Wisconsin Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

Q: Does WCCA let me download the full criminal court file?

Generally no. WCCA provides case information, while underlying case documents and transcripts are obtained through the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the case was filed.

Q: Why did a dismissed Wisconsin criminal case disappear from WCCA?

Wisconsin court policy limits the online display period for certain fully dismissed or acquitted felony and misdemeanor cases. The courthouse record can still exist after it is no longer displayed on WCCA.

Q: Can I use WORCS without creating an account?

Yes. WORCS allows an unregistered public user to submit a background request. The order reference number from the receipt is needed to retrieve the result later.

Q: Does Wisconsin DOJ criminal history include every police or court record?

No. Wisconsin DOJ states that its criminal-history database may not contain all information maintained by local police departments, Wisconsin courts or federal agencies.

Wisconsin official criminal-records guide

Choose the right Wisconsin record source before you search

Wisconsin criminal records are spread across several official systems. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA)—often called “CCAP”—shows statewide public circuit-court case information, while the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s WORCS system provides adult criminal-history background checks. Local police and sheriffs maintain arrest and incident records, county clerks keep the official court files, and the Department of Corrections maintains prison and community-supervision information.

Coverage: All 72 Wisconsin counties Information checked: September 23, 2026 Primary sources: Wisconsin Courts, DOJ and DOC

Fast answer: Use WCCA when you want to find a Wisconsin criminal court case. Use WORCS when you want a Wisconsin DOJ adult criminal-history record check. Use the county sheriff or police department for recent arrest or booking records, and use the Wisconsin DOC locator for people in state custody or under DOC supervision.

Find a criminal court case Felony, misdemeanor and criminal-traffic case information statewide.

Use WCCA →

Run a DOJ background check Wisconsin adult criminal-history information through WORCS.

Use WORCS →

Recent arrest / police record Request from the arresting or investigating agency.

Go local →

Find a jail or prison record County jail custody and Wisconsin DOC records use different systems.

Custody guide →

Get the actual court document Contact the county Clerk of Circuit Court for pleadings, orders and certified copies.

Copy guide →

Which Wisconsin agency has the criminal record you need?

“Criminal record” can refer to a court file, DOJ criminal-history report, arrest report, jail booking, probation record or prison record. These are not interchangeable.

Wisconsin Courts

Circuit-court case

Use WCCA for public statewide circuit-court case information such as parties, charges, hearings, court events, judgments and dispositions.

County Clerk

Official court documents

The Clerk of Circuit Court is the official custodian of the local case record and is the right source for pleadings, orders, transcripts and certified copies.

Wisconsin DOJ

Criminal-history check

The Crime Information Bureau maintains Wisconsin’s fingerprint-supported Centralized Criminal History database and WORCS public background-check system.

Sheriff / Police

Arrest and incident records

The arresting or investigating agency normally maintains booking, incident, arrest and investigative records.

County Jail

Local custody

County detention records are local. Wisconsin does not use one DOC search as a replacement for all county-jail rosters.

Wisconsin DOC

Prison / supervision

DOC provides public information about people in Wisconsin state custody or on DOC community supervision.

An arrest or criminal charge is not the same as a conviction. Always review the final disposition before concluding how a case ended.

Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA): the statewide case search

The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website provides free public access to statewide circuit-court case information.

Many people call the website “CCAP,” but technically CCAP is the court automation program that supports the statewide case-management system. The public-facing case-search site is WCCA.

Useful distinction: WCCA is court-case information. WORCS is a Wisconsin DOJ criminal-history background-check system. A complete research process may require both.

Open Wisconsin Circuit Court Access

How to search Wisconsin criminal cases in WCCA

Open WCCA and accept the terms

The public case-search site begins with an access agreement explaining the limits of online case information.

Choose Simple or Advanced Search

Simple Search works for ordinary name-based research. Advanced Search is more useful when you want to limit results by county or case type.

Enter the defendant’s name carefully

Try the legal first and last name. If the name is common, use additional filters and verify the date of birth or other displayed identifying information.

Narrow to criminal case types

The primary Wisconsin criminal case categories include felony, misdemeanor and criminal-traffic cases.

Open the case details

Review charges, court events, disposition, sentence information and financial obligations rather than stopping at the initial charge.

Best search habit: if you know the county and case number, use them. That can avoid confusion between people with similar names.

What WCCA does—and does not—show

WCCA can show

public circuit-court case information;
party information;
charges and citations;
court dates;
case events;
orders entered on the docket;
judgments and disposition information;
financial obligations where public.

WCCA generally does not give you

a downloadable copy of the complete court file;
police investigative reports;
every arrest known to Wisconsin DOJ;
county-jail booking history;
federal criminal cases;
confidential or sealed records;
every juvenile record.

WCCA is not the official paper/electronic court file. Wisconsin courts explain that WCCA displays case information, but the underlying pleadings, transcripts and court documents are obtained from the courthouse in the county where the action was filed.

Why a dismissed Wisconsin case may disappear from WCCA

One of Wisconsin’s most important online-record nuances is the difference between the court record itself and the length of time that information remains displayed on the public WCCA website.

Wisconsin court policy shortened the internet display period for criminal felony and misdemeanor cases when all charges were dismissed or resulted in acquittal. Current Wisconsin court training guidance states that dismissed or acquitted misdemeanor and felony cases are not included in WCCA after approximately two years from disposition.

That does not automatically mean the court record was destroyed. The underlying record can remain subject to court-retention rules and may still be available through the Clerk of Circuit Court.

If a case you previously saw on WCCA has disappeared, contact the clerk in the county where the case was filed before assuming that no record exists.

Wisconsin criminal case-type codes you may see

Criminal Felony

Used for felony-level criminal cases filed in Wisconsin circuit courts.

Criminal Misdemeanor

Used for misdemeanor criminal prosecutions.

Criminal Traffic

Used for traffic-related matters that are criminal rather than simple civil forfeitures.

FO / TR

Forfeiture / traffic

These can involve noncriminal ordinance or traffic matters and should not automatically be described as criminal convictions.

Do not label every court entry “criminal.” Wisconsin municipal ordinance violations and many forfeiture matters are noncriminal even though they can involve conduct that resembles a criminal offense.

How to get Wisconsin criminal court documents and certified copies

The official custodian of a Wisconsin circuit-court file is the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the case was filed.

Wisconsin has 72 counties, and every county provides access to public circuit-court records through its clerk’s office.

1 Find the WCCA case Note the county, case number and party name.

2 Find the county clerk Use the Wisconsin Court System clerk directory.

3 Specify the document Ask for the judgment, complaint, order, docket entry or other known record.

4 Ask about certification If you need an official copy, state that before paying.

Find a Wisconsin Clerk of Circuit Court

Courthouse WCCA provides more access

Wisconsin courts state that the public can use courthouse WCCA terminals in every county. Those terminals provide statewide case information and access to qualifying documents for cases within that county.

Older document missing online? Write down the WCCA case number and contact the local clerk instead of assuming the document no longer exists.

Wisconsin DOJ criminal background checks through WORCS

The Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS) is operated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Information Bureau. Anyone may request adult Wisconsin criminal-history record information after paying the applicable fee.

The DOJ’s Centralized Criminal History database can contain fingerprint-supported:

arrest information;
charge information;
prosecutor information;
court findings;
sentencing information;
DOC admission/release notices;
other qualifying Wisconsin criminal-history data;
associated aliases and identification information.

WORCS is not guaranteed to contain every record held elsewhere. Wisconsin DOJ expressly states that its records may not include all information maintained by local police departments, courts or federal agencies such as the FBI.

Open Wisconsin WORCS

Wisconsin WORCS fees and request options

Wisconsin law requires DOJ to charge for most noncriminal-justice criminal-history searches.

Request type	Current amount	Important detail
General online criminal-history query	$7	Wisconsin statutory criminal-history query fee.
Paper-result surcharge	$5	Wisconsin law adds a surcharge when paper results are requested.
Mail-in general public request	$12	Current DOJ DJ-LE-250 form reflects the search plus paper-result cost.
Caregiver WORCS check	$15	Includes the DOJ query plus the governmental findings component.
Police Certificate by mail	$20	Current DOJ form requires fingerprint material for this request type.

Fees can change. Confirm the current amount in WORCS or on the latest Wisconsin DOJ form before submitting payment.

Do you have to register?

No. WORCS currently allows an unregistered public user to submit a background request. If you do not create an account, save the order reference number shown on your receipt because you need it to retrieve the result later.

Results are only stored online for a limited time. WORCS currently says background-check results remain available through the online result system for six months.

Wisconsin DOJ background-check guide

How to read a Wisconsin DOJ criminal-history result correctly

Wisconsin DOJ strongly warns users not to assume that a name-based result automatically belongs to the person they searched.

WORCS matching can use combinations such as:

exact date of birth;
exact last name;
exact first initial;
Social Security number when supplied;
aliases associated with fingerprint-supported records;
other identifying data in the criminal-history file.

What is a “Master Name”?

Wisconsin DOJ uses the term Master Name for the name first associated with a person’s fingerprint-supported criminal-history record. That name may not always be the person’s true legal name because people can use aliases or fraudulent identifying information.

Same name does not equal same person. DOJ states that even a matching name and date of birth can return a record belonging to someone else. Fingerprints are a much stronger identity test.

How Wisconsin DOJ says to read a record

What to do if a Wisconsin criminal-history record is wrong

Wisconsin DOJ provides a formal challenge process for mistaken identity, false matches, incorrect charges and missing or incorrect disposition information.

Identify the exact problem

Determine whether the issue is mistaken identity, an incorrect charge, missing disposition, incorrect disposition or another error.

Get supporting court records

For a dismissal or corrected disposition, obtain the relevant court document—preferably a certified copy—from the Clerk of Circuit Court.

Use Wisconsin DOJ form DJ-LE-247

Complete the Wisconsin Criminal History Challenge form and explain specifically what information you believe is incorrect.

Submit fingerprints for identity disputes

Mistaken-identity and false-match challenges require an FD-258 fingerprint card so CIB can compare your prints against the record being challenged.

No DOJ challenge fee: Wisconsin DOJ currently does not charge a fee to submit a criminal-history challenge, although the local agency taking your fingerprints may charge its own fee.

Wisconsin Unique Personal Identification Number (WiUPIN)

If a fingerprint comparison proves that a criminal-history record belongs to another person with a similar identity, Wisconsin DOJ can issue a WiUPIN. The WiUPIN can be included in future searches to help exclude the successfully challenged record.

Wisconsin DOJ challenge instructions

Wisconsin arrest reports, booking records and police records

WCCA and WORCS do not replace the records maintained by the local law-enforcement agency that handled an arrest or investigation.

1 Identify the agency Police department, county sheriff, State Patrol or another agency.

2 Identify the event Provide date, location, report number and names when known.

3 Request the record Use that agency’s Wisconsin public-records request procedure.

4 Expect lawful redaction Confidential, protected or legally restricted information may be withheld.

Recent arrest? The county sheriff or police department can sometimes have booking or custody information before the associated circuit-court case is easy to locate online.

How Wisconsin public-records requests work

Wisconsin’s Public Records Law is primarily found in Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31–19.39. It provides public access to qualifying records maintained by Wisconsin governmental authorities.

For a state-agency request, send the request to the agency that actually holds the record. For a local arrest or incident report, that is usually the sheriff, police department or other law-enforcement authority involved.

Make the request specific enough to locate the records. Identify dates, report numbers, locations, people involved and the category of record when possible.

Wisconsin DOJ public-record requests

Wisconsin DOJ says no special form is required to submit a DOJ public-records request. Requests can be made through its online form, email, telephone or mail.

DOJ states that it responds to requests as soon as practicable and without delay.

Wisconsin DOJ Office of Open Government

Public-record request contact

Email: opengov@wisdoj.gov
Phone: 608-267-2220

Office of Open Government
Wisconsin Department of Justice
P.O. Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707-7857

Wisconsin DOJ public-record request

Wisconsin county jail and booking searches

Wisconsin county jails are generally operated locally, primarily by county sheriff departments. There is not one Wisconsin DOC jail roster that replaces every county’s booking or inmate system.

If someone was arrested recently:

identify the county where the arrest occurred;
open the official county sheriff website;
look for jail, inmate, booking or custody information;
call the jail if no online roster is provided;
search WCCA separately for the related court case.

Wisconsin VINE: Wisconsin DOC identifies the statewide VINE service as a county-jail notification resource. It can be useful for custody-status notifications but should not be confused with the official court record.

Wisconsin DOC offender and supervision information

The Wisconsin DOC Offender Locator provides public information about convicted people who are in DOC custody or under DOC community supervision.

State custody

Adult prison records

Search people currently associated with Wisconsin’s state correctional system.

Community corrections

Probation / parole / supervision

DOC also manages community supervision, including probation, parole and extended supervision.

Not a county jail

Local detention is separate

A county detainee may need to be searched through the local sheriff rather than DOC.

Wisconsin DOC

Central Office

3099 East Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53704

Main: 608-240-5000
Adult custody questions: 608-240-5104
Community supervision: 608-240-5300

Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry

Wisconsin DOC maintains the state’s public Sex Offender Registry. The public search can be used to find specific registrants and can support geographic searches by municipality, ZIP code or proximity.

Search Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry

Registry scope is limited. The registry identifies people subject to Wisconsin registration requirements. It is not a list of everyone ever arrested, investigated or charged with a sex-related offense.

Wisconsin municipal-court records are usually not criminal convictions

Wisconsin municipal courts have jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations, not ordinary state criminal prosecutions.

Common municipal-court matters include:

traffic citations;
first-offense OWI;
parking violations;
underage alcohol matters;
ordinance disorderly conduct;
trespass;
building-code violations;
other municipal forfeiture cases.

Do not call every municipal judgment a criminal record. Wisconsin court guidance describes municipal ordinance cases as noncriminal. For example, a first-offense OWI can be handled as an ordinance matter, while later OWI offenses can become criminal circuit-court cases.

Wisconsin municipal-court directory

Wisconsin criminal appeals: WSCCA and appellate opinions

A criminal case can continue after the circuit-court judgment. Wisconsin’s appellate system includes the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

Use Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access (WSCCA) for public appellate case information.

1 Find the circuit case Start with WCCA and note the circuit-court case number.

2 Check for appeal Open WSCCA and search the appellate case information.

3 Review briefs / documents Many qualifying appellate filings are available through WSCCA.

4 Read the opinion Search published and unpublished Court of Appeals decisions when relevant.

WSCCA generally includes appeals that were considered open from the end of 1993 forward. Electronically filed briefs are generally available for filings made on or after July 1, 2009, subject to public-access restrictions.

Appellate record custodian

Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals

110 East Main Street, Suite 215
Madison, WI 53703

Phone: 608-266-1880
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except state holidays.

Appellate copies

Current listed appellate copy fees

Wisconsin’s appellate ePayment pages currently list $0.40 per page for copies and an additional $0.25 per page for certified documents.

Wisconsin criminal-record expungement is narrower than many people expect

Wisconsin Statute § 973.015 allows qualifying adult convictions to be expunged in limited circumstances.

In general, Wisconsin courts have explained that eligibility can require:

the person was under age 25 when the offense was committed;
the offense carried a maximum imprisonment term of six years or less;
the court determined expungement eligibility at sentencing;
the person successfully completed the sentence;
the offense was otherwise legally eligible;
the court found the disposition appropriate.

Wisconsin expungement does not automatically erase the DOJ criminal-history record. Wisconsin case law and DOJ guidance distinguish expungement of the court record from removal of fingerprint-supported criminal-history information maintained by DOJ.

Dismissed or acquitted arrest information

Wisconsin DOJ provides a separate Fingerprint Record Removal Request (DJ-LE-250B) for qualifying arrest information.

DOJ lists examples that can potentially qualify for removal, including:

released without charges;
not prosecuted by the district attorney;
dismissed by a court;
acquitted by a court.

Each removal request is reviewed individually, and those examples do not guarantee eligibility.

Wisconsin DOJ removal guidance Wisconsin criminal court forms

Federal criminal records in Wisconsin

Federal criminal cases are separate from Wisconsin circuit-court and DOJ systems. Wisconsin has two federal judicial districts:

Eastern District

Eastern District of Wisconsin

Federal cases from the eastern portion of Wisconsin are searched through PACER or reviewed through the federal clerk’s office.

Eastern District case information

Western District

Western District of Wisconsin

The Western District provides PACER access and states that its online criminal case records date back to September 1991.

Western District PACER information

If you do not know which federal district handled the case, use the nationwide PACER Case Locator.

PACER Case Locator

Wisconsin Department of Justice location

Wisconsin DOJ’s headquarters are in the Risser Justice Center in Madison. Criminal-history requests themselves should still follow the current WORCS or Crime Information Bureau mail instructions rather than assuming walk-in processing.

Wisconsin DOJ

Risser Justice Center

17 W. Main Street
Madison, WI 53703

Crime Information Bureau record checks:
608-266-7314
Current CIB hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Mail record checks

Crime Information Bureau

Record Check Unit
P.O. Box 2688
Madison, WI 53701-2688

Use the latest DOJ form and include the payment and return-envelope requirements shown on that form.

Using Wisconsin criminal records for employment requires extra care

Wisconsin DOJ specifically warns employers that Wisconsin law can restrict discrimination based on arrest or conviction records.

DOJ explains that an employer may generally rely on a conviction record only when the circumstances of the offense are substantially related to the circumstances of the particular job, subject to applicable law.

Do not make an employment decision from a WCCA name match alone. Name-based searches can identify the wrong person, and Wisconsin DOJ instructs employers to notify applicants of their right to challenge the accuracy and completeness of criminal-history information before a final adverse decision.

Wisconsin DOJ notice to employers

Wisconsin criminal-record search tips that save time

Tip 1

“CCAP” usually means WCCA

People commonly call the public court site CCAP, but WCCA is the actual statewide public circuit-court search.

Tip 2

Use WCCA and WORCS for different purposes

WCCA shows court cases; WORCS searches Wisconsin DOJ criminal-history records.

Tip 3

Case missing online? Ask the clerk

Some dismissed or acquitted cases age off WCCA even while courthouse records remain.

Tip 4

Need the complaint? Go to the county

WCCA does not provide ordinary public downloading of circuit-court case documents.

Tip 5

Recent arrest? Check the sheriff first

Local jail or arrest information may appear before a court search is useful.

Tip 6

Municipal does not always mean criminal

Wisconsin municipal courts handle noncriminal ordinance cases.

Tip 7

Compare identity details

A same-name result can belong to someone else. DOJ explicitly warns about false matches.

Tip 8

Use WiUPIN after a successful challenge

A WiUPIN can help prevent a known false-match record from appearing in future searches.

Tip 9

Check the appeal

A circuit-court judgment may later be changed, affirmed or reversed on appeal.

Wisconsin criminal records: frequently asked questions

1. Is Wisconsin CCAP the same as WCCA?

CCAP is the Wisconsin court system’s Consolidated Court Automation Programs. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, or WCCA, is the public website used to search statewide circuit-court case information. People often use “CCAP” informally when referring to WCCA.

2. Can I search Wisconsin criminal court cases for free?

Yes. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access provides free public online access to statewide circuit-court case information.

3. Does WCCA let me download the full criminal court file?

Generally no. WCCA provides case information, but Wisconsin courts direct users to the courthouse in the county where the case was filed for underlying case documents and transcripts. Courthouse WCCA also provides broader local document access.

4. Why did a dismissed Wisconsin criminal case disappear from WCCA?

Wisconsin court policy limits how long certain fully dismissed or acquitted felony and misdemeanor cases remain displayed online. The courthouse record can still exist even after the case is no longer displayed on WCCA.

5. How much does a Wisconsin DOJ criminal-history search cost?

The statutory general online criminal-history query fee is currently $7. Wisconsin law adds a $5 surcharge for paper results, and the current mail-in general-public form therefore lists $12. Special request types can have different fees.

6. Can I use WORCS without creating an account?

Yes. WORCS allows an unregistered public user to submit a request. Save the order reference number from the receipt because it is required to retrieve the result later. Online results are currently available for six months.

7. Does Wisconsin DOJ criminal history include every police or court record?

No. Wisconsin DOJ warns that its criminal-history database may not contain everything held by local police departments, Wisconsin courts or federal agencies. The database is primarily built around fingerprint-supported criminal-history submissions.

8. How do I correct a Wisconsin criminal-history record that belongs to someone else?

Use Wisconsin DOJ’s criminal-history challenge process and form DJ-LE-247. Mistaken-identity challenges require fingerprints. A successful identity challenge can result in issuance of a Wisconsin Unique Personal Identification Number, or WiUPIN.

9. Does Wisconsin expungement erase a DOJ criminal-history record?

Not automatically. Wisconsin expungement primarily concerns the court record. Wisconsin DOJ maintains separate fingerprint-supported criminal-history records, and removal of arrest information follows separate statutory and DOJ procedures.

10. Do Wisconsin criminal-record searches include federal cases?

No. Federal criminal cases are separate from Wisconsin state circuit-court and DOJ records. Wisconsin has Eastern and Western federal districts, and federal electronic case records are generally accessed through PACER.