Wisconsin keeps its business register at the Department of Financial Institutions in Madison, not at the Secretary of State. Inside DFI, the Corporations Bureau of the Division of Corporate and Consumer Services takes formations, annual reports and certificates. The public record is CRIS, the Corporate Registration Information System.
The quarter system is what you need to learn here. Your annual report is due at the end of the calendar quarter of your anniversary, not on a single date for everyone. And the state has no assumed name filing for companies, so a trade name works differently from most places.
Searching Wisconsin businesses in CRIS
CRIS holds active and inactive entities and lets you search by name, ID number, registered agent or officer. Each record shows a status code, which is the fastest way to see if a company is current.
| Official business search | apps.dfi.wi.gov/apps/corpsearch/search.aspx (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| You can search by | business name, entity or file number, registered agent, officer or owner name (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Name availability check | apps.dfi.wi.gov/apps/corpsearch/search.aspx (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| What a result means | Phone searches are tentative. FAQ: "No name should be assumed to be available until you have received written confirmation" that the filing was accepted. CRIS status is not an assessment of financial condition. (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
You can also ask for a verbal name search by phone at 608-261-7577. DFI treats phone answers as tentative and says no name should be assumed free until your filing has been accepted in writing.
Wisconsin status codes in CRIS
CRIS shows short codes next to each status. INC or ORG means good standing. DLQ is the early warning, and ADS means the company has been administratively dissolved.
| Status shown | What it means |
|---|---|
| Good Standing (INC/ORG) | Entity is current with filing requirements. |
| Delinquent (DLQ) | Not current with annual report filings. |
| Administratively Dissolved (ADS) | An administrative action causing the entity's involuntary dissolution. |
| Revoked/Terminated (RCA) | License of a foreign entity is revoked or terminated. |
| Merged (MGD) | Entity is a non-survivor in a merger. |
| Reserved (RES) | Short-term name reservation, 60 or 120 days. |
| Reserved long term (RLT) | Name reserved for 10 years. |
Status wording from dfi.wi.gov, checked .
A status here only tells you about filings. DFI points out it is not a view of the company's finances.
DFI fees for Wisconsin entities
An LLC costs $130 to form online, and $170 if you file on paper. A business corporation pays $100 and a nonstock corporation $35. A foreign LLC registers from $100, with extra charges possible.
| Form an LLC | $130 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Form a corporation | $100 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Form a nonprofit | $35 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Register an out-of-state LLC | $100 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Reserve a name | business corporation or llc 120 days: $15; limited partnership 120 days: $10; long term 10 years: $50 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Annual or biennial report | LLC: $25 online, $40 paper; corporation: $25 online, $40 paper (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Good standing certificate | $10 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Faster processing | Next business day $100; in person within 4 hours $250; in person within 1 hour $500 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
Rather not file it yourself? Ask our private filing service about forming or reporting in Wisconsin. State fees are separate.
Speed has its own price list. Next business day service is $100 per transaction. In person at the Madison office, a 4 hour turnaround costs $250 and a 1 hour turnaround $500. DFI does not publish a standard processing time.
The Wisconsin annual report, quarter by quarter
DFI groups due dates by quarter. If you registered in January to March, your report is due March 31. April to June means June 30, July to September means September 30, and October to December means December 31. The first report falls in the year after registration.
The fee, the due date, late penalties and the filing steps are in our Wisconsin annual report guide.
Domestic entities pay $25 online or $40 on paper. There is no late fee, but a company that stays delinquent ends up administratively dissolved. Reinstatement forms come from DFI on request. For the general steps, see our annual report guide.
Reserving a name with DFI
Form 1 reserves a name for 120 days for $15, and the reservation can be renewed. Limited partnerships pay $10. A separate 10 year reservation for $50 exists only for keeping an old name after a merger, name change or dissolution.
| LLC name must include | "limited liability company", "limited liability co.", or ending in "L.L.C." or "LLC" (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Corporation name must include | corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, checked ) |
| How different a name must be | LLC name must be distinguishable on DFI records from other LLCs, corporations, nonstock corporations, LPs, LLPs, cooperatives and foreign entities. Adding or dropping a designator or words like corporation, incorporated, limited, company does not make a name distinguishable. Wis. Stat. 183.0103(2),(3). (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation fee | business corporation or llc 120 days: $15; limited partnership 120 days: $10; long term 10 years: $50 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation lasts | Short term 120 days (renewable); form also lists 60 days in the FAQ glossary. Long term 10 years for old names after merger, name change or dissolution. (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation form | dfi.wi.gov/Documents/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Forms/CORP1.pdf (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
Reservation fees are nonrefundable, and an expedited reservation adds $100. Search CRIS before you pay so the money is not wasted on a name already in use.
Registered agent rules in Wisconsin
Entity must designate a registered agent resident in Wisconsin (an individual or an entity) and a registered office, which is the agent's business office physical address. (dfi.wi.gov, checked )
The registered office is the agent's physical business address, so a PO box will not do. Our page on how to change registered agent explains how to replace one.
Wisconsin Certificate of Status
Wisconsin calls proof of good standing a Certificate of Status. It costs $10. Normal handling takes up to 10 business days, and expediting a certificate or copy costs $25 per document.
What it costs, where to order it and what blocks it are in our Wisconsin good standing guide.
Our guide to the certificate of good standing explains when you might need one.
Trade names in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has no state assumed name filing for entities. A trade name or fictitious name can be filed with the DFI as a trademark (fee $15 per name) or as a statement with the county Register of Deeds. A DFI trade name filing does not register the entity or reserve the name in the entity records. (dfi.wi.gov, checked )
That last point matters. A trade name filing with DFI does not create an entity and does not hold the name in the business records, so register the company itself first if you want the name protected there.
Contact the Wisconsin DFI Corporations Bureau
| Office | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Division | Division of Corporate and Consumer Services, Corporations Bureau (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Officeholder | Wendy K. Baumann (DFI Secretary) (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Phone | 608-261-7577 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Mailing address | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services, PO Box 93348, Milwaukee, WI 53293-0348 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
| Street address | 4822 Madison Yards Way, North Tower, Madison, WI 53705 (dfi.wi.gov, checked ) |
DFI's offices are at Madison Yards, while mail for filings goes to the PO Box in Milwaukee. States give their filing office different names, and our page on Secretary of State vs Department of State explains the common titles.
Sources
- dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Fees.aspx: office name, division, mailing address, street address, phone, contact page, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, report fee, expedite fees. Checked .
- dfi.wi.gov/Pages/About/Secretary.aspx: officeholder. Checked .
- dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/FAQ.aspx: business search, search fields, name check, search disclaimer, name reservation term, registered agent rule, status terms. Checked .
- docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/183/i/0103: LLC name endings, name rule. Checked .
- docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/180/IV/0401: corporation name endings. Checked .
- dfi.wi.gov/Documents/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/Forms/CORP1.pdf: name reservation fee, name reservation form. Checked .
- dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/BusinessEntities/CertificatesAndCertCopyFees.aspx: certificate fee. Checked .
- dfi.wi.gov/Pages/BusinessServices/Trademarks/TrademarksFAQ.aspx: assumed names (DBA). Checked .