Wisconsin Criminal History Wisconsin Criminal History

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About Wisconsin Criminal History

Wisconsin criminal records are divided among statewide and local custodians. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Information Bureau holds the central criminal-history repository, while Wisconsin DOC maintains correctional and registry systems. Circuit court records originate in each of the state's 72 counties. Wisconsin Criminal History was created to make those lines clearer and help readers identify the official system or county office that holds the record they need.

Why We Built This Site

Public access in Wisconsin is broad, but record custody is split. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Law Enforcement Services, Crime Information Bureau (CIB) compiles the statewide criminal history used for official Wisconsin checks. Wisconsin DOC tracks people in state custody or supervision and administers the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access displays selected circuit court docket data. Arrest reports, booking records, jail rosters, and full case files remain local. The site brings the statewide routes together, then uses the county directory to connect readers with the sheriff, jail, or clerk in the county that owns the source record.

What You Will Find Here

  • County routes: a directory covering all 72 Wisconsin counties and their local record sites
  • Official check details: the differences among WORCS name checks, authorized fingerprint checks, and personal record review through Wisconsin DOJ / CIB
  • Record guides: how to find and interpret Wisconsin criminal court cases
  • Statewide systems: what CIB, Wisconsin DOC Offender Locator, the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, and WCCA each show
  • Record relief: Wisconsin's limited expungement process and the circuit court that handles an eligible case

What We Cannot Do

Wisconsin Criminal History is a privately operated reference site. It is not connected with Wisconsin DOJ, Wisconsin DOC, any Wisconsin court, or any local law-enforcement agency. Those boundaries mean the site cannot perform official government functions:

  • We cannot issue certified court documents, CIB responses, or official rap sheets
  • We cannot file an expungement request, public-records request, or court paper for a visitor
  • We cannot retrieve a record or conduct an official criminal-history check
  • We cannot interpret a specific charge or provide legal advice
  • We cannot promise that an agency's fee, contact detail, or procedure has not changed

An official copy must come from its Wisconsin custodian, such as CIB, the circuit court, or the county agency that created the source record.

Search Partners

Outside providers power some search boxes. Each provider controls its service, results, and prices. A paid signup reached through one of those tools may produce a referral fee that supports site operations. Wisconsin Criminal History does not control the provider's charges, records, matching methods, or result quality.