Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. Wisconsin Criminal History does not retain or record those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email may be kept as long as needed to respond and maintain the related correspondence. Messages remain within the site team unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Page requests can automatically provide ordinary technical and usage details:
- Page-view dates and timestamps
- The referring website, when available
- Visited pages and approximate time spent on them
- Browser name and version
- Device category and operating system
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved on a device. They help show, in aggregate, which pages receive traffic and where visits end. Analytics providers assist with that measurement. Browser controls can block cookies, although doing so may change how some site functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Maintaining performance, availability, and page speed
- Measuring which content is useful or needs improvement
- Routing a submitted query to the selected search partner
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Wisconsin Criminal History does not keep, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. Its content identifies official sources such as the Wisconsin DOJ Crime Information Bureau, Wisconsin DOC, the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, Wisconsin courts, and custodians across all 72 counties. Visitor data is not compiled into consumer reports or dossiers about other people, and the site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the site's search boxes. Information submitted to a box is governed by that company's privacy policy. The partner, not Wisconsin Criminal History, decides how long to keep it and whether to share it. Review those terms before running a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Wisconsin agencies, court portals, county sheriffs and clerks, legal-aid organizations, or outside search services. Once a visitor follows a link, the destination's privacy policy controls. Check it before providing personal information.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select targeted ads.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal information is not sold. Limited data may be available to:
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
- Advertising networks that serve ads
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and site performance
- Search partners processing queries submitted to their tools
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used safeguards protect collected data. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, however, so Wisconsin Criminal History cannot promise that unauthorized access will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If information from a minor is identified, it may be reported for deletion.
Your Data Rights
Rights can depend on where a visitor lives and which law applies. The Wisconsin Public Records Law, Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31-19.39, governs records held by Wisconsin authorities, while Wis. Stat. § 165.83 defines DOJ's criminal-history repository duties. Neither statute turns this private site's visitor data into a government criminal-history record. Visitors may still:
- Object to certain forms of data processing
- Request deletion of personal data, when applicable
- Ask to correct inaccurate personal information
- Request a copy of personal information held about them
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as site practices change. An updated version will appear here with a replacement effective date, so visitors should review the page periodically.
Effective date: August 11, 2026