Wis. Stat. » CHAPTER 887 — DEPOSITIONS, OATHS AND AFFIDAVITS
Wisconsin Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 887.03 (2026)

Oath, how taken

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887.03887.03 Oath, how taken. Any oath or affidavit required or authorized by law may be taken in any of the usual forms, and every person swearing, affirming or declaring in any such form shall be deemed to have been lawfully sworn.
887.03 AnnotationThe purpose of an oath or affirmation is to impress upon the swearing individual an appropriate sense of obligation to tell the truth. The statutes do not invoke specific, mandated language or formulaic procedures in the administration of an oath or affirmation. The oath or affirmation requirement is an issue of substance, not form. State v. Moeser, 2022 WI 76, 405 Wis. 2d 1, 982 N.W.2d 45, 19-2184.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1993–2022 · leading case: Kellner v. Christian, 539 N.W.2d 685 (Wis. 1995).
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Kellner v. Christian, 539 N.W.2d 685 (Wis. 1995). · cites it 11× “Finally, plaintiffs believe that the more liberal provision in Wis. Stat. § 887.03 2 controls and simply requires that an oath or affidavit be in any of the "usual forms.”
Kellner v. Christian, 525 N.W.2d 286 (Wis. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 19× “Jason and his parents point to the broad language of § 887.03, STATS., which provides that "[a]ny oath or affidavit required or authorized by law may be taken in any of the usual forms, and every person swearing, affirming or declaring in any such form shall be deemed to have…”
Est. of Hopgood v. Boyd, 2013 WI 1 (Wis. 2013). · cites it 5× “" Wis. Stat. § 887.03 . Any person who takes an oath or affirmation in the "usual forms" is deemed to have been lawfully sworn or affirmed for "any oath or affidavit required or authorized by law.”
State v. Jeffrey L. Moeser, 2022 WI 76 (Wis. 2022). · cites it 4× “§ 887.03 , titled "Oath, how taken," states, "Any oath or affidavit required or authorized by law may be taken in any of the usual forms, and every person swearing, affirming or declaring in any such form shall be deemed to have been lawfully sworn.”
Nielsen v. Waukesha Cnty. Bd. of Supervisors, 504 N.W.2d 621 (Wis. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “Section 887.03, Stats. In reaching this conclusion, we reject the appellants' contention that because these verifications use the word "certify," they cannot qualify as a verification.”
State v. Jeffrey L. Moeser (Wis. Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 3× “§ 887.03, included in the chapter, “Depositions, Oaths and Affidavits,” broadly provides that an oath or affidavit “may be taken in any of the usual forms, and every person swearing, affirming or declaring in any such form shall be deemed to have been lawfully sworn.”
Nielsen v. Waukesha Cnty. Bd. of Sup'rs., 504 N.W.2d 621 (Wis. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “Section 887.03, Stats. [5] In reaching this conclusion, we reject the appellants' contention that because these verifications use the word "certify," they cannot qualify as a verification.”
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