City guide · Madison, Wisconsin · Details last checked Oct 31, 2026

Madison, Wisconsin document errands: printing, fax, notary, passports and certified copies (2026)

Where to print, fax, notarize, apply for a passport and get certified copies in Madison, Wisconsin, using only official and provider pages. Each fact links to its source. Some facts are statewide or national rather than local. We label those.

Printing, copying, scanning and fax

Madison Public Library

• Printing: $0.10 a page for black and white (even if you bring your own paper) and $0.50 a page for color. Print stations take credit cards and cash (small bills and coins) ^[1].
• Card limit: paying by credit card puts a $5 hold on the card, and that can't be increased. Larger jobs must be sent in smaller parts, for example no more than 500 black-and-white or 100 color pages ^[1].
• Print from your phone, laptop or email: you can send a file from a web browser portal, the ePRINTit SaaS app or email, then pay and release it at a coin tower at any Madison Public Library location. Email jobs can't set copies, orientation, sides or page range ^[1].
• Photocopies: all libraries have a color photocopier. Copies are $0.10 for black and white (even with your own paper) and $0.50 a page for color. Copy stations take cash (small bills and coins); Meadowridge Library's copies can also be paid by credit card ^[1].
• Fax: outgoing faxing is free; faxes can't be received at the library. Faxes must be started and finished in person ^[1]. Free fax locations: Alicia Ashman, 733 N High Point Rd; Central Library (2nd floor Print/Copy Desk), 201 W Mifflin St; Goodman South Madison, 2222 S Park St; Hawthorne, 2707 E Washington Ave; Lakeview, 2845 N Sherman Ave; Meadowridge, 5726 Raymond Rd; Monroe Street, 1705 Monroe St; Pinney, 516 Cottage Grove Rd; and Sequoya, 4340 Tokay Blvd ^[1][9]. The Census Geocoder places all 9 inside Madison city ^[3].
• Scanning: Central Library lists a flatbed scanner at the public computers and scanning to a flash drive from the photocopier ^[9]. We didn't find a scanning price on the library's pages.
• Personal Archiving Lab: Central Library's lab has equipment that can digitize paper documents. Bring a portable hard drive or thumb drive to save your files. First-time users need a one-time tutorial; drop-in tutorials are held on most Mondays, 2–4 p.m., at Central Library. We didn't find a price for the lab ^[10].

• The UPS Store: it lists 5 locations with Madison addresses: 4230 East Towne Blvd, (608) 244-2208; 1213 N Sherman Ave, (608) 663-9090; 2858 University Ave, (608) 819-8415; 1360 Regent St, (608) 255-3391; and 6666 Odana Rd, (608) 833-7447. Its city page says they offer packing, shipping, printing, shredding, notarizing, faxing and mailbox services ^[11]. We didn't find prices on the store pages; The UPS Store's site says products, services, prices and hours may vary by location ^[12].
• Inside the city: the Census Geocoder places the East Towne Blvd, N Sherman Ave, Regent St and Odana Rd stores inside Madison city. It didn't match 2858 University Ave, so we couldn't confirm that one ^[11][3].

See printing prices and fax prices.

Notary in Madison

• Library: we didn't find notary service on Madison Public Library's print, copy and fax page or the Central Library computers page ^[1][9].
• The UPS Store: its Madison page lists notarizing ^[11].
• Fees (statewide): Wisconsin's Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) says a notary "may charge no more than $5 for most in-person notarial acts." Ask for the price before the notary starts ^[13].
• Statewide commission: DFI says a Wisconsin commission lets a notary act in all counties in the state ^[13].
• No copies of vital records (statewide): DFI tells notaries they are "strictly prohibited" from making copies, certified or uncertified, of birth, death, divorce, marriage and other vital records. Get certified copies from a state or county vital records office instead ^[13].

Passports in Madison

The U.S. Department of State's Passport Acceptance Facility Locator data lists 3 facilities with Madison addresses, all post offices. The Census Geocoder places all 3 inside Madison city ^[2][3]:

• Appointments: the locator says to book passport appointments, or see more passport times, at usps.com/scheduler ^[2].
• County or library: we didn't find a Dane County office or a library in the locator data for Madison ^[2].
• Post office fees (national): a $35.00 acceptance fee and a $15.00 photo fee "if needed" ^[14].
• Faster return delivery (national): two official pages list different prices. USPS lists "$22.05—1- to 3- day delivery service for faster return shipping to you from the State Department" ^[14]. The State Department's fee page lists 1–3 business day return delivery at $26.87, for passport books only ^[15]. We couldn't re-read the State Department page on Oct 31, 2026, because it blocked our check. Confirm the fee with the acceptance facility before you pay.

See the passport checklist and passport photo prices.

Birth, death, marriage, court and recorded-document copies

Birth, death, marriage and divorce records (statewide rules)

• Who issues them (statewide): the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says Wisconsin birth, death, marriage and divorce records from October 1907 to now are available from the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, and also through any Wisconsin county Register of Deeds office. Availability depends on the event type and date ^[16].
• Fees (statewide): $20 for the first copy of each record and $3 for each additional copy of the same record ^[16]. State law sets the same $20 and $3 fees ^[17]. DHS says the long form birth certificate doesn't cost extra; write "Long Form" on the application ^[16].
• Who can get a certified copy: state law limits who can get one; an uncertified copy is printed on plain paper and stamped as not usable for legal or identification purposes ^[16].
• State office by mail: Wisconsin Vital Records Office, PO Box 309, Madison, WI 53701. It takes about 10 business days after the office gets your order, plus mail time. Pay by cash, check or money order in U.S. funds ^[16].
• Online and phone: through VitalChek, online or at 877-885-2981; there is a fee for using VitalChek, and requests take about five business days ^[16].

Dane County Register of Deeds

• Where and when: Suite 110, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison, in the City County Building. Certificates are issued in person Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. only, though the office is open until 4 p.m. ^[4][18]. The Census Geocoder places the building inside Madison city ^[3].
• Which records: the office issues certificates for any Wisconsin county for births and marriages from October 1, 1907, deaths from September 1, 2013 and divorces from January 1, 2016. For other dates, contact the county where the event happened or the Wisconsin Vital Records office at (608) 266-1373 ^[4].
• In person: $20 for the search and first copy, certified or uncertified, and $3 for each additional copy. Bring the completed application and a current photo ID. It takes about 15 minutes from when the counter gets your application. The office takes cash, money orders, cashier's checks and business checks; most major credit and debit cards add a fee of $2.50 and up. No personal checks ^[4][19].
• By mail: send the application and payment to Register of Deeds, PO Box 1438, Madison WI 53701-1438. Same fees; pay by money order, cashier's check or business check (no personal checks). Copies are mailed First Class within 1 to 2 business days of receipt ^[4].
• Online: through Official Records Online, add a $10 expedite fee plus $40 for FedEx Overnight or $26 for FedEx 2Day. Through VitalChek (1.800.255.2414), add a $20 expedite fee, a $12.95 VitalChek fee and $19 for UPS next-day air. Neither ships outside the U.S. ^[4][19].
• Don't photocopy certificates: the office's FAQ explains that photocopying a birth, death, marriage or domestic partnership certificate is a felony in Wisconsin ^[4].
• Corrections: changes to Dane County birth records go through Wisconsin State Vital Records. Marriage, domestic partnership and death record changes within 365 days can be made through the county office; call 608-267-8810 ^[4].

Marriage licenses

• Marriage licenses (statewide law): in Wisconsin the county clerk issues marriage licenses. A license can't be issued within 3 days of the application unless the clerk, at its discretion, issues it sooner for an added fee of up to $25. Each applicant must show a certified copy of a birth record, or one of the other documents the law allows, and swear to the application before the clerk. State law sets the county clerk's fee for each license at $49.50; that is the statutory clerk fee, not necessarily the full price a county charges ^[20].
• Dane County Clerk, by Zoom only: licenses are processed by virtual (Zoom) appointment only, and each applicant must join the call. Appointments run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the office's hours are Monday–Friday 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. ^[5][21]. You upload documents while scheduling, and the calendar only opens 45 days ahead ^[5].
• Price: the county page says the license is $150 plus a service fee, paid by credit or debit card at the appointment, and isn't refundable ^[5]. The county fee ordinance adds a $100.50 county fee to the $49.50 statutory fee, which makes $150, and waives the county part for applicants found indigent ^[22]. If you can't pay because of hardship, the clerk asks you to call (608) 266-4121 ^[5].
• Waiting period: the license is issued on the 4th calendar day after you apply and is valid for 60 days. Waiving the 3-day wait costs $25 more, and any application made less than 4 days before the ceremony is charged the waiver fee ^[5][22].
• Bring: a certified birth record (an electronic scan of a certified copy is fine; photocopies and hospital certificates are not), photo ID and Social Security number, and proof of address. You also need the ceremony's date, place and officiant details before you apply ^[5].
• After the wedding: starting January 1, 2027, the Dane County Register of Deeds will no longer accept completed marriage licenses by email; officiants can mail, drop off or use the drop box at the City County Building ^[4].

Recorded documents and court copies

• Recording fees (statewide law): Wisconsin law sets the register of deeds fee for recording a document at $30. Copies of recorded documents are $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page, plus $1 to certify a copy ^[23].
• Court copies (statewide fee table): the Wisconsin court system lists Clerk of Circuit Court copies at $1.25 a page, and certified copies at $5 to certify the document plus $1.25 a page ^[24].
• Dane County: the Register of Deeds says most of its records can be viewed in the office free of charge ^[18]. We didn't check Dane County's own real estate fee page or the Dane County Clerk of Circuit Court's copy fees.

Apostilles (statewide)

• Two state offices: both the Wisconsin Secretary of State (SOS) and DFI can issue apostilles for Hague Convention countries. Authentications for countries outside the Hague Convention come only from the SOS ^[7].
• DFI: standard service is $10 per document (3–7 business days) and expedited is $35 per document (1–2 business days), not counting mail time. DFI, 4822 Madison Yards Way, North Tower, Madison, WI 53705; (608) 266-8915 ^[6].
• Secretary of State: standard service is $10 per document (an estimated 7–20 days from when the office gets the documents) and expedited is $35 per document (2–4 business days). Walk-in expedited service is generally available the same day at the office on the basement level of the State Capitol in Madison. It accepts card, cash, check or money order ^[7].
• Notarized documents: the SOS accepts only wet-ink stamped or embossed notarizations by a Wisconsin notary, not electronic ones. It can't process federal documents or vital records from another state or country ^[7].

More on certified copies: how to get a certified copy.

Money orders

USPS money order fees are national: $2.65 for $0.01 to $500.00, and $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.00. Pay with cash or a debit card, not a credit card. The limit is $1,000 per domestic money order ^[25]. Other sellers: money order guide.

Shredding

• Free shred events: we didn't find an upcoming city or county shred event on official pages.
• The UPS Store: its Madison page lists shredding ^[11]. We didn't find prices.

For paid per-pound shredding, see where to shred documents.

Questions

Sources

Sources last checked Oct 29 or Oct 31, 2026, as marked on each, except the locator data file.

1. Madison Public Library, "Print, Photocopy, and Faxing Services": madisonpubliclibrary.org/resources/services/print-photocopy-and-faxing-services (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
2. U.S. Department of State, Passport Acceptance Facility Locator (locator data file, downloaded Oct 28, 2026, filtered to Wisconsin): passportfacilitylocator.travel.state.gov (last checked Oct 28, 2026)
3. U.S. Census Bureau, "Census Geocoder (address to geography lookup)": geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
4. Dane County Register of Deeds, "Vital Records": rod.danecounty.gov/vital-records (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
5. Dane County Clerk, "Marriage License": clerk.danecounty.gov/marriage (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
6. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, "Apostille Fees": dfi.wi.gov/Pages/ConsumerServices/ApostilleServices/Fees.aspx (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
7. Wisconsin Secretary of State, "Apostilles and Authentications": sos.wi.gov/Pages/Apostilles/howto.aspx (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
8. U.S. Census Bureau, "2020 Place by County relationship file, Wisconsin": www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/place_by_cou/st55_wi_place_by_county2020.txt (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
9. Madison Public Library, "Central Library: Computers": madisonpubliclibrary.org/locations/central-library/computers (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
10. Madison Public Library, "Personal Archiving Lab": madisonpubliclibrary.org/resources/services/personal-archiving-lab (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
11. The UPS Store, "The UPS Store Locations in Madison, Wisconsin": locations.theupsstore.com/wi/madison (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
12. The UPS Store, "Notary Services Nationwide": theupsstore.com/store-services/notary-services (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
13. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, "Notary Tutorial, Chapter 2: Powers & Liabilities": apps.dfi.wi.gov/apps/NotaryTutorialExam/Chapter2.aspx (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
14. USPS, "Passports": usps.com/international/passports.htm (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
15. U.S. Department of State, passport fees page (Last Updated March 19, 2026): travel.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/fees.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
16. Wisconsin Department of Health Services, "Vital Records: Requesting a Vital Record": dhs.wisconsin.gov/vitalrecords/record.htm (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
17. Wisconsin Legislature, "Wis. Stat. § 69.22, Fees for vital records": docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/69/i/22 (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
18. Dane County Register of Deeds, "Register of Deeds Office (home page)": rod.danecounty.gov (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
19. Dane County Register of Deeds, "Vital Record Fees": rod.danecounty.gov/vital-records/vital-record-fees (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
20. Wisconsin Legislature, "Wis. Stat. ch. 765, Marriage (§§ 765.08, 765.09, 765.12 and 765.15)": docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/765/15 (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
21. Dane County Clerk, "Dane County Clerk's Office (home page)": clerk.danecounty.gov (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
22. Dane County, "Code of Ordinances, Chapter 62, Miscellaneous Fees (rev. 063026)": danecounty.gov/Ordinances/ViewFile/85d01b77-677e-41d9-9394-d9e978dc9e3e (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
23. Wisconsin Legislature, "Wis. Stat. § 59.43, Register of deeds (fees in sub. (2))": docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/59/iv/43 (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
24. Wisconsin Court System, "Wisconsin Circuit Court Fee, Forfeiture, Fine and Surcharge Tables (PDF)" (updated September 2, 2026): wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/docs/fees.pdf (last checked Oct 31, 2026)
25. USPS, "Money Orders": usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm (last checked Oct 31, 2026)

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