Start here: Wisconsin criminal cases are searchable statewide
Wisconsin is easier to search than many states because public circuit-court case information from all Wisconsin counties is available through one statewide system: Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA), commonly referred to as CCAP. WCCA can help you find felony, misdemeanor and criminal-traffic cases, charges, court events, judgments and dispositions. But WCCA is a case-information system, not a public online library of the actual circuit-court documents. If you need the criminal complaint, judgment, sentencing document, motion, transcript or certified copy, the county Clerk of Circuit Court usually becomes the next step.
WCCA, CCAP and WSCCA: what each Wisconsin court term means
These names are often used interchangeably online, but they describe different parts of Wisconsin’s court-record system.
WCCA
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access is the public statewide website used to search Wisconsin circuit-court case information.
CCAP
Consolidated Court Automation Programs operates Wisconsin court technology and case-management systems. People often casually call WCCA “CCAP.”
WSCCA
Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access is the public system for Wisconsin appellate cases.
Search Wisconsin criminal court cases with WCCA
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) provides statewide public access to circuit-court case information.
The Wisconsin Court System says anyone with internet access can view public statewide circuit-court case information through WCCA. Public access is not limited to one county.
Open official Wisconsin WCCA Wisconsin Courts case-search hubCommon WCCA search fields
- last name
- first name
- middle name
- date of birth
- county
- case number
- business name where relevant
- advanced case-type filters
- filing-date filters
- other advanced identifiers where available
How to search a Wisconsin criminal court case step by step
Open the official WCCA website
Use the Wisconsin Court System’s WCCA portal rather than a commercial public-record site when your goal is the official statewide court docket.
Accept the public-access terms
WCCA displays an access agreement explaining that online information is provided for public use and has limitations.
Search by party name or case number
Enter the defendant’s name or the exact circuit-court case number. A case number is normally the most precise search method.
Narrow the jurisdiction
Select a Wisconsin county when you know where the prosecution was filed. Leaving the search statewide is useful when the county is unknown.
Filter for criminal case types
Wisconsin criminal case searches commonly use CF for felony, CM for misdemeanor and CT for criminal traffic.
Open the matching case
Verify the defendant, county, DOB where shown, filing date and case number before assuming a result belongs to the person you searched.
Read the charges and disposition
Review the outcome of each charge rather than treating the original allegation as proof of conviction.
Contact the county Clerk when you need documents
WCCA gives public case information, but general public users do not receive the underlying circuit-court documents through the WCCA website.
Wisconsin criminal case types: CF, CM and CT
Knowing the case-type code can make a statewide search much faster.
Criminal Felony
Wisconsin circuit-court felony cases use the CF case type.
Criminal Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor prosecutions use the CM case type.
Criminal Traffic
Criminal traffic matters use the CT case type.
How to read a Wisconsin criminal docket
WCCA can show much more than whether a case exists. A case page can contain party information, charges, court record events, attorneys, judgments or dispositions and, where applicable, sentencing information.
| Docket field | What it generally means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | The unique circuit-court case identifier within the county. | County, filing year and criminal case type. |
| Filing date | Date the criminal matter was opened in circuit court. | Do not confuse the filing date with the alleged offense date. |
| Charge | The offense alleged by the prosecution. | Check later amendments and the final disposition. |
| Severity | Felony, misdemeanor or another classification. | A charge can be amended to a different offense. |
| Plea | How the defendant responded to a charge. | A plea and a final judgment are not always the same event. |
| Court record event | A chronological entry showing hearings, filings, orders and other case activity. | Read the later entries for the current posture. |
| Disposition | How a particular charge ended. | Conviction, dismissal, acquittal or another resolution. |
| Sentence | Court-ordered consequences after an applicable conviction. | Confinement, probation, fines and other conditions may be listed separately. |
| Case status | Whether the case remains open or has reached judgment/disposition. | Post-judgment activity can still occur after a case shows as closed. |
Understanding Wisconsin circuit-court case numbers
A Wisconsin circuit-court criminal case number typically combines the filing year, a two-letter case-type code and a sequential number.
Example: 2026CF000123
Filing year
The year the circuit-court case was opened.
Case type
In this example, CF identifies a felony prosecution.
Sequence
The case’s sequential number within that county and case type.
The same numerical sequence can exist in another county, so the county remains an important part of identifying the correct Wisconsin case.
WCCA does not give the public Wisconsin circuit-court documents online
This is one of the most important Wisconsin-specific facts to understand.
The Wisconsin Court System explains that WCCA displays information about parties, dates, filings, orders and other case activity, but the public WCCA website does not display or sell the underlying circuit-court documents.
If you want documents such as a:
- criminal complaint
- information
- judgment of conviction
- sentencing order
- motion
- court order
- public exhibit
- other non-confidential filing
contact or visit the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the case was filed.
Case information
Parties, charges, case events, court dates, judgments, dispositions and other public docket information.
Actual documents
Public filings and other eligible court documents can be inspected or copied through the local courthouse.
Why an old dismissed Wisconsin criminal case can disappear from WCCA
Wisconsin makes an important distinction between how long a court record is retained and how long the case is displayed on WCCA.
Under the Wisconsin Court System’s WCCA display policy, a criminal case is removed from online WCCA display after two years when every charge in the case was dismissed or resulted in acquittal.
This is also why a background search based only on today’s WCCA results should not be described as a complete historical Wisconsin criminal-record search.
How to find the correct Wisconsin Clerk of Circuit Court
Wisconsin has 72 counties, and the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the case was filed is the practical source for local circuit-court documents and certified copies.
The Wisconsin Court System maintains a statewide circuit court and county court website directory .
Wisconsin criminal court copy and certification fees
Wisconsin publishes statewide circuit-court fee tables. The fee schedule updated July 13, 2026 currently lists the following Clerk of Court copy charges:
| Service | Current fee | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Clerk of Court copy | $1.25 per page | Standard copy of an eligible court document. |
| Certified Clerk of Court copy | $5 + $1.25 per page | $5 certification charge plus the ordinary copying cost. |
The Wisconsin fee table cites Wis. Stat. § 814.61 for these circuit-court Clerk charges.
Check current Wisconsin circuit court feesA Wisconsin court transcript is different from the WCCA docket
A docket tells you that a hearing occurred. It does not automatically contain a written word-for-word transcript of that hearing.
Wisconsin’s appellate transcript instructions explain that a person seeking a transcript should identify the court reporter who made the record of the proceeding and make payment arrangements directly with the reporter.
Docket event
Shows that a hearing, trial, sentencing or another court event occurred.
Transcript
Written verbatim record prepared from the proceeding by the appropriate reporter.
Digital recording
Some Wisconsin courtrooms use digital audio recording equipment where appropriate.
Search Wisconsin criminal appeals with WSCCA
If a criminal judgment was appealed, use Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access (WSCCA) .
WSCCA provides public information on appeals filed with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The Clerk’s Office states that searches can use information such as:
- appellate case number
- trial-court case number
- litigant name
- attorney name
Appellate briefs
WSCCA says electronically filed briefs are available for filings made on or after July 1, 2009. Non-eFiled briefs from cases decided on or after July 2009 are also available as Wisconsin continues adding scanned material.
Older briefs may require the Wisconsin State Law Library, the appellate Clerk’s Office or historical databases.
Search Wisconsin appeals Search Court of Appeals opinionsWisconsin appellate record copy fees
Wisconsin’s current Court of Appeals electronic payment page lists the following appellate record-copy charges:
| Service | Current amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copy fee | $0.40 per page | Contact the appellate Clerk’s Office first to determine the total. |
| Document certification | $1.00 | Listed as an appellate court certification fee. |
| Certified-document page surcharge | +$0.25 per page | Additional amount compared with an ordinary furnished copy. |
| Closed/off-site file retrieval | $2.50 | Applies when the relevant appellate file must be retrieved. |
Appellate fees can change. Obtain an invoice or current copy amount from the Clerk of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals before paying.
Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Clerk’s Office
The Clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals is the official recordkeeper for Wisconsin’s appellate courts.
Office of the Clerk of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals
110 East Main Street, Suite 215P.O. Box 1688
Madison, WI 53701-1688
Phone:
608-266-1880
Office hours:
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except state holidays
The map is loaded lazily so it does not block the article’s initial page rendering.
Wisconsin municipal court cases are not the same as criminal prosecutions
Wisconsin municipal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations where the penalty is a forfeiture. The Wisconsin Court System describes these matters as non-criminal municipal ordinance violations.
Common municipal court matters include:
- traffic violations
- parking
- first-offense OWI
- underage alcohol violations
- municipal disorderly conduct
- trespass ordinances
- building-code violations
- other local ordinance cases
If a municipality does not have a municipal court, an ordinance violation can instead be heard in circuit court.
Wisconsin municipal courts directoryWisconsin juvenile court records have separate access rules
Wisconsin juvenile delinquency matters are governed by Chapter 938 of the Wisconsin Statutes and do not have the same public access as ordinary adult criminal cases.
Wisconsin provides specific forms for requesting inspection of juvenile court records, including JD-1738A, Request to Inspect Juvenile Court Records.
Sealed Wisconsin court records and WCCA
Wisconsin courts can seal court information in limited circumstances. When a sealing order applies, the information can also be prevented from appearing on WCCA or courthouse public-access terminals as required by that order.
Wisconsin’s court guidance emphasizes that courts should seal or redact only the amount of information necessary to satisfy the reason for the restriction.
Wisconsin expungement and what happens to WCCA
Wisconsin criminal expungement is limited and is not the same thing as simply requesting that an inconvenient case disappear from the internet.
Wisconsin Statute § 973.015 generally allows a circuit court, in qualifying circumstances, to order at sentencing that a conviction will be expunged after successful completion of the sentence.
Important eligibility concepts include:
- the person was under age 25 when the offense was committed
- the offense satisfies the statutory penalty limitation
- the court grants expungement eligibility at sentencing
- the sentence is successfully completed
- other statutory restrictions do not make the offense ineligible
When a court record is properly expunged, the WCCA display is affected accordingly. Expungement should not be confused with the separate two-year WCCA display rule for cases where every charge was dismissed or resulted in acquittal.
Wisconsin court formsHow to correct inaccurate Wisconsin court information
If the problem is an error in the circuit-court record itself, Wisconsin provides Form GF-184A, Request to Correct Court Records.
That form is used to ask the Clerk of Court to correct a court record.
Wisconsin also provides special forms for situations involving identity theft or mistaken identity, including a petition concerning sealing a defendant’s name from court records.
Wisconsin court correction formsWisconsin DOJ criminal-history records are different from WCCA
If you need a Wisconsin criminal-history check rather than a court docket, use the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS) operated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Information Bureau.
Court case information
Court filings, criminal charges, docket events, disposition, sentence information and other public circuit-court data.
Criminal-history record
Wisconsin DOJ’s statewide Criminal History Record Information from the state’s Centralized Criminal History database.
Wisconsin DOJ says its Centralized Criminal History database includes fingerprint-supported information involving arrests, prosecutions, court findings, sentences, DNA registrations and certain Department of Corrections admissions and releases.
Do you need a WORCS account?
A member of the public can currently submit an ordinary name-search request through the public-access side of WORCS without first registering for a user account. Registered users receive additional account-management features.
WORCS requires payment for public adult criminal-history searches. Because search fees and specialized fingerprint/FBI components can change, confirm the amount displayed by WORCS before submitting the request rather than relying on an old third-party fee listing.
How long are WORCS results available online?
The current WORCS system says previously submitted results remain available online for six months from the submission date.
Open Wisconsin DOJ WORCSWhat if a Wisconsin criminal-history result belongs to the wrong person?
Wisconsin DOJ specifically warns users not to assume that a returned name-based criminal record belongs to the person being searched.
Name searches can encounter:
- common names
- aliases
- fraudulent identities
- similar dates of birth
- records connected to a master name
- mistaken identity
Challenge process
A person who believes Wisconsin DOJ criminal-history information belongs to another person or is inaccurate can use the DOJ criminal-history challenge process.
For mistaken identity, Wisconsin DOJ says a challenge can include:
- Wisconsin Criminal History Challenge Form DJ-LE-247
- completed FD-258 fingerprint card
- full name
- date of birth
- sex and race
- fingerprinting official information
Wisconsin criminal records and employment decisions
Public access to a WCCA case does not mean an employer may use the information without considering Wisconsin employment law and any applicable federal background-reporting rules.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development explains that state law protects people from employment discrimination based on arrest or conviction record in certain circumstances. An employer can rely on qualifying conviction information when the circumstances of the offense are substantially related to the circumstances of the job.
Wisconsin court-record search tips that save time
Start statewide
WCCA covers Wisconsin circuit courts statewide, so it is useful even when you do not know the county.
Then narrow by county
County filtering is especially useful for common names.
Use DOB cautiously
DOB can help distinguish records, but always compare multiple identifying details.
Filter CF, CM and CT
Use felony, misdemeanor and criminal-traffic case-type codes to remove unrelated results.
Read each count separately
Different charges in the same case can have different dispositions.
Do not expect documents in WCCA
Once you identify the case, contact the county Clerk for actual public filings.
Old dismissal missing?
A fully dismissed or acquitted criminal case may stop displaying on WCCA after two years.
Use WSCCA for appeals
A circuit-court docket and an appellate docket are separate records.
Save the exact case number
It speeds up courthouse copy, transcript and appellate searches.
Check municipal court separately
A municipal ordinance case is not necessarily a Wisconsin criminal prosecution.
WCCA is not a DOJ background check
Use WORCS when your actual task is Wisconsin criminal-history information.
Verify the final outcome
Never describe a person as convicted simply because the original charge appears online.
When a Wisconsin case search returns no result
A zero-result WCCA search can have several explanations.
Other possibilities include a sealed case, an expunged record, data-entry differences, a matter outside Wisconsin or a record that was never a Wisconsin circuit-court criminal case.
Wisconsin criminal court records: frequently asked questions
1. What is the official Wisconsin criminal court case search?
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, commonly called WCCA or CCAP, is the official statewide public search for Wisconsin circuit-court case information.
2. Is WCCA the same thing as CCAP?
Not exactly. CCAP stands for Consolidated Court Automation Programs, which operates Wisconsin court technology and case-management systems. WCCA is the public website used to access statewide circuit-court case information. The public often uses “CCAP” as a nickname for WCCA.
3. Can I view Wisconsin criminal complaints and judgments directly on WCCA?
General public users can view case information on WCCA, but Wisconsin Courts says the WCCA website does not display or sell the underlying circuit-court documents. Public documents can generally be inspected or copied through the courthouse in the county where the case was filed.
4. What do CF, CM and CT mean in Wisconsin court records?
CF means criminal felony, CM means criminal misdemeanor and CT means criminal traffic. These case-type codes can be used to narrow WCCA searches.
5. Why did an old dismissed Wisconsin criminal case disappear from WCCA?
Wisconsin’s WCCA display policy removes criminal cases from online display after two years when every charge was dismissed or resulted in acquittal. The underlying court record may still be retained longer and can require contacting the county Clerk.
6. How much does a Wisconsin certified criminal court copy cost?
The Wisconsin circuit-court fee table updated July 13, 2026 lists ordinary Clerk copies at $1.25 per page and certified Clerk copies at a $5 certification fee plus $1.25 per page. Confirm the final amount with the county Clerk before ordering.
7. How do I find a Wisconsin criminal appeal?
Use Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access, or WSCCA. It provides public appellate case information and generally includes appeals considered open from the end of 1993 forward.
8. Is WORCS the same as WCCA?
No. WCCA is a court-case information system. Wisconsin DOJ’s WORCS is a criminal-history background-check system using records maintained by the Crime Information Bureau.
9. Are Wisconsin municipal court cases criminal records?
Not necessarily. Wisconsin municipal courts have jurisdiction over non-criminal municipal ordinance violations where the penalty is generally a forfeiture. Similar conduct may be charged differently depending on the law and court involved.
10. What should I do if a Wisconsin court or DOJ record belongs to the wrong person?
For an error in a court record, Wisconsin provides Form GF-184A to request correction through the court. For a Wisconsin DOJ criminal-history false match, the Crime Information Bureau provides a criminal-history challenge process that can include fingerprint comparison.
Official Wisconsin sources and search portals
Court systems, fees and access rules can change. Verify important information through the government source that actually maintains the record.
- Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA)
- Wisconsin Court System — Case Search
- Wisconsin Court System — Consolidated Court Automation Programs
- Wisconsin Circuit Courts and County Court Websites
- Wisconsin Circuit Court Fee Tables
- Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access (WSCCA)
- Clerk of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals
- Wisconsin Court of Appeals Opinions
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Opinions
- Wisconsin Municipal Courts
- Wisconsin Juvenile Court Information
- Wisconsin DOJ — Criminal Background Checks
- Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS)
- Wisconsin DOJ — Reading a Criminal Record
- Wisconsin DOJ — Incorrect Criminal History Information
- Wisconsin DOJ — Challenging a Criminal History Record
- Wisconsin DWD — Arrest and Conviction Record