WI public records are available for the general public to access. The exception is cases that are sealed, expunged, family court cases involving termination of parental rights, adoption cases, and other cases that are not in accordance with the WI public records open records law.
Searching for Public Records
To search for public records in Wisconsin, individuals have the option to access the WI Criminal Registry database. This is a centralized system that is used by the courts, law enforcement, and other government agencies. Searching for WI public records is separate from performing a criminal background check in Wisconsin.
To perform a WI background check you would need to access the criminal database portal online and submit a request along with payment for the background check. Searching for public records can be done through the online portal or by visiting a WI circuit county courthouse and is available free of charge.
Most of the information that is found when completing a public records search is found on a background check. However, a background check will include arrest information and allows individuals to confirm the identity of the person that the search is being performed on.
How to Access WI Public Records
If you wish to access public records, you can visit the Wisconsin courts government portal and search for court cases filed in the state of Wisconsin. This includes civil, criminal. Traffic, probate, and family court cases that are filed in one of the 72 circuit county courthouses.
You can also visit your nearest county courthouse and access the public terminals to search and view court cases that are filed within that specific county. If you are looking for arrest records in the state of Wisconsin, you will need to contact the Wisconsin Criminal Information Bureau. The CIB will be able to verify if a citation was issued, an arrest was made, and/or a case was filed for events that occurred in the state of Wisconsin.
The county jail provides information for current arrests, inmates currently incarcerated, as well as for individuals that have been released. This option will only provide information for that county. If you need to access information for other counties, you will need to perform a statewide search.
There is an online portal that allows the public to search for statewide court cases and arrest records. If you are unsure of what county the arrest was made or the court case was filed, you have the option to perform a statewide search to locate WI public records.
Questions About WI Public Records
Public records are maintained by the Wisconsin Crime Information Bureau. If you have questions that are directly related to a public record, you can contact the CIB for assistance. If you have questions related to court cases filed in the state of Wisconsin, you will need to contact the official record keeper for the case. This would be the clerk of the court’s office in the county where the case was filed. To access other information related to the public records search, you can access the following link https://www.wicourts.gov/.