Wisconsin’s open records law allows individuals to obtain and inspect court cases and arrest records on others for employment, rental prospect, and/or personal reasons. This includes all convictions and non-convictions.
What is considered Wisconsin public court record?
Public court records are considered to be anything that is not expunged, sealed, or involves a minor. These records can be anything pertaining to an arrest, traffic citation, civil lawsuit, or register of deeds. These court cases are ones that are filed in circuit courts, the Supreme court, the court of appeals, and municipal courts.
Where can I obtain Wisconsin public court record?
Obtaining or accessing public records or court documents can be done online, by mail, or in person. Each county clerk’s office provides public terminals that allow individuals to access the Wisconsin Court System website. This website can also be accessed remotely by anyone with internet access.
If you obtain documents in person, you have access to a county clerk if you need assistance researching the public records.
Do I have to pay for a copy of a Wisconsin public court record?
Depending on how you access copies of public records will determine if you would need to pay for these records. If you perform a search with Wisconsin Crime Information Bureau and request a background check you will need to pay a fee. Information regarding their fees and charges can be found on their website.
Accessing public records remotely allows you to make as many copies as you need without having to pay a fee. However, if the copies need to be certified or official, you would need to go through the courts, and you are charged a processing fee for research, making copies, and having the copies certified.
Obtaining copies through the courthouse can be done through a public terminal, at no charge. However, if you make a request in person that is fulfilled by a clerk, you would need to pay a fee for the copies.
Requesting court records
There are several options available to you when it comes to requesting court records. The only exception is making a phone request. Those requests are not accepted by the courts. You would need to complete the form online, mail a request to the courthouse, or send an email to the records department of the county courthouse.
However, the most recommended way to request court records is through the Wisconsin Court System website. The website is user-friendly and will provide the information that needs to be included when submitting a request for court records.
You need to contact the clerk of court in the county where the case was originally filed. They are considered the custodian of records. If you do not know the county where the case originated from, you will need to pay a research fee for a court clerk to help you locate the information. You can also found this information by accessing the records through the court system’s website and looking for the county where the case was filed.