How to Add a Spouse to a Home Title Deed in Wisconsin

Written By
Anna Assad
Anna Assad
Published: Jul 27, 2017
Updated: Aug 30, 2022
2 minute read

You must transfer your solely-owned real estate to your spouse if you want to guarantee she has full rights to the property in Wisconsin. While Wisconsin is essentially a community property state -- both spouses have equal shares in assets acquired during marriage -- an exception exists from assets held separately by one spouse and not mixed with the marital assets. You can use a quit claim deed, which does not guarantee the home is free of liens or legal ownership problems, to easily transfer the house to you and your spouse.

Locate a blank quit claim deed form approved for use in Wisconsin. Visit a legal document or office supply store. Look for blank quit claim forms that are for use in Wisconsin.

Complete the top section of the form. Use black ink only. You are the grantor, the person who owns the Wisconsin real estate and is transferring ownership interest. Put your full name, as shown on your original deed, and your current address.

Fill in the grantee section of the deed. The grantee is the recipient, so enter your full name and the name of your spouse, followed by your addresses. Put "as husband and wife" after your names.

List the consideration, or amount paid for the transfer, in the consideration field on the form. Wisconsin charges tax for real estate transfers, but gift transfers are not subject to transfer tax. Enter "$0" for the consideration on the deed.

Fill in the legal description of the real estate. You can find the description on your original deed; it's the paragraph using words to describe your property's dimensions. Copy the description from your original deed into the labeled spot on the deed form.

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Sign and date the deed form with a notary public present. Bring your Wisconsin identification with you. Ask her to notarize your signature.

Visit the official website of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. You must complete the real transfer tax form online at the official website using the eRETR system in Wisconsin. Follow the instructions provided on the website to submit the form electronically and receive your receipt. Print the receipt.

Contact the county clerk's office for the Wisconsin file you are filing the deed in. Ask for the recording fees for filing a quit claim deed. Prepare the fee payment.

Bring the filing fee, quit claim deed form and real estate transfer tax receipt to the Wisconsin county clerk's office. File the documents. Ask for a certified copy of the deed for your personal records.

References

Tips

Contact the Wisconsin County Clerk's office responsible for your property's location if you need a copy of your original deed.

Anna Assad

Anna Assad began writing professionally in 1999 and has published several legal articles for various websites. She has an extensive real estate and criminal legal background. She also tutored in English for nearly eight years, attended…

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