Wisconsin “Paid For By” Rules

A campaign sign is a cheap way to get your name in front of voters. One small line at the bottom of it trips people up. Wisconsin wants every paid political message to show who paid for it. Once the signs are printed, a missing or tiny line isn't something you can fix.

Tony RuffiPublished Sep 30, 2026Updated Sep 30, 2026, 11:22 PM CT6 min read

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This article covers which items need the line, the exact words, and how big it has to be. It also covers the rule for ads made with AI. By the end, you'll know what to check before you send anything to the printer.

What does “Paid for by” mean on a Wisconsin campaign sign?

It's a short line that tells voters who paid for a message. Wisconsin law says printed ads, billboards, handbills, sample ballots, and TV and radio ads must clearly show their source. That covers any that push a vote for or against someone, or for or against a referendum. For a candidate's committee, that means the words “Paid for by” and the committee's name. That's Wis. Stat. § 11.1303.

“Wis. Stat.” is short for the Wisconsin statutes, the state's written laws. The law also bans paying for a message in a made-up name or in someone else's name. So the line has to be true, and it has to be there.

Which campaign items need the line, and which don't?

Most things you'd pay to print or air need it. The rule covers messages with what the law calls express advocacy. That means plain words that tell people how to vote, like “Vote for,” “Elect,” or “Defeat.” Here's how common items stack up.

Those rules come from § 11.1303 and Wis. Admin. Code ETH 1.96, the Ethics Commission's rule on this. Voters look for the line, so we'd rather add it and not need it.

What words go on the line?

The words are “Paid for by,” then the name of the committee that paid. A local candidate's committee is the campaign group you set up when you filed your registration statement with your clerk. You may add your treasurer's name. If you use the committee's name, you can't shorten it or use an abbreviation.

For example: “Paid for by Jane Doe for School Board.” That name is made up, so use your own.

Outside groups that pay for more than $2,500 of express advocacy use their own name after “Paid for by.” Some also add “Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's agent or committee.”

How big does the line have to be?

The state gives sizes that count as proof the line is easy to read. Up to 8.5 by 11 inches, use at least 10-point type. Up to 24 by 36 inches, use at least 12-point. Bigger than that, letters must be at least 4% of the height. That's in ETH 1.96.

The same rule adds a few more points. Use a sans-serif font, a plain style with no little feet on the letters. Use black text on white, or colors that stand out at least as much as your biggest words. On video, keep the line up for at least 4 seconds. On radio, say it clearly.

A common 18 by 24 inch yard sign falls in the 12-point group. That's tiny next to a name in 200-point type. We tell candidates to go bigger than the minimum and run the line across the whole bottom of the sign.

Do ads made with AI need a label in Wisconsin?

Yes, if the ad urges a vote, talks about an issue to sway an election, or takes a side on a referendum, a question put straight to voters. The law calls AI-made audio or video synthetic media. Audio ads need the words “Contains content generated by AI” at the start and the end. Video needs a written label on screen the whole time the AI part plays.

The wording is “This video content generated by AI,” “This audio content generated by AI,” or “This content generated by AI,” depending on what the AI made. Breaking the rule on purpose can cost up to $1,000 for each violation. A label doesn't protect you from other election laws either.

How real campaigns get the line right

Rick Snyder won Michigan's 2010 race for governor with 58.1% of the vote, and his yard signs carried the committee's line at the bottom, as you can see above. Brent Jacobson won a 2024 State Assembly seat with 66% in a district that didn't exist before. Every sign, mailer and ad had to introduce him, and each one needed the right line. Even the famous I Like Ike button from 1952 would be exempt today, but signs aren't. Here's our short list:

1. Register first. Your committee's name comes from your registration statement, which local candidates file with the city or town clerk. Copy the name exactly.
2. Save the line once and paste it into every design, so no one retypes it.
3. Go bigger than the minimum. Give it its own strip.
4. Check the proof at real size. Print it and look from a few feet away.
5. Hold the video line longer than 4 seconds.
6. Put the line in email footers, social bios and your website's footer.
7. Ask your city or town about sign rules. Where signs can go is a separate local question.

Running for Congress? Federal candidates follow federal rules, which are different from Wisconsin's.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Confirm what applies to your race with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, the Wisconsin Elections Commission and your filing officer, usually your clerk.

Print it right the first time

The “Paid for by” line is easy to get right before you print and costly to fix after. Register your committee, copy its name exactly, and make the line big and clear on every sign, mailer and ad. Then spend your energy on what wins votes.

Want a second set of eyes on your signs and mail before they go to the printer? Our campaign consulting team helps campaigns of every size get these details right, and the first conversation is free. You can also read our articles on Wisconsin nomination papers and running for school board, or browse more Running for Office articles.

Last updated Sep 30, 2026, 11:22 PM CT. Fact-checked September 30, 2026 against Wis. Stat. § 11.1303, Wis. Admin. Code ETH 1.96, and Wisconsin Ethics Commission guidance.