Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

Wisconsin public records: who holds what

In Wisconsin, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds, birth and death certificates come from the DHS Wisconsin Vital Records Office and requests for other government records fall under the Wisconsin Public Records Law. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Wisconsin
  2. Public records law in Wisconsin
  3. Property and tax records in Wisconsin
  4. How Wisconsin organizes its records
  5. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  6. Counties in Wisconsin
  7. Warnings from official sources
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Official directories
  10. Sources

Who holds what in Wisconsin

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty register of deeds (elected county officer) records all documents and keeps them and their indexes permanently.1$2 first page + $1 each additional page of each document1
Property recordsAssessment is done by each city, village and town (municipal assessor, state-certified; no Wisconsin county currently has a county assessor). The city, village or town prepares the tax bill and collects the initial payment (local treasurer); payments made later in the year go to the county treasurer, and owners with unpaid prior-year taxes deal with the county treasurer.2—
Court recordsUnified state trial court: one level of circuit courts handles all case types (civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic) in all 72 counties; records are kept by the elected clerk of circuit court in each county (probate by the register in probate). Municipal courts handle local ordinance cases separately.3Clerk of circuit court: copies (certified or not) $1.25 per page; search without case number $14 (raised from $5 by 2025 Wis. Act 179 eff. 11-1-26); civil filing fee $130 (from $75, eff. 11-1-26) plus surcharges.4
Marriage recordsLicense: county clerk (any Wisconsin county). Completed marriage document is filed with a register of deeds within 3 days of the ceremony; certified copies from any register of deeds or the State Vital Records Office (DHS), records from October 1907.5$20 first certified copy; $3 each additional copy of the same record issued at the same time (state and register of deeds).6
Divorce recordsDivorce judgment/decree: clerk of circuit court in the county where granted. Certificate of Divorce (one-page summary): State Vital Records Office and registers of deeds.7$20 first copy; $3 each additional copy issued at the same time (Certificate of Divorce). Court decree copies: $1.25/page from the clerk of circuit court.8
Birth certificatesDHS Wisconsin Vital Records Office (state registrar), plus 72 county registers of deeds and the Milwaukee and West Allis city health offices as local vital records offices.9$20 first copy (certified or uncertified, long or short form); $3 each additional copy of the same record at the same time; $20 expedited service (statute). Mail searches by the state office: each search period has a $20 search fee and searching extra periods costs $20 each (nonrefundable). VitalChek adds its own fee.7
Death certificatesDHS Wisconsin Vital Records Office; county registers of deeds; Milwaukee and West Allis city health offices.7$20 first copy; $3 each additional copy at the same time; fee not refundable if no record found.10
Probate and willsRegister in probate of each county (appointed by the circuit judges); probate is a circuit court case type and appears on WCCA.11Copies of probate records $1/page; certificates $10; search without case number $14; estate filing fee $36 if property subject to administration is $18,500 or less, else 0.2% of value (amounts per 2025 Wis. Act 179 eff. 11-1-26).4

Public records law in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. ss. 19.31-19.39) Read the law12

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any requester; no identification or statement of purpose may be required (with narrow exceptions). "Requester" excludes committed or incarcerated persons except for records about themselves or their minor children.12
Response time
No fixed deadline: the authority must fill or deny the request "as soon as practicable and without delay" (s. 19.35(4)(a)). DOJ says 10 business days may be reasonable for a simple, limited request.12
Copy fees
Copies: actual, necessary and direct cost of reproduction unless another law sets the fee; location fee only if the location cost is $50 or more; actual mailing cost; prepayment may be required if the total exceeds $5; waiver or reduction allowed in the public interest (s. 19.35(3)). Court records and register of deeds records have their own statutory fees.12
If a request is refused
No administrative appeal. After a written request is denied or delayed, the requester may sue for mandamus, or ask in writing the district attorney of the county or the Attorney General to bring the mandamus action (s. 19.37(1)). Prevailing requesters get reasonable attorney fees, damages of not less than $100 and costs. Incarcerated persons must sue within 90 days of denial.12
What is exempt
Records are presumed open. Access is either absolutely required by statute/case law, absolutely barred by statute/case law, or decided by the common-law balancing test (public interest in disclosure vs. nondisclosure). Specific limits are in s. 19.36 and other statutes (e.g., ch. 69 vital records). Books and papers "required to be kept" by the sheriff, clerk of circuit court, register of deeds, county treasurer, register of probate, county clerk and county surveyor are open to any person under s. 59.20(3).13
Official guide
Wisconsin DOJ Office of Open Government: Wisconsin Public Records Law Compliance Guide (June 2025); the OOG also runs the Public Records-Open Meetings (PROM) help line.13

How to write a public records request

Property and tax records in Wisconsin

Who does what
Assessment is done by each city, village and town (municipal assessor, state-certified; no Wisconsin county currently has a county assessor). The city, village or town prepares the tax bill and collects the initial payment (local treasurer); payments made later in the year go to the county treasurer, and owners with unpaid prior-year taxes deal with the county treasurer.2
Appealing a value
Talk to the assessor at Open Book, then file a written objection with the municipal Board of Review (Board of Assessors first in Milwaukee/cities that have one). Appeal a BOR decision by certiorari to circuit court (s. 70.47(13)) or to DOR under s. 70.85 (not available in Milwaukee).2
Statewide lookup
No statewide tax-bill lookup; DOR offers statewide RETR (transfer return) property data search and a list of municipal assessors; parcel geometry via the Statewide Parcel Map.14

How this works in other states: property and tax records by state.

How Wisconsin organizes its records

  • Registers of deeds are local vital records offices: any of the 72 county registers of deeds can issue birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates that are enabled for statewide issuance, not just events in their own county9
  • Marriage licenses come from the county clerk (any county), not the register of deeds or the court5
  • Property assessment is municipal (cities, villages, towns), not county; no county assessor exists. First tax payments go to the local (municipal) treasurer2
  • Probate records are kept by the register in probate (appointed by the judges), separate from the elected clerk of circuit court11
  • Paired circuit courts: Buffalo/Pepin, Florence/Forest and Shawano/Menominee share judges3
  • Court fee increases under 2025 Wis. Act 179 took effect November 1, 2026 (search $14, will deposit $35, civil filing $130); county fee sheets may lag4
  • State tax warrants (liens) are filed with the clerk of circuit court, not the register of deeds15
  • No mandatory DBA registration; optional trade name registration with DFI16
  • DHS state vital records counter is closed to walk-ins (mail, VitalChek online/phone only; local offices still serve in person)9

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Wisconsin DOJ Crime Information Bureau (CIB), Centralized Criminal History (CCH) database (fingerprint-supported records).17
Online portal
Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS), recordcheck.doj.wi.gov17
Fee
Name-based check $7 (Wis. Stat. 165.82(1)(am)); $5 surcharge for paper results, so mail form DJ-LE-250 lists $12 for general public; police certificate (fingerprint) $20; DHS caregiver checks add $8; no fee for criminal justice purposes.18
Who may order
Anyone, for adult records (no subject consent needed); juvenile information not released unless authorized by statute.17

Sex offender registry

Official registry
wistaysafe.gov (Wisconsin DOC Sex Offender Registry; linked from doc.wi.gov home page)19
Restrictions
Registry generally covers persons convicted of, incarcerated for, or supervised for a sex offense on or after December 25, 1993 (Wis. Stat. 301.45, 301.46); users must accept conditions of use; misuse to harass or commit crimes is prohibited.19

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
DOC "Person in Our Care or Client Search" (offender locator) at appsdoc.wi.gov/lop, linked from the DOC home page.20
County jails
County jails are kept by each county sheriff (s. 59.27(1)), who must keep a register of all prisoners committed to the jail (s. 59.27(2)); contact the county sheriff. No official statewide county-jail roster found; VINE (vendor, linked by DOC) offers custody notification.1

Voter records

Public or restricted
Public: voter list data (name, address, voting history, absentee data) can be bought statewide through the WEC's Badger Voters site; no restriction on use. Date of birth, driver license and SSN are never released; confidential electors (s. 6.47) and protected judicial voters are excluded.21
Who holds it
Wisconsin Elections Commission (statewide WisVote list) sells data via badgervoters.wi.gov; fee $25 + $5 per 1,000 records (cap $12,500; minimum $30) under Wis. Stat. 6.36(6) and EL 3.50. Municipal clerks administer registration locally.21
Check your registration
MyVote Wisconsin, myvote.wi.gov/en-us/My-Voter-Info22

Business names (DBA)

DBA at the state
Optional: a DBA name can be registered as a trade name/trademark with DFI ($15 per name or design, 10-year term). Not required; DFI's list is only partial.23
Index
Free DFI trademark/trade name search (registrant name, description, number) via DFI online services; business entities via DFI Business Entity Search (dfi.wi.gov/apps/CorpSearch/Search.aspx).16

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate & Consumer Services, maintains the statewide UCC lien system; free online UCC search without an account at wims.dfi.wi.gov (paid UCC-11 and secured-party searches need a free account); UCC-11 search listing $7, copies $4 per financing statement, certification $10; electronic UCC-1 filing $10.24
Federal tax liens
Federal tax liens (Uniform Federal Lien Registration Act, s. 779.97): on real property, the register of deeds of the county where the land is; on personal property, DFI if the debtor is a corporation or partnership with its principal executive office in Wisconsin, a trust, or a decedent's estate; otherwise the register of deeds of the county where the person resides.25

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
Wisconsin Statewide Parcel Map (Wisconsin Land Information Program, DOA, with the State Cartographer's Office): V11 has 3.56 million parcels; download and web app at www.sco.wisc.edu/parcels/data.26

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Wisconsin Historical Society (Library & Archives in Madison plus Area Research Centers) holds pre-October 1907 state-level vital records on microfilm, with an online index; prints require an in-person visit. Also original naturalization records for 70 of 72 counties.27
Vital record indexes
Pre-1907 birth, death and marriage indexes searchable on the Wisconsin Historical Society website; the State Vital Records Office publishes no online indexes but allows in-person index research by appointment.27

Counties in Wisconsin

20 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 72 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.28

Warnings from official sources

  • Deed-copy mailers (Public Record Solicitation Law, Wis. Stat. 100.313) (Wisconsin DATCP Bureau of Consumer Protection)29
  • Paid removal of court case information (Wisconsin Court System (WCCA))30
  • Scam calls to registrants impersonating the Sex Offender Registry (Wisconsin Department of Corrections)19
  • VitalChek is the only DHS-linked online vendor and charges an extra fee (Wisconsin Department of Health Services)31

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Wisconsin office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 33 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Wis. Stat. ch. 59 Counties (incl. s. 59.20, 59.43 register of deeds fees)Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  2. 2026 Guide for Property Owners (PB-060, R. 1-26)Wisconsin Department of Revenue
  3. Circuit Court: Function & overviewWisconsin Court System
  4. Wis. Stat. ch. 814 Court Costs, Fees, and SurchargesWisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  5. Wis. Stat. ch. 765 MarriageWisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  6. Wis. Stat. ch. 69 Collection of Statistics (vital records, ss. 69.20-69.22)Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  7. Vital Records: Requesting a Vital RecordWisconsin Department of Health Services
  8. F-05282 Wisconsin Divorce Certificate ApplicationWisconsin Department of Health Services
  9. Vital RecordsWisconsin Department of Health Services
  10. F-05280 Wisconsin Death Certificate ApplicationWisconsin Department of Health Services
  11. Wis. Stat. ch. 851 Probate - Definitions and General Provisions (register in probate)Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  12. Wis. Stat. ch. 19 (subch. II Public Records and Property, ss. 19.21-19.39)Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  13. Wisconsin Public Records Law Compliance GuideWisconsin Department of Justice
  14. Real Estate Transfer Return (RETR) pageWisconsin Department of Revenue
  15. Delinquent Tax FAQsWisconsin Department of Revenue
  16. Trademarks Frequently Asked QuestionsWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
  17. Criminal Background ChecksWisconsin Department of Justice
  18. Form DJ-LE-250 Single Name Record Request (includes text of Wis. Stat. 165.82)Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau
  19. Wisconsin Public Sex Offender Registry (wistaysafe.gov) conditions of useWisconsin Department of Corrections
  20. Department of Corrections home pageWisconsin Department of Corrections
  21. Badger Voters FAQWisconsin Elections Commission
  22. MyVote Wisconsin homeWisconsin Elections Commission
  23. Trademark File OnlineWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
  24. UCC General InformationWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
  25. Wis. Stat. ch. 779 Liens (s. 779.97 Uniform federal lien registration act)Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
  26. Version 11 Statewide Parcel Map Database Project Final ReportWisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Intergovernmental Relations
  27. Family History CollectionsWisconsin Historical Society (state agency)
  28. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  29. Public Record SolicitationsWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
  30. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) home/termsWisconsin Court System (Director of State Courts)
  31. Vital Records: Application FormsWisconsin Department of Health Services
  32. Clerk of circuit court contact informationWisconsin Court System
  33. Wisconsin Municipal Assessors list (Assessor List R. 03-26)Wisconsin Department of Revenue