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Wisconsin Public Records

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State of Wisconsin Most Updated Online Public and Criminal Records Portal

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Statewide public records directory

Wisconsin Official Records, Agencies & Answers

Jump into the four biggest statewide record categories, review the refreshed Wisconsin overview pulled from the live database, and open only direct government sources from the directory below.

Top topic Criminal Records Criminal history tools, sheriff links, and related justice records.
Top topic Court Records Civil, criminal, and court access resources.
Top topic Expungements Record-clearance and expungement guidance.
Top topic Inmate Search Custody, jail, and inmate lookup resources.
WI

Wisconsin public records, redesigned

State of Wisconsin Most Updated Online Public and Criminal Records Portal

Updated March 29, 2026

Look up Wisconsin records for a person's background history, criminal records and personal information such as property ownership and divorces. Request marriages, death records, birth records from the state. Access the state of Wisconsin courts for divorce filings and other civil cases. See where and how to order copies of documents recorded and held by the state. Request official certificates from a comprehensive list of gov…

Official sources 26 Direct state links currently rendered on this page
Counties County coverage 72 County-level public records coverage tied to Wisconsin
FAQ / Q&A 9 Live statewide answers surfaced from the database
Bonus cities 60 Standalone city record pages currently shown

About Wisconsin

Open the dedicated background page for a deeper history, civic overview, and statewide public-records context beyond the agency directory.

Open about page

Explore cities & counties County links 🗺️ Local map

Move deeper into the state structure with the city directory, county access page, and location-specific record hubs without losing the statewide view.

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✨ County picks County directory: open county access
Hub → sub pages

Explore every linked Wisconsin specialty page

The hub now links directly to every live state-topic page we found for Wisconsin. Use the cards below to jump straight into each specialty area.

13 sub pages linked
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Criminal Records Criminal history tools, sheriff links, and related justice records.
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Court Records Civil, criminal, and court access resources.
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Expungements Record-clearance and expungement guidance.
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Inmate Search Custody, jail, and inmate lookup resources.
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Most Wanted Wanted-person and fugitive resources.
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Police Police department and public-safety resources.
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County Sheriff County sheriff and detention access points.
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Background Checks Background screening and identity research resources.
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Asset Search Asset, ownership, and locator resources.
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DMV Driver, vehicle, and DMV resource links.
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Vital Records Birth, death, marriage, and health-record links.
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Genealogy Family-history and genealogy research tools.
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Missing Children Missing-child alerts and support resources.
Fresh database content

About Wisconsin public records

This panel now uses the newer statewide heading content from the database instead of the old generic filler copy.

DB-backed content live

Look up Wisconsin records for a person's background history, criminal records and personal information such as property ownership and divorces. Request marriages, death records, birth records from the state. Access the state of Wisconsin courts for divorce filings and other civil cases. See where and how to order copies of documents recorded and held by the state. Request official certificates from a comprehensive list of gov…

The state of Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state in size and 20th most populated with over 5.5 million residents. The state's economy begun with the fur trade with its first settlers to today's 10th largest manufacturer in the United States. Estimates put manufacturing over fifty billion dollars annually, approximately twenty percent of the state's gross income. Regardless of its manufacturing, Wisconsin is known as a major producer of cheese and dairy. 25 percent of all butter and cheese come from the dairy state also houses the largest food manufacturers of amongst states. Wisconsin is governed by a governor a…

State snapshot Did you know? In Wisconsin, arrest lookups usually start with city police, then move to county jail, sheriff, and court records. Local and county links often beat a statewide sweep. Bonus tip: sheriff and county court pages often give the strongest next update after the local police stage.
Frequently asked questions

About Wisconsin public records

Clearer question cards, modern spacing, and the same live statewide answers from the database.

Q What is included in a Wisconsin background check?
In Wisconsin, background checks are governed by the Wisconsin Open Records Law (Wisconsin Statutes § 19.31 through § 19.39). They may include criminal history, sex offender status, court filings, arrest records, and vital statistics. Agencies must respond within No specific number of days required. The law is administered by Wisconsin DOJ Office of Open Government, 17 W. Main St., Madison, WI 53703; (608) 266-1221.
Q Where can I find police reports in Wisconsin?
Police reports in Wisconsin are public records under the Wisconsin Open Records Law. Submit your request to the agency that generated the report. Who may request: Any person - no residency requirement. Response deadline: No specific number of days required. If access is denied, you may appeal to district or circuit court. The Wisconsin Open Records Law (Wis. Stat. § 19.31) generally permits any person to request police reports. Submit a written request to the records division of the agency that filed the report, including the date, location, and report number if available. The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) in Madison processes state-level report requests. Fees and turnaround times vary by agency; many departments in Wisconsin offer online request portals for faster service.
Q What are the procedures to obtain Wisconsin vital records, and what is included in those records with address, not URLs?
Vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce) in Wisconsin are maintained by the state Department of Health or Vital Statistics. Standard fees: Actual cost of reproduction; agencies may charge for staff time at their actual. Certified copies carry separate fee schedules. Fee waivers may be available for journalists, nonprofits, and public-interest requesters - always ask.
Q What is the school district and performance data for Wisconsin?
Wisconsin school districts are overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) at dpi.wi.gov. The state uses the Wisconsin Forward Exam and ACT. Wisconsin School and District Report Cards are published at reportcards.dpi.wi.gov. Wisconsin has approximately 421 school districts. The 2023 graduation rate was approximately 90%. NCES at nces.ed.gov provides supplemental district data.
Q What is the crime statistics for Wisconsin?
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the state's overall crime rate decreased by 4.2% in 2019 compared to 2018. In 2019, there were a total of 131,945 reported crimes in Wisconsin, including violent crimes (4,945) and property crimes (127,000). The violent crime rate decreased by 4.3% and the property crime rate decreased by 4.2%. The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), based in Madison, WI, publishes Wisconsin's official annual crime report. The report breaks down incidents by crime type, county, and municipality, enabling year-over-year trend analysis. Crime rates are expressed per 100,000 residents. Researchers and journalists can download raw data sets from the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) website or access aggregated national comparisons via the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
Q If I get arrested in Wisconsin where would I go to jail and court? include address.
If arrested in Wisconsin, you would be taken to the local county jail. Court appearances are scheduled in the county where the arrest occurred. Under the Wisconsin Open Records Law, arrest records and booking information are generally public. Oversight: Wisconsin DOJ Office of Open Government, 17 W. Main St., Madison, WI 53703; (608) 266-1221. Appeals go to district or circuit court.
Q Can I find Public records in Wisconsin State Library?
Yes. Wisconsin state and public libraries provide access to public records databases. The Wisconsin Open Records Law (Wisconsin Statutes § 19.31 through § 19.39) guarantees public access to government documents. Many libraries offer free access to LexisNexis, court records portals, and vital record indexes. Wisconsin public libraries, including the state library in Madison, offer free access to public records databases. Patrons can access court dockets, property records, vital statistics indexes, and census microfilm. The Wisconsin Open Records Law (Wis. Stat. § 19.31) ensures that government records are available for inspection; librarians can assist with formal records requests and guide users to online state portals for birth, death, marriage, and divorce records.
Q Where is the Wisconsin State Library located?
The Wisconsin Library is located in Madison, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Library serves as the official depository for state government publications and provides research assistance to the public, legislators, and state agencies. Collections include historical newspapers, legislative history, court records indexes, and genealogy resources such as Ancestry Library Edition. The Wisconsin Open Records Law (Wis. Stat. § 19.31) guarantees public access to government documents maintained at the library. Remote access to digital collections is available to Wisconsin residents with a library card through the state library's online portal.
Q Wisconsin State fingerprinting office
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) operates fingerprinting services for the state. Fingerprinting services are available at the DCI offices in Madison, Milwaukee, Eau Claire, Wausau, and Appleton. The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) processes all fingerprint-based background checks for Wisconsin. Fingerprinting appointments can be scheduled through the bureau's website or by contacting a regional office. Wisconsin licensed fingerprint vendors (Live Scan) are listed on the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ)'s approved vendor directory. Prints are transmitted electronically to the FBI CJIS Division. Turnaround for most checks is 24-72 hours; paper card submissions take 6-8 weeks. Bring government-issued photo ID.
Did you know?

Some Wisconsin cities have standalone record pages

Fun fact: some Wisconsin cities skip the county layer entirely. They have their own public record hubs—go straight to them below.

Town

Barnes Town

Open the local page for focused public-record links and a quicker statewide sweep into this town.

Open Barnes Town records
Town

Beloit Town

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Town

Bennett Town

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Town

Black Wolf Town

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Town

Blooming Grove Town

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city

Bristol Town In Dane County

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Open Bristol Town In Dane County records
city

Bristol Town In Kenosha County

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Open Bristol Town In Kenosha County records
Town

Brookfield Town

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Town

Buchanan Town

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Town

Burke Town

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Open Burke Town records
Town

Calamus Town

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Open Calamus Town records
Town

Cedarburg Town

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Open Cedarburg Town records
Town

Cloverland Town

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Town

Concord Town

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Open Concord Town records
Town

Delafield Town

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Open Delafield Town records
Town

Dunn Town

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Open Dunn Town records
Town

Empire Town

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Open Empire Town records
Community

Fitchburg

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Open Fitchburg records
Last reviewed: Mar 25, 2026 Updated: Mar 25, 2026