Wisconsin Public Records

The State of Wisconsin provides access for people who are seeking various types of records or information through a variety of websites. Some of these sites allow an individual to order documents directly through the site, while others give you a form to print, sign and return with funds in order to obtain a particular record.

Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services restricts access to certain records due to privacy and identity theft concerns. You may apply for birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate or divorce record by mail, in person or by fax, but not over the internet.

If you prefer counter service, the office is located at:

Wisconsin Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson Street, Room 158
Madison, Wisconsin
Telephone: (608) 266-1373

If you plan to apply by mail, you need to include copies of your identification, the proper form, the required fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. You will then address the application to the appropriate department. The mailing address differs slightly than the physical address:

P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309

Driving History

You can obtain a copy of your driving record through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The site allows you to order your record online (you will need a credit card) or mail your application in. You can also attend for counter service if you need your record in a hurry.

Property Records

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue provides IPAS (Integrated Property Assessment System) so that the public can access property information online. For more detailed and specific property information, you can navigate to the individual county website where the property is located. A list of Wisconsin counties and their websites is listed here.

Court Records

The Wisconsin Court System has a Circuit Court Access website that you can enter to conduct a search for a specific case. If the records are not visible on the site or do not show up in a search, then they are not publicly accessible. You must agree to the terms of the site as well as agree to certain limitations in order to enter the site. You can search by court level and then by case name. If you have a court file number and county, you can find what you are looking for much more quickly.

Criminal Record Checks

You can obtain your Wisconsin Criminal History Background Check at this site but you will need to set up an account first. This is for your own safety and to ensure that anyone accessing criminal histories is permitted to do so.

Registered Sex Offenders

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections maintains a Sex Offender Registry located here. You can access this site to search for an offender based on name or location. When you conduct a search by name you will receive a list of sex offenders both incarcerated and not incarcerated. If you search by location, you will receive a list of sex offenders who are residing in Wisconsin communities.