Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access covers circuit court cases statewide free, registers of deeds offer online land records such as LandShark in Washington County, WORCS runs DOJ background checks, and vital records are ordered from the state office or any county register of deeds.
Pay Any Required Fees
A Wisconsin birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy; public records copies are charged at actual, necessary and direct cost.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records applicants show valid, unexpired identification and a direct and tangible interest, and deaths less than 50 years old go only to direct descendants and others with an interest.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in Wisconsin
Back to Wisconsin Public Records
On This Page
State Directory
Popular Searches
Straight answers
Wisconsin County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. Wisconsin's Public Records Law, Wis. Stat. 19.31 to 19.39, presumes records open and lets agencies charge only the actual, necessary and direct cost of copies. Circuit court records, register of deeds documents and assessment data are open. Certified vital records go only to people with a direct and tangible interest, and deaths less than 50 years old require the requester to be a direct descendant or otherwise interested; juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified Wisconsin birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same record, from the state Vital Records Office or any county register of deeds; Milwaukee's expedited credit card service adds $20 per record. The Department of Justice's WORCS name-based background check charges a fee per search, and public records copies are charged at cost, with location fees allowed only above $50.
Can I search county records online?
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, on wicourts.gov provides free public access to circuit court case records statewide, and WSCCA covers the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Any county register of deeds can issue birth certificates from all counties since October 1907, and registers of deeds such as Washington and Douglas counties offer online land record search, Washington County through LandShark. WORCS runs online criminal background checks, and vital records are ordered, not searched.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. Wisconsin vital records applicants must show valid, unexpired identification, such as a state driver's license or ID card, and establish a direct and tangible interest in the record; mailed applications need easy-to-read copies of the ID, never originals.
How long does it take to receive records?
The state Vital Records Office completes requests in about 5 to 10 business days depending on the service, not counting mail time, and county registers of deeds such as Brown County's process in-person requests while you wait and mailed requests the day they arrive. WCCA searches are immediate.