What we do

Mission Statement

Provide safe archival storage and convenient access to real estate records, vital  records for birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, termination of domestic partnership and military discharge records for Buffalo County in compliance with local, state, and federal requirements.

The Importance of Register of Deeds

The Office of the Register of Deeds was established in Wisconsin in 1836 to be the location to file land records. The 1848 Wisconsin Constitution established the ROD office as a permanent element of the county-level government. In 1858 the legislature expanded the responsibilities to include vital records.

The Register of Deeds files, records, and issues instruments and documents of significance both to the community as a whole and to its individual citizens. The Buffalo County Register of Deeds office is able to tell the vital story of who, what and when for people’s lives and property.

Ownership of rights in and claims on property constitute one of the chief forms of wealth in American society. Accurate descriptions of property help society avoid wasteful battles over boundaries and rights. Records of the existence and exact nature of those rights are keys to orderly economic activity relating to that property. This function is critically important as the local government property tax base is defined from records housed with the Register of Deeds Office.

Our real estate records are used by the Community Development Department, Highway Department, County Treasurer, Emergency Management, County Clerk and the Sheriff’s Department.

The birth, marriage and death records are used by Child Support, Human Services, Clerk of Courts, Family Court, Medical Examiner, Register of Probate, District Attorney, County Clerk and the Health Departments.  We work with the Veteran’s Department by recording copies of military discharges and we also issue copies of vital records to them for military benefits.

Outside agencies that we work closely with are hospitals, funeral directors, schools, banks, attorneys, title companies, real estate agencies, assessors, appraisers, the State Department of Vital Records, Dept. of Revenue, Dept. of Commerce, Dept. of Administration, Dept. of Natural Resources, Dept. of Transportation, Internal Revenue Service, and the Secretary of State,

Our basic duties are mandatory by statute and our records have a permanent retention policy. The fees charged within our office are almost all statutory and our office is revenue generating department for Buffalo County.  We use very little if any levy money.  

The hidden things we do:

•    Accurate bookkeeping practices to ensure monies received are dispersed to appropriate county, state and federal agencies.

•    Use technologically advanced electronic programs to become more efficient in our duties to provide fast and accurate information.

•    Implement statutory changes, system modernization, programs, procedure evaluation, disaster recovery and staff development to assure a high level of timely customer service for our citizens.