Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 799.06 (2026)
Actions; how commenced, pleadings, appearances
✓ current as of July 2026
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799.06(1)(1) Pleadings. All pleadings except the initial complaint may be oral. Any circuit court may by rule require written pleadings and any judge or circuit court commissioner may require written pleadings in a particular case.
799.06(2)(2) A person may commence and prosecute or defend an action or proceeding under this chapter and may appear in his, her, or its own proper person or by an attorney regularly authorized to practice in the courts of this state. Under this subsection, a person is considered to be acting in his, her, or its own proper person if the appearance is by a member, as defined in s. 183.0102 (11), agent, or authorized employee of the person, or by an agent of the member or an authorized employee of the agent. An assignee of any cause of action under this chapter shall not appear by a full-time authorized employee, unless the employee is an attorney regularly authorized to practice in the courts of this state.
799.06(3)(a)(a) The complaint in an eviction action shall conform to s. 799.41. The complaint in other actions under this chapter shall be in writing and shall be substantially in the following form:
STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT: ....COUNTY
A. B.
Address
City, State Zip Code File No. ....
, Plaintiff
vs. C O M P L A I N T
C. D.
Address .... (Case Classification Type): .... (Code No.)
City, State Zip Code
, Defendant
For the Plaintiff’s claim against Defendant, Plaintiff states that:
1. Plaintiff’s injuries or losses occurred on or about .... (month and day), .... (year), and under the following circumstances (brief statement of the facts of plaintiff’s claim):
2. Wherefore, Plaintiff demands judgment for (return of property) (confirmation, vacation, modification or correction of arbitration award) (the sum of $....) plus attorney fees, if any, costs of this suit and such other relief as the court deems proper.
Signed: ....
A. B., Plaintiff
or
E. F., Plaintiff’s Attorney
State Bar No.: ....
Address: ....
City, State Zip Code: ....
Phone No.: ....
799.06(3)(b)(b) A court may not require that a person filing a summons or complaint under this chapter have the summons or complaint notarized.
799.06 HistoryHistory: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 764 (1975); 1977 c. 449 s. 497; 1979 c. 32 ss. 66, 92 (16); 1979 c. 108; Stats. 1979 s. 799.06; 1987 a. 208; 1991 a. 163; Sup. Ct. Order, 171 Wis. 2d xix (1992); 1997 a. 250; 2001 a. 61; 2013 a. 76; 2017 a. 317; 2021 a. 258.
799.06 AnnotationSub. (2) authorizes a non-lawyer employee to represent a party to a small claims action at the appellate as well as trial court level. Holz v. Busy Bees Contracting, Inc. 223 Wis. 2d 598, 589 N.W.2d 633 (Ct. App. 1998), 98-1076.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10
cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1997–2026 · leading case: In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings Against Hyndman, 2002 WI 6 (Wis. 2002).
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings Against Hyndman, 2002 WI 6 (Wis. 2002). “The committee, however, rejected that conclusion and instead determined that because the actions Hyndman took on behalf of his employer could beand frequently wereperformed by non-lawyers, his activities fell within the exception in the rule permitting a suspended or revoked…”
Jadair Inc. v. United States Fire Ins., 562 N.W.2d 401 (Wis. 1997). “See Wis. Stat. § 799.06 . 10 Therefore, U.S. Fire asserts, a corporation's appeal must be dismissed when *199 the notice of appeal is signed by a nonlawyer officer of the corporation.”
Holz v. Busy Bees Contracting, Inc., 589 N.W.2d 633 (Wis. Ct. App. 1998). “We hold that an appeal in a small claims action is an "action or proceeding" pursuant to § 799.06(2), Stats., which permits a nonlawyer to commence, prosecute or defend a small claims action if the nonlawyer is a "full-time authorized employe" of the entity on whose behalf the…”
Seitzinger v. Cmty. Health Network, 2004 WI 28 (Wis. 2004). “30 is Wis. Stat. § 799.06 (2), which permits non-lawyers to represent themselves in small claims court.”
Berrada Props. 66 LLC v. Chakari Lathan (Wis. Ct. App. 2023). “§ 799.06 and §799.40, Burt was not properly authorized by Berrada Properties to act as its agent in the eviction action.”
Karen Mayo v. MODS Int'l, Inc. (Wis. Ct. App. 2020). “§ 799.06(2). 6 No. 2019AP621 contract, rather than for cause under § 16.”
Ziegler Landscaping Inc. v. RPM Prop. Serv. (Wis. Ct. App. 2021). “Ziegler argues that “[t]he court erred when it applied the legal princip[le] of apparent authority to MacMiller’s putative ownership of RPM to the facts of this case.”
ABase Storage LLC v. Michael Michaud (Wis. Ct. App. 2023). “§ 799.06(2). Accordingly, Michaud’s argument regarding ABase Storage’s self-representation is therefore without merit and does not provide a basis for relief.”
S. Auto Source Fin., LLC v. Airways Towing & Recovery, LLC (Tenn. Ct. App. 2026). “, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that a non-lawyer corporate representative could not file a notice of appeal on behalf of a corporation and that such notice of appeal was fundamentally defective and deprived the appellate court of jurisdiction. 562 N.W.2d at 407–11.”
Clearpointe Capital, Inc. v. Townsend, 685 N.W.2d 172 (Wis. Ct. App. 2004). “§ 799.06(2). Attorney Huttenburg filed a notice of appearance on January 2, 2003, and thereafter represented Clearpointe in the case.”
— Wis. Stat. § 799.06(1) — 1 case
Ziegler Landscaping Inc. v. RPM Prop. Serv. (Wis. Ct. App. 2021). “Ziegler argues that “[t]he court erred when it applied the legal princip[le] of apparent authority to MacMiller’s putative ownership of RPM to the facts of this case.”
— Wis. Stat. § 799.06(2) — 4 cases
Holz v. Busy Bees Contracting, Inc., 589 N.W.2d 633 (Wis. Ct. App. 1998). “We hold that an appeal in a small claims action is an "action or proceeding" pursuant to § 799.06(2), Stats., which permits a nonlawyer to commence, prosecute or defend a small claims action if the nonlawyer is a "full-time authorized employe" of the entity on whose behalf the…”
Karen Mayo v. MODS Int'l, Inc. (Wis. Ct. App. 2020). “§ 799.06(2). 6 No. 2019AP621 contract, rather than for cause under § 16.”
ABase Storage LLC v. Michael Michaud (Wis. Ct. App. 2023). “§ 799.06(2). Accordingly, Michaud’s argument regarding ABase Storage’s self-representation is therefore without merit and does not provide a basis for relief.”
Clearpointe Capital, Inc. v. Townsend, 685 N.W.2d 172 (Wis. Ct. App. 2004). “§ 799.06(2). Attorney Huttenburg filed a notice of appearance on January 2, 2003, and thereafter represented Clearpointe in the case.”
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