How to Get a Plat Book in Wisconsin

A plat book is a public record of land ownership that also shows local roads, streams, railroad lines and recreation areas. They are commonly used as references for local governments and survey companies, but members of the general public can use them to find private hunting lands. In Wisconsin, most counties produce their own plat books. The Wisconsin's cartographer's office has a map of the counties and how to buy its plat book.

Things You'll Need

• Need for information on landownership in Wisconsin
• Computer
• Internet connection

Instructions

1. Check the Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office website. Click on the map in the center of the page under "Current Plat Books."

2. Click on any of the green balloons within the map to get information on the county plat book. In 2011, for example, a click on Madison showed the latest book was the 2010 Dane County Plat Book. It cost $27 plus tax if it was purchased in the City County Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

3. Order the books online through Map Solutions America. Call up Wisconsin, then click on the direct link to plat books. In 2011, most of the county books were from 2009 and 2010 and cost $50. Rockford Map Publishing also sells plats in hard copy and CD versions. As of 2011, its prices were also around $50 for each county book.

References

• Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office
• Map Solutions America
• Rockford Map Publishing

Resources

• Wisconsin Counties List