Presently in Wisconsin the charge for the county Register of Deeds to record a document is $11 for the first page and $2 for each additional page. One common example -- the warranty deed given by the seller to the buyer in a real estate transaction. Typically the buyer pays to record the document, and the buyer would most likely note the $11 charge (assuming the deed is but one page) on the buyer's settlement statement as a charge to the buyer. Other commonly recorded documents are subdivision covenants and restrictions, shared road agreements, certified survey maps, etc.
Due to change in Wisconsin state law earlier this month, effective June 25, 2010, it will cost $30 to record this example deed. The new fee schedule allows counties to charge a flat fee of $30 per document, irrespective of the number of pages. In other words, it will soon cost the same to record a one page deed as it will to record a 15 page declaration of condominium.
For any property closing on or after (about) June 23rd, look for the increased fee on the buyer's settlement statement.