Public Records
Background Checks
- Caregivers / Guardians
- Caregiver Background & Criminal History Checks (WI Dept. of Health Services)
- Caregiver Background Checks (WI Legislative Reference Bureau, 2000)
- Law
- Court Records
- Criminal Records
- Agencies
- Forms
- Fingerprint Record Removal Request (WI Dept. of Justice)
- Record Check Forms (WI Dept. of Justice)
- Criminal Forms & Guides from Wisconsin Counties (WI State Law Library)
- How Do I Obtain a Copy of My Criminal Record?
- Background check and criminal history information (WI
Crime Information Bureau)
Information for criminal and background checks through agencies. - State Contact for Background Checks (WI Dept. of Justice)
- Delinquent Taxes
- WI Delinquent Taxpayers (WI Dept. of Revenue)
- WI Delinquent Taxpayers (WI Dept. of Revenue)
- Employment
- Employment background checks: a jobseeker's guide (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse)
- Employment Background Checks (Federal Trade Commission)
- Public Records
Court Records
- Wisconsin
- Municipal Courts
- Circuit Courts
- Circuit Court Access (Wisconsin Court System)
Search WI criminal & civil circuit court records. - Circuit Court Forms (Wisconsin Court System)
- Protecting information in court records (WI Court System)
- Public access to court records (WI Legislative Council)
- Access to Court Records and Genealogy (WI Register in Probate Assoc.)
- Forms from Wisconsin Counties (WI State Law Library)
- Circuit Court Access (Wisconsin Court System)
- Appellate Courts
- Court Records (WI Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access)
Provides access to the status of appeals. Includes appeals considered "Open" from 1993-to date.
- Court Records (WI Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access)
- WI SCR 72 "Retention and Maintenance of Court Records"
- Federal
- PACER
Obtain case & docket information from federal circuit, district, and bankruptcy courts.
- PACER
- Privacy and Public Access to Court Records Resource Guide (National Center for State Courts)
Public Records
- Agencies
- Opinions
- On Point Case Summaries (2010-) (WI State Public Defender)
- Directories & Databases
- BRB's Free Resource Center
Federal, state, county & city websites where public records information can be accessed for free. - Search Systems: Public Record Databases $
- BRB's Free Resource Center
- Forms
- Sample Public Records Documents (WI Dept. of Justice)
- Municipal Records
- Historical Municipal Records (WI Secretary of State)
- Public Records Access in WI (WI Dept. of Administration)
- Public Records Legal Captions (League of Wisconsin Municipalities)
Legal opinions since 1997 with notes and comments written by League staff attorneys. - Public Records Resources (WI Dept. of Justice)
Includes select Attorney General opinions, sample letters, and educational materials. - Wisconsin Public Records Law, Wis. Stat. ss. 19.31-19.39: Compliance Outline (WI Dept. of Justice)
Birth, Death, Marriage, & Divorce Records
- Agencies
- Wisconsin
Vital Records Office (WI Dept. of Health Services)
Information & forms for obtaining copies of birth, death, marriage & divorce records.
Your county may also have forms specific to this topic. See Forms by County or contact your county's Register of Deeds. - Family History Research (WI Historical Society)
- Wisconsin
Vital Records Office (WI Dept. of Health Services)
- HeritageQuest Online (BadgerLink)
Compilation of genealogical and historical sources, including census and cemetery records, directories, and more. - Online Searchable Death Records & Indexes
- Social Security Death Index (Ancestry.com)
Contains a listing of persons who had a Social Security number, who are deceased, and whose death was reported to the Social Security Administration - Where to Write for Vital Records (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Gender Change
- Changing birth certificate sex designations (Lambda Legal) 50 state survey of laws.
- Vital Statistics
- National Vital Statistics
System (National Center for Health Statistics)
Publications include: Vital Statistics of the United States - Vital Statistics (WI Dept. of Health Services)
Includes statistics on births, deaths, marriages, domestic partnerships, life expectancy.
- National Vital Statistics
System (National Center for Health Statistics)
County Resources
Recommended links from our County Resources database:
Legal Assistance
- LIFT Wisconsin
Provides a legal tune up tool to search public data and help users resolve civil legal issues, fill out forms, and resolve issues with background check, criminal court records, and eviction court records.
- LIFT Wisconsin
Related Topics
- Federal Law
- Freedom of Information
- Indigenous Peoples Law
- Legal Assistance
- Other States Law
- Pardons etc
- Privacy Law
- Public Records & Open Meetings
- Wisconsin Law
Library Resources
- Access to Government in the Computer Age
- Contract Sunshine Act, Government Accountability Board
- Public Record Research Tips Book
- Sourcebook to Public Record Information
- Wisconsin Public Records & Open Meetings Handbook
- Wisconsin Public Records Law Wis. Stat. 19.31-19.39: Compliance Outline