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Dane County, Wisconsin Public Records

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Find the right office in Dane County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Dane County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 12 official sources

Official

State records

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Buy Wisconsin hunting and fishing licenses, read hunting, fishing and ATV regulations, find state parks and wildlife areas, and report spills or natural resource violations to the DNR.

dnr.wi.gov
Open official site Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Official

Police & jail

Wisconsin State Patrol

Request Wisconsin State Patrol records, pay a citation, get crash reporting information, read concealed carry rules, and find State Patrol post locations and contacts.

wisconsindot.gov
Open official site Wisconsin State Patrol
Official

Police & jail

Federal Bureau of Investigation Milwaukee Office

The FBI Milwaukee Field Office covers all of Wisconsin, investigating federal crimes and taking tips from the public. It also lists wanted persons; an Identity History Summary comes from FBI CJIS at edo.cjis.gov.

fbi.gov
Open official site Federal Bureau of Investigation Milwaukee Office
Official

State records

Wisconsin Attorney General

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, led by the Attorney General, gives the state legal advice, investigates statewide crimes and provides forensic analysis of evidence. Court case records come from the Wisconsin Court System.

wisdoj.gov
Open official site Wisconsin Attorney General
Official

Vital records

Wisconsin Death Records

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Vital Records Office sells certified death certificates by mail or through VitalChek. County Register of Deeds offices and the Milwaukee and West Allis health offices also issue them.

dhs.wisconsin.gov
Open official site Wisconsin Death Records

Local record guide

About public records in Dane County

County profile

Dane County at a glance

State
Wisconsin
County seat
Madison
Population
561,504
Area
1,238 sq mi
Founded
1839
Cities and towns
21

Dane County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Dane County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the unincorporated areas of Dane County. The office is involved in various community programs and has specialized divisions such as the K-9 unit and a drug task force.

Police Departments. Dane County is served by multiple law enforcement agencies, including Dane County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Madison Police Department, Sun Prairie Police Department, and Fitchburg Police Department. Each department has jurisdiction over its respective city or town, while the Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Dane County Sheriff's Office, located at 115 West Doty Street in Madison, Wisconsin 53703, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Dane County and provides countywide services including jail operations, civil process, and emergency management. Dane County Jail, operated by the Sheriff's Office at the same address, maintains an online inmate lookup system accessible through the Sheriff's website, allowing the public to search for current inmates by name, booking number, or date of birth. Arrest records and incident reports in Dane County are subject to Wisconsin's public records law, specifically Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 19, Subchapter II (§19.31-19.39), which presumes public access to government records unless specifically exempted. Some arrest information may also be available through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) system when charges are filed.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Dane County are maintained by Dane County Sheriff's Office and local police departments.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Dane County are taken and retained by Dane County Sheriff's Office during the booking process.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Dane County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Dane County

Old mine sites
16
Sites with no status in the records
10
Still producing
42
Main minerals
crushed stone; construction sand and gravel; Limestone, Dimension
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
394
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel pit, quarry, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated, sand pit
Maps surveyed
1959 to 1984
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 68 named mine sites inside the county, 16 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 394 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are crushed stone; construction sand and gravel; Limestone, Dimension.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Wisconsin has no coal AML program; the old lead and zinc workings are in the southwest counties.

1 mile
Dane County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. Hover a dot for its name.
Wisconsin mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Dane County (68 shown, 394 unnamed on the map)

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Straight answers

Dane County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Dane County Sheriff or a city police department in Dane County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Dane County, Wisconsin?

The Wisconsin criminal history record comes from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau. Anyone may pay a fee and request adult criminal history record information by name online through the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS).

How can I look up sex offenders in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Search the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Register with the municipal clerk (city, village or town clerk) or through the Wisconsin Elections Commission. You can also register online with the state online registration. Online and mail registration closes 20 days before the election; you can register in person at the municipal clerk's office until the Friday before the election at 5:00 p.m. or close of business, and at the polls on Election Day with a proof of residence document.

How do I look up property records in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Dane County are kept by the Dane County register of deeds. Property values are set by the municipal assessor, and tax bills come from the town, village or city treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Certified birth and death certificates for Wisconsin come from the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, Department of Health Services. Birth, marriage, death and divorce records are also available through Wisconsin county Register of Deeds offices, and birth and death records through the Milwaukee City Health Office and the Southwest Suburban Health Department (Cities of West Allis and Greenfield). By U.S. mail to PO Box 309, Madison, WI 53701, or online or by phone through VitalChek at 877-885-2981. Fee: $20 for the first copy of each record and $3 for each additional copy of the same record.

How do I find business license records in Dane County, Wisconsin?

Business entity filings are searched with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.

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