk of the court from which it issued but if the officer has levied upon property previous to the expiration of the 60 days the officer may retain such execution until the officer has sold the property. The officer shall state in the officer’s return how the officer executed the writ.
815.06.Execution, when returnable.
Ch. 815: Executions · Last amended 1993 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 815.06 gives the officer serving a Wisconsin execution 60 days to return it to the issuing court’s clerk, unless the officer already levied on property, in which case the officer may hold the execution until the property sells, and requires the officer’s return to explain how the writ was carried out.
Full Text of Section 815.06
Plain-English Summary
An officer who receives a Wisconsin execution must make it returnable, within 60 days after receiving it, to the clerk of the court that issued it. That 60-day window is the default deadline for closing out the writ.
There’s a built-in exception for an officer who’s already acted on the execution. If the officer levied on property before the 60 days ran out, the officer may retain the execution until the property is sold, rather than being forced to return it while a sale is still pending.
Whenever the execution is returned, the officer’s return must state how the officer executed the writ, giving the court and the parties a record of exactly what happened under it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an officer have to return a Wisconsin execution?
60 days after receiving it, unless the property-levy exception applies.
What if the officer has already seized property but hasn’t sold it when the 60 days run out?
The officer may retain the execution until the property has been sold.
What must the officer’s return on an execution say?
How the officer executed the writ.
Who does the officer return a Wisconsin execution to?
The clerk of the court from which it issued.
Does the 60-day clock start when the execution is issued or when the officer receives it?
When the officer receives it.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 761 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 815.06; 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
Also known as: wisconsin execution return deadline815.06 wisconsin statute60 day execution return wisconsinofficer return on writ of execution wisconsin