File your Wisconsin campaign finance reports on time
An even year brings more than the two continuing reports. The September report and the 72-hour rule are the two people miss.
Last reviewed 29 August 2026 against the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Campaign finance rules change: confirm current requirements with Wisconsin Ethics Commission before you file. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Your 2026 Wisconsin filing calendar
| Report | Period covered | Due |
|---|---|---|
| January Continuing | 1 Jul – 31 Dec 2025 | 15 Jan 2026 |
| Spring Pre-Primary (spring-ballot candidates) | 1 Jan – 2 Feb 2026 | 9 Feb 2026 |
| Spring Pre-Election (spring-ballot candidates) | 3 Feb – 23 Mar 2026 | 30 Mar 2026 |
| July Continuing | 1 Jan – 30 Jun 2026 | 15 Jul 2026 |
| Fall Pre-Primary | 1 Jul – 27 Jul 2026 | 3 Aug 2026 |
| September Report | 28 Jul – 23 Sep 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 |
| Fall Pre-Election | 24 Sep – 19 Oct 2026 | 26 Oct 2026 |
| January Continuing | Through 31 Dec 2026 | 15 Jan 2027 |
The September report exists only in years with a fall general election, which makes it easy to miss in an even year if you are working from an off-year schedule. Local, spring-cycle candidate committees do not file the fall reports. A committee not expecting to exceed $2,500 in activity for the calendar year may claim an exemption from filing reports, though it must still register.
Contribution limits
Individual limits vary by office. Corporations, cooperatives, labor organizations and tribes may not contribute to candidate committees at all — they may only fund segregated funds and independent expenditure or referendum committees.
| Donor | Limit | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Individual → Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent, Supreme Court Justice | $20,000 | per campaign |
| Individual → State Senate | $2,000 | per campaign |
| Individual → State Assembly | $1,000 | per campaign |
| Individual → local office | Greater of $500 or 2¢ per resident, capped at $6,000 | per campaign |
| Corporation, cooperative, labor organization, tribe | Prohibited | — |
What you must collect on every donor
Wisconsin has no dollar floor. Every contribution is itemized, whatever its size. Occupation is added only once a contributor passes $200 for the calendar year.
- Date of the contribution
- Full name
- Street address
- Amount
- Occupation — only where cumulative calendar-year contributions exceed $200
- Employer is never required in Wisconsin. That is the federal rule. Several published guides get this wrong.
Reports that run on a clock, not a date
The 72-hour late contribution report (form CF-3)
A candidate for state office must report any contribution of $1,000 or more — single or cumulative from one contributor — received in the 14 days before a primary or election, within 72 hours of receipt. This includes the candidate’s own contributions of $1,000 or more.
Registering your committee
In Wisconsin the form is: Form CF-1 — Campaign Finance Registration Statement (CF-1L for local candidates)
Due as soon as practicable after you qualify as a candidate, and in practice before any financial activity.
File a Campaign Finance Registration Statement — form CF-1, or CF-1L for local candidates — as soon as practicable after you qualify as a candidate. In practice this means before any financial activity: a candidate may not accept contributions, make disbursements or incur obligations except through a registered candidate committee. State candidates register electronically in CFIS.
Who files where
Wisconsin files through the Campaign Finance Information System (CFIS). Candidates filing with a county board may use a different system — confirm with your county election office.
State-office candidate committees, PACs, independent expenditure committees and party committees file with the Ethics Commission through CFIS. Local-office candidate committees file with their local filing officer — generally the clerk of the most populous jurisdiction, or the school district clerk for school board candidates — on paper forms. Note a scheduled change: from 1 December 2027 all filings move to the Commission.
If you miss a deadline
Civil forfeitures of up to $500 per violation. For late filing, up to $50 per day or 1% of the annual salary of the office sought, whichever is greater, for each day of delinquency. Illegal contributions can be assessed at treble the amount. Intentional violations carry criminal penalties.
Keeping Wisconsin records ready to file
Whoever files your reports, the work is the same: capture every contributor field at the point of donation, keep running totals against the itemization threshold, and reconcile before each deadline. Campaign Deputy does that for campaigns in the states it supports.
Sources
- Wisconsin Ethics Commission — report periods and filing calendar
- Wis. Stat. § 11.0204 — reports, September report, itemization, 72-hour rule
- Wis. Stat. § 11.1101 — contribution limits
- Wis. Stat. § 11.1112 — corporate and union prohibition
- Wis. Stat. § 11.0202 — registration
- Ethics Commission — CF Overview for state candidate committees
