(1) (a) To form a domestic partnership, individuals must apply on or after the 31st day beginning after July 1, 2009, but no later than April 1, 2018, for a declaration of domestic partnership to the county clerk of the county in which at least one of the individuals has resided for at least 30 days immediately before applying. (b) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the county clerk may not issue a declaration of domestic partnership until at least 5 days after receiving the application for the declaration of domestic partnership. 2. The county clerk may, at his or her discretion, issue a declaration of domestic partnership less than 5 days after application if the applicant pays an additional fee of not more than $25 to cover any increased processing cost incurred by the county. The county clerk shall pay this fee into the county treasury. (c) No declaration of domestic partnership may be issued unless the application for it is subscribed to by the parties intending to form the domestic partnership; it contains the social security number of each party who has a social security number; and it is filed with the clerk who issues the declaration of domestic partnership. (d) 1. Each party shall present satisfactory, documentary proof of identification and residence and shall swear, or affirm, to the application before the clerk who is to issue the declaration of domestic partnership. In addition to the social security number of each party who has a social security number, the application shall contain such informational items as the state registrar of vital statistics directs. The portion of the application form that is collected for statistical purposes only shall indicate that the address of an applicant may be provided by a county clerk to a law enforcement officer under the conditions specified under s. 770.18 (2). 2. Each applicant shall exhibit to the clerk a certified copy of a birth record, and each applicant shall submit a copy of any judgment, certificate of termination of domestic partnership, or death certificate affecting the domestic partnership status. If any applicable birth certificate, death certificate, notice of termination of domestic partnership, or judgment is unobtainable, other satisfactory documentary proof may be presented instead. Whenever the clerk is not satisfied with the documentary proof presented, he or she shall submit the proof, for an opinion as to its sufficiency, to a judge of a court of record in the county of application. (2) If sub. (1) and s. 770.05 are complied with, the county clerk shall issue a declaration of domestic partnership. With each declaration of domestic partnership the county clerk shall provide information describing the causes and effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and the dangers to a fetus from the mother’s use of cocaine or other drugs during pregnancy. After the application for the declaration of domestic partnership is filed, the clerk shall, upon the sworn statement of either of the applicants, correct any erroneous, false, or insufficient statement in the application that comes to the clerk’s attention and shall notify the other applicant of the correction, as soon as reasonably possible. (3) No county clerk may issue a declaration of domestic partnership to individuals who apply after April 1, 2018.
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