How to search Wisconsin court records

Wisconsin runs a single statewide case-lookup system, so one search — with the name spelled correctly — reaches courts across the entire state. There's no charge and no account required — results are visible to anyone who searches.

statewide free criminal data

Open the official Wisconsin portal →

What's actually there

WCCA (CCAP) is free, statewide, and one of the most complete open systems in the US.

Other official lookups for Wisconsin

• DOC offender locator

How Wisconsin's courts are organized

Wisconsin's trial courts are the circuit courts, organized by the state's 72 counties. The court system's circuit forms cover civil, criminal, family, probate, small claims, juvenile, guardianship and mental commitment cases, all of which start in circuit court. Appeals go to the Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court. Wisconsin also has local municipal courts, which the court system lists separately from the circuit courts.

All 72 circuit courts use the court system's own case management software from the Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP), which is why one statewide search can reach every county.

Using Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA)

WCCA, found under Case Search on wicourts.gov, is open to anyone with internet access and shows public information on circuit court cases from every county. It is built from the open-record portions of the case information each county enters in CCAP. People without internet access can use WCCA on computers at each county courthouse.

WCCA is a summary, not the full court file. The court system says CCAP does not have to put everything in a public case file online, so filed documents usually have to be requested from the clerk. Appellate cases are in a separate site, WSCCA, which has appeal dockets from about 1993 and copies of most briefs filed since July 1, 2009.

• Not on WCCA: records closed by law, such as juvenile cases under chapters 48 and 938 and guardianship proceedings; mental health commitment proceedings are also confidential
• Paternity records are confidential before adjudication
• Display periods are limited: under the court's own form, a criminal case can be taken off WCCA once it has displayed more than two years after an acquittal or dismissal, and a dismissed small claims case after two years

Getting copies and certified copies

Ask the clerk of circuit court in the county where the case was filed. Under the court system's fee tables (updated September 2, 2026), regular copies from the clerk of court cost $1.25 per page under Wis. Stat. 814.61(10)(a), and a certified copy is $5 to certify plus $1.25 per page. Probate records come from the register in probate, who charges $1.00 per page and $3 to certify.

Briefs and records in appeals can be requested from the Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

Records that are not public

Wisconsin's expungement law, Wis. Stat. 973.015, is narrow. A judge can order expungement only at sentencing, and only for someone under 25 at the time of the offense whose crime carries a maximum of six years or less. Some Class H and I felonies, violent felonies and listed sex offenses are excluded. The record is expunged once the person successfully completes the sentence, with no new conviction and no probation revocation.

There is no general statute expunging dismissed or acquitted cases, but the court system's form GF-184A (Request to Correct Court Records) asks for a criminal case to stop displaying on WCCA when it has shown for more than two years after an acquittal or dismissal. Records not confidential by law can only be sealed by court motion under Wis. Stat. 801.20. For your own situation, talk to a lawyer or use the self-help pages on wicourts.gov.

Tip: do not mistake a missing case for a clean record

Because dismissed criminal cases can be taken off WCCA after two years, and confidential case types never appear, an empty WCCA result is not proof that someone never had a case. WCCA also covers circuit courts only, so local municipal court matters may need a call to that municipal court. If it matters, contact the clerk of circuit court in the county.

Sources

• Wisconsin Court System — Case search (WCCA)
• Wisconsin Circuit Court Access
• Wisconsin Court System — CCAP
• Wisconsin Court System — Confidential records list
• Wisconsin Court System — Circuit court fee tables (Sept 2, 2026)
• Wisconsin Court System — Form GF-184A, Request to Correct Court Records
• Wisconsin Court System — Court Public Information Resources
• Wis. Stat. 973.015 (expungement)
• WSCCA — Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case access

Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.

Federal cases filed in Wisconsin

State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.

Search tips

• Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
• Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
• A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
• An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search Wisconsin court records online?

Yes. Wisconsin's statewide search is free to use, with no account or subscription required.

Does this include criminal records?

Yes. Wisconsin's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.

Does one search cover the whole state?

Wisconsin runs one statewide system, so a single search covers the whole state.

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