Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 985.02 (2026)
Method of notification
✓ current as of July 2026
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985.02(1)(1) Except as otherwise provided by law, a legal notice shall be published in a newspaper likely to give notice in the area or to the person affected. Whenever the law requires publication in a newspaper published in a designated municipality or area and no newspaper that satisfies the requirements under s. 985.03 (1) (a) or (am) is published therein, publication shall be made in a newspaper likely to give notice.
985.02(2)(2) If the governing body of a municipality elects to post under s. 985.05 (1) it shall post in the following manner:
985.02(2)(a)(a) The notice must be posted in at least 3 public places likely to give notice to persons affected or must be posted in at least one public place likely to give notice to persons affected and placed electronically on an Internet site maintained by the municipality.
985.02(2)(b)(b) The notice posted before the act or event requiring notice shall be posted and, if applicable, placed electronically, no later than the time specified for the first newspaper publication.
985.02(2)(c)(c) The notice posted after the act or event requiring notice shall be posted and, if applicable, placed electronically, within one week after the act or event. Actions of governing bodies posted after the act or event shall be effective upon posting.
985.02(2)(d)(d) The affidavit of the officer or person posting the legal notice containing the time, place and manner of the posting is presumptive evidence of the facts stated therein.
985.02(3)(3) The newspaper that publishes a legal notice shall, in addition to newspaper publication, place an electronic copy of the legal notice at no additional charge on the publishing newspaper’s Internet site and on the Wisconsin newspapers legal notices Internet site. Every newspaper that publishes legal notices shall have an Internet site and include on its home page a prominent link to the newspaper’s legal notices section, the contents of which shall be available for viewing at no cost to the public. The newspaper’s Internet legal notice section shall include a link to the Wisconsin newspapers legal notices Internet site, as defined in s. 985.01 (7).
985.02 AnnotationA county with a population of less than 250,000 is not required to designate an official newspaper. A county is not required to seek bids for the publication of legal notices. Even if a county does not competitively bid the publication of its own proceedings as provided in s. 59.14 (3), it may print its own proceedings or post them on its web site. A county may not, in lieu of publication in a printed newspaper or posting on a physical bulletin board, post its legal notices on its official web site. OAG 2-08.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15
cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1985–2025 · leading case: Dawson v. Town of Jackson, 2011 WI 77 (Wis. 2011).
Dawson v. Town of Jackson, 2011 WI 77 (Wis. 2011). “§ 985.02 provides that "[e]xcept as otherwise provided by law, a legal notice shall be published in a newspaper likely to give notice in the area or to the person affected.”
Loppnow v. Bielik, 2010 WI App 66 (Wis. Ct. App. 2010). “Bielik contends that Loppnow's publication of service in the Key West Citizen in an effort to reach Bielik at his Marathon, Florida address fails to satisfy Wis. Stat. § 985.02 . We disagree. Bielik's argument is based on the fact that the circulation of the Key West Citizen…”
In Re Marriage of Emery v. Emery, 369 N.W.2d 728 (Wis. 1985). “and sec. 985.02(1), Stats. 1981-1982. Section 801.”
Oliveira v. City of Milwaukee, 2001 WI 27 (Wis. 2001). “[8] See Wis. Stat. § 985.01 (1) (defining "insertion" as publication once a week for consecutive weeks with the last notice published at least a week before the hearing); § 985.”
Cmty. Newspapers, Inc. v. City of West Allis, 456 N.W.2d 646 (Wis. Ct. App. 1990). “The thread of his argument ties sec. 985.02(1), Stats., which requires publication of a legal notice in a newspaper likely to give notice with the terms "bona fide paid circulation" and "subscribers" appearing in sec.”
Electro-Measure, Inc. v. Ewald Enter., Inc., 398 N.W.2d 85 (Minn. Ct. App. 1986). “*89 The Minnesota court was correct in deciding that publication of the summons and complaint in Wisconsin was not reasonably calculated to give notice to respondent. EMI knew of only one officer of respondent corporation, John Ewald, and notice should have been such as to reach…”
PHH Mortg. Corp. v. Mattfeld, 2011 WI App 62 (Wis. Ct. App. 2011). “11 (l)(c) had failed because The Daily Reporter is a publication limited to Milwaukee and does not meet the standard for legal publication in Menomonee Falls under Wis. Stat. § 985.02 (1), which requires that publication be made in "a newspaper likely to give notice in the area…”
Schmidt v. City of Kenosha, 571 N.W.2d 892 (Wis. Ct. App. 1997). “The City quickly cured these procedural defects and the trial court rescheduled the action. Gene A. Clausen and Jeffrey C. Thompson were then added as plaintiffs to the lawsuit, and the Common Council was added as a defendant.”
Oliveira v. City of Milwaukee, 2000 WI App 49 (Wis. Ct. App. 2000). “§ 985.02(1) requires, with an exception not relevant here, that "a legal notice shall be published in a newspaper likely to give notice in the area or to the person affected.”
Birch Hill Real Est. LLC v. Breslin (E.D. Wis. 2019). “07(3)), and “at or immediately prior to the first publication, a copy of the summons and a copy of the complaint” must be mailed to the defendants, provided that the defendant’s post-office address can be ascertained. See Wis. Stat.”
State v. M. H. (Wis. Ct. App. 2023). “§ 985.02. ¶17 The record reflects that the State attempted personal service on M.”
UBS Fin. Servs. Inc v. Moxom (E.D. Wis. 2022). “§985.02 (1). Because the court has concluded that the plaintiff effected service and because the defendant—despite evidence that he is aware of the lawsuit—has not responded, it was appropriate for the clerk to enter default on April 22, 2022.”
Wis. Stat. § 985.02(1): 11 cases
In Re Marriage of Emery v. Emery, 369 N.W.2d 728 (Wis. 1985). “and sec. 985.02(1), Stats. 1981-1982. Section 801.”
Oliveira v. City of Milwaukee, 2001 WI 27 (Wis. 2001). “[8] See Wis. Stat. § 985.01 (1) (defining "insertion" as publication once a week for consecutive weeks with the last notice published at least a week before the hearing); § 985.”
Cmty. Newspapers, Inc. v. City of West Allis, 456 N.W.2d 646 (Wis. Ct. App. 1990). “The thread of his argument ties sec. 985.02(1), Stats., which requires publication of a legal notice in a newspaper likely to give notice with the terms "bona fide paid circulation" and "subscribers" appearing in sec.”
Electro-Measure, Inc. v. Ewald Enter., Inc., 398 N.W.2d 85 (Minn. Ct. App. 1986). “*89 The Minnesota court was correct in deciding that publication of the summons and complaint in Wisconsin was not reasonably calculated to give notice to respondent. EMI knew of only one officer of respondent corporation, John Ewald, and notice should have been such as to reach…”
Schmidt v. City of Kenosha, 571 N.W.2d 892 (Wis. Ct. App. 1997). “The City quickly cured these procedural defects and the trial court rescheduled the action. Gene A. Clausen and Jeffrey C. Thompson were then added as plaintiffs to the lawsuit, and the Common Council was added as a defendant.”
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