Walworth County, Wisconsin public records

In Walworth County, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds; property values come from Municipal assessors; court files are kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Voter records
11. Historical records
12. Good to know about Walworth County records
13. Office addresses, phones and hours
14. Records that are not online: public records requests
15. Questions people ask
16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
17. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Walworth County are recorded by the Register of Deeds.²

Online search

rodapps.co.walworth.wi.us/LandShark²

Years online

Computerized grantor/grantee index covers documents recorded since January 1966; tract index added July 2004²

Copy fee

$2 for the first page, plus $1 per each additional page of the same document³

Certified copy fee

Additional $1 per document for certificate³

Recording fee

$30; plats $50³

How to order

In person or by mail with required fees to Register of Deeds, 100 W. Walworth Street, P.O. Box 1001; mail orders usually processed that day or the next³

Title warning

Office cannot do title searches¹⁴

How deeds work in Wisconsin

Property values, owners and tax bills

Municipal assessors (Assessor Directory published by the county) sets property values⁴; the Treasurer bills and collects the tax⁶.

Property search

gisinfo.co.walworth.wi.us/oneview⁵

Tax bill search

ascent.co.walworth.wi.us/…⁵

Parcel map (GIS)

gisinfo.co.walworth.wi.us/oneview¹⁵

GIS: open data

open-walco.opendata.arcgis.com (free GIS data download)¹⁶

GIS: surveys

Plats of survey are free online³

GIS: custom maps

$60 per hour¹⁶

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).¹⁷

Tax due

In full to the municipality by January 31, or two installments: municipality by January 31 and County Treasurer by July 31¹⁸

Card fees

2.29% credit, 1.5% debit, $2.00 minimum; e-check $1.00¹⁸

How property tax works in Wisconsin

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees

Clerk 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.⁹

Criminal records and background checks

Which court

Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA), wcca.wicourts.gov - statewide public search of circuit court case summaries; case information is uploaded hourly.⁸

State check

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.¹⁹

Sheriff records

co.walworth.wi.us/…²⁰

Inmates

co.walworth.wi.us/…²¹

How Wisconsin courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the County Clerk.¹¹

Marriage license fee

$100.00 cash only²²

Appointments

By appointment only, 262-741-4241²³

Rules

Three-day wait; license valid 60 days²²

Certificates: coverage

Marriages statewide, October 1, 1907 to present¹⁰

Certificates: certified copy fee

$20; $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time¹⁰

Certificates: who may order

Direct and tangible interest, with current identification¹⁰

Certificates: how to order

In person (arrive by 4:15 p.m.), by mail, or online through VitalChek, the county's authorized partner¹⁰

Certificates: online fee

VitalChek service fee $10; expedited shipping $17.50 or more¹⁰

Wisconsin marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.⁷

Certificate: coverage

Divorce certificates statewide, January 1, 2016 to present; earlier from the Clerk of Courts where it occurred (Walworth: 262-741-7012)¹⁰

Certificate: certified copy fee

$20; $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time¹⁰

Certificate: who may order

Direct and tangible interest, with current identification¹⁰

Certificate: how to order

In person (arrive by 4:15 p.m.), by mail, or online through VitalChek, the county's authorized partner¹⁰

Certificate: online fee

VitalChek service fee $10; expedited shipping $17.50 or more¹⁰

Decree

Divorce 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.²⁴

Wisconsin divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Register of Deeds (Vital Records).¹⁰

Coverage

Births statewide, October 1, 1907 to present¹⁰

Certified copy fee

$20; $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time¹⁰

Who may order

Direct and tangible interest, with current identification¹⁰

How to order

In person (arrive by 4:15 p.m.), by mail, or online through VitalChek, the county's authorized partner¹⁰

Online fee

VitalChek service fee $10; expedited shipping $17.50 or more¹⁰

Ordering a Wisconsin birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Register of Deeds (Vital Records).¹⁰

Coverage

Deaths statewide, September 1, 2013 to present; earlier from the Register of Deeds where the death occurred¹⁰

Certified copy fee

$20; $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time¹⁰

Who may order

Direct and tangible interest, with current identification¹⁰

How to order

In person (arrive by 4:15 p.m.), by mail, or online through VitalChek, the county's authorized partner¹⁰

Online fee

VitalChek service fee $10; expedited shipping $17.50 or more¹⁰

Ordering a Wisconsin death certificate

Probate records and wills

Wills admitted and filed for safekeeping, letters and judgments¹³

Online search

wcca.wicourts.gov⁸

About this search

Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA), - statewide public search of circuit court case summaries; case information is uploaded hourly.⁸

Copy fee

$1 per page¹²

Certified copy fee

$3 per document plus $1 per page¹²

Search fee

$4¹²

Will safekeeping

$10¹²

Filing fee

2/10 of 1% of assets subject to probate, minimum $20¹²

State fees

Copies 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).⁹

Finding a will or probate case in Wisconsin

Voter records

Kept by the County Clerk.²¹

Lists

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.²⁵

Historical records

Earliest deed index

Grantor/grantee index begins in 1839²

Earliest vital

Earliest registration: births 1872, deaths 1872, marriages 1839²⁶

Tax plats

co.walworth.wi.us/…²⁷

Good to know about Walworth County records

• Register of Deeds keeps title documents for over 65,000 properties and processes over 20,000 real estate documents a year²⁸
• Tax parcel numbers begin with a municipal letter code in the county's Assessor Directory⁴
• Michele Jacobs holds both Clerk of Circuit Court and Register in Probate / Probate Registrar titles¹³
• Scanned historical tax plats are archived and no longer maintained²⁷

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

co.walworth.wi.us/337/Open-Records³¹

Request form

co.walworth.wi.us/…³¹

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Wisconsin with a full guide: Brown County, Dane County, Dodge County, Eau Claire County, Fond du Lac County, Jefferson County, Kenosha County, La Crosse County, Manitowoc County, Marathon County, Milwaukee County, Outagamie County, Ozaukee County, Racine County, Sheboygan County, St. Croix County, Washington County, Waukesha County, Winnebago County. Every county in the state: Wisconsin county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 32 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. Real Estate RecordsWalworth County, Wisconsin
3. Register of Deeds FeesWalworth County, Wisconsin
4. Assessor DirectoryWalworth County, Wisconsin
5. Parcel InformationWalworth County, Wisconsin
6. TreasurerWalworth County, Wisconsin
7. Clerk of circuit court contact informationWisconsin Court System
8. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) home/termsWisconsin Court System (Director of State Courts)
9. Wis. Stat. ch. 814 Court Costs, Fees, and SurchargesWisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau)
10. Vital RecordsWalworth County, Wisconsin
11. County ClerkWalworth County, Wisconsin
12. Register in Probate FeesWalworth County, Wisconsin
13. Register in ProbateWalworth County, Wisconsin
14. Register of Deeds FAQWalworth County, Wisconsin
15. Land Information DivisionWalworth County, Wisconsin
16. GIS Products & FeesWalworth County, Wisconsin
17. 2026 Guide for Property Owners (PB-060, R. 1-26)Wisconsin Department of Revenue
18. Pay TaxesWalworth County, Wisconsin
19. Form DJ-LE-250 Single Name Record Request (includes text of Wis. Stat. 165.82)Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau
20. Request for Records (Rev 1023.1)Walworth County, Wisconsin
21. Walworth County homeWalworth County, Wisconsin
22. Marriage License Application InstructionsWalworth County, Wisconsin
23. Marriage LicenseWalworth County, Wisconsin
24. Vital Records: Requesting a Vital RecordWisconsin Department of Health Services
25. Badger Voters FAQWisconsin Elections Commission
26. Vital Records: In-Person ResearchWisconsin Department of Health Services
27. Historical Tax PlatsWalworth County, Wisconsin
28. Register of DeedsWalworth County, Wisconsin
29. Clerk of Circuit CourtWalworth County, Wisconsin
30. Sheriff's OfficeWalworth County, Wisconsin
31. Open RecordsWalworth County, Wisconsin
32. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau