Wisconsin § 69.14 - Registration of births.

Full text of Wisconsin Wisconsin Statutes § 69.14 — Registration of births., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 69.14. Registration of births.

69.14(1) (1) Filing requirements. 69.14(1)(a) (a) Filing deadline. A record of birth for every birth that occurs in this state shall be filed within 5 days after the birth with the state registrar, who shall register the birth under this subchapter. 69.14(1)(b) (b) Accuracy. Either parent of a child who is the subject of a birth record, or, if neither parent is available, another person with knowledge of the facts of the birth, shall attest to the accuracy of the personal data entered on the record in time to permit the filing of the record within 5 days after the birth. 69.14(1)(c) (c) Filing party. A birth record shall be prepared and filed by the following: 69.14(1)(c)1. 1. If the birth occurs at or on route to a hospital, the hospital administrator or his or her designee; 69.14(1)(c)2. 2. In the absence of a person under subd. 1. , the physician in attendance at or immediately after the birth; 69.14(1)(c)3. 3. In the absence of a person under subd. 1. or 2. , any other person in attendance at or immediately after the birth; or 69.14(1)(c)4. 4. In the absence of a person under subds. 1. to 3. , the father or mother, or in the absence of the father and the inability of the mother, the person responsible for the premises where the birth occurs. 69.14(1)(cm) (cm) Information concerning paternity. For a birth which occurs en route to or at a hospital, the filing party shall give the mother a copy of the pamphlet under s. 69.03 (14) . If the child’s parents are not married at the time of the child’s birth, the filing party shall give the mother a copy of the form prescribed by the state registrar under s. 69.15 (3) (b) 3. The filing party shall ensure that trained, designated hospital staff provide to the child’s available parents oral information or an audio or video presentation and written information about the form and the significance and benefits of, and alternatives to, establishing paternity, before the parents sign the form. The filing party shall also provide an opportunity to complete the form and have the form notarized in the hospital. If the mother provides a completed form to the filing party while she is a patient in the hospital and within 5 days after the birth, the filing party shall send the form directly to the state registrar. The department of children and families shall pay the filing party a financial incentive for correctly filing a form within 60 days after the child’s birth. 69.14(1)(d) (d) Place of birth. 69.14(1)(d)1. 1. On a birth record the place of birth shall be the place where the placenta is removed except as provided under subd. 2. 69.14(1)(d)2. 2. If a birth occurs in a conveyance within the United States and the birth child is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the birth shall be filed in this state and the place where the birth child is first removed from the conveyance shall be the place of birth on the birth record. If a birth occurs on a moving conveyance while in international waters or air space or in a foreign country or its air space and the birth child is first removed from the conveyance in this state, a birth record for the child shall be filed in this state and the place of birth on the birth record shall be the actual place of birth as determined by the filing party. 69.14(1)(e) (e) Father’s name. 69.14(1)(e)1. 1. If the mother of a registrant under this section was married at any time from the conception to the birth of the registrant, the name of the husband of the mother shall be entered on the birth record as the legal father of the registrant. The name of the father entered under this subdivision may not be changed except by a proceeding under ch. 767 . 69.14(1)(e)2. 2. If the mother was not married at any time from the conception to the birth of a registrant under this section, no name of any alleged father of the registrant may be entered as the father on the birth record except as provided under s. 69.15 (3) . If under this subdivision the name of the father of the registrant of a birth record is omitted from the record, no other information about the father may be entered on the record. 69.14(1)(f) (f) Registrant’s name. 69.14(1)(f)1. 1. 69.14(1)(f)1.a. a. Except as provided under subd. 1. b. , if the mother of a registrant of a birth record under this section is married to the father of the registrant at any time from the conception to the birth of the registrant, the given name and surname which the mother and father of the registrant enter for the registrant on the birth record shall be the given name and surname filed and registered on the birth record. 69.14(1)(f)1.b. b. If the mother of a registrant of a birth record under this section is married to the father of the registrant at any time from the conception to the birth of the registrant and the mother is separated or divorced from the father of the registrant at the time of birth, the given name and surname which the parent of the registrant with actual custody enters for the registrant on the birth record shall be the given name and surname filed and registered on the birth record, except that if a court has granted legal custody of the registrant, the given name and surname which the person with legal custody enters for the registrant on the birth record shall be the given name and surname filed and registered on the birth record. 69.14(1)(f)1.c. c. If the mother of a registrant of a birth record under this section is not married to the father of the registrant at any time from the conception to the birth of the registrant, the given name and surname which the mother of the registrant enters for the registrant on the birth record shall be the given name and surname filed and registered on the birth record, except that if a court has granted legal custody of the registrant, the given name and surname which the person with legal custody enters for the registrant on the birth record shall be the given name and surname filed and registered on the birth record. 69.14(1)(f)2. 2. If no surname has been entered for a registrant within 5 days after the registrant’s birth, the filing party shall file a birth record for the registrant without entering a surname on the birth record. The state registrar and any local registrar may not issue any certified copy of the birth record until a surname is entered under this paragraph. 69.14(1)(g) (g) Birth by artificial insemination. If the registrant of a birth record under this section is born as a result of artificial insemination under the requirements of s.

Source: official Wisconsin text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About Wisconsin § 69.14

What does Wisconsin Statutes § 69.14 cover?

Section 69.14 ("Registration of births.") is part of the Wisconsin Statutes, the codified statutory law of Wisconsin. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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