| Clerk of Circuit Court | Dane County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Dane County Courthouse, 215 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703-3285 (Clerk of Courts, Room 1000; Court Records office, Room 1002; Register in Probate, Room 1005) |
| Phone | Clerk of Courts (608) 266-4288; Court Records fax (608) 267-8859 (phone requests not accepted); Probate Court (608) 266-4331 |
| Hours | Court Records office and Probate Court: 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Law Library walk-in service: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $1.25 per page (Wis. Stat. § 814.61(10)(a)) |
| Certified copy fee | $1.25 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee per document (Wis. Stat. § 814.61(10)(a) and § 814.61(5)(am)) |
Dane County, home to Madison, keeps its circuit-court records with the Dane County Clerk of Courts at the City-County Building on South Hamilton Street. The office processes felony, civil, and family case filings, manages the jury system, and directs the public to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) for online case lookups rather than running its own separate search tool.
Probate matters — estates, guardianships, and mental commitments — go through the Register in Probate, a distinct office in the same courthouse (Room 1005) with its own phone line and case coordinator. The clerk of courts' site includes a dedicated probate section with forms and an "Answering Your Questions About Probate" guide, which is useful before filing or requesting a probate record.
As with the rest of Wisconsin, WCCA is free and does not require an account, but it will not show juvenile, most family-case detail, or sealed and expunged records — those require contacting the clerk or register directly.
Search Dane County court records online
Clerk of Circuit Court
Dane County Clerk of Courts
- Cost
- Free case search on WCCA; per-page fee for copies
- Coverage
- Circuit-court felony, civil, and family case records for Dane County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Directs the public to WCCA ("Lookup A Court Case") for online case searches; in-person and mail copy requests go through this office.
Other courts
Dane County Register in Probate
- Cost
- Free case search on WCCA; per-page fee for copies
- Coverage
- Probate, guardianship, and mental-commitment case files
- Records
- Probate
Located in Room 1005 of the Dane County Courthouse; publishes probate forms and a plain-language probate guide.
What is available online
WCCA covers Dane County circuit-court case summaries, party names, and docket entries. Document images are not comprehensive online; for a specific filed document, request it from the clerk of courts or the Register in Probate. Court records can also be requested by email at Dane.courtrecords@wicourts.gov.
Which clerk has your record
In Wisconsin, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Wisconsin page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits and small claims | Clerk of Circuit Court of the county (probate and related matters held by the Register in Probate) |
| Municipal Courts | Municipal ordinance violations; Non-moving and moving traffic citations issued within city or village limits; Local forfeiture actions | Municipal court clerk for that city or village |
Request records in person or by mail
Dane County clerk offices
Dane County Courthouse, 215 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703-3285 (Clerk of Courts, Room 1000; Court Records office, Room 1002; Register in Probate, Room 1005)
Phone: Clerk of Courts (608) 266-4288; Court Records fax (608) 267-8859 (phone requests not accepted); Probate Court (608) 266-4331
Hours: Court Records office and Probate Court: 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Law Library walk-in service: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Civil, criminal, and family records. Request in person at the Court Records office, 215 S. Hamilton St., Room 1002, Madison, WI 53703-3285, or by mail, fax (608) 267-8859, or email to Dane.courtrecords@wicourts.gov; phone requests are not accepted. Include your name and contact details, the case number (or the party names and approximate filing year), the specific documents, and whether you need a certified copy. The office publishes its fees: $1.25 per page for copies, $5.00 per document for certification, $15.00 plus $1.25 per page for exemplified copies, and $5.00 per name for a search without a case number. Requests over $5.00 are invoiced and filled once payment arrives, typically within 1–10 business days.
Probate records. Contact the Register in Probate at Room 1005 in the same courthouse. Appointments are encouraged for in-person probate business.
Confirm current per-page and certification fees before mailing payment, since fee schedules can change.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $1.25 per page (Wis. Stat. § 814.61(10)(a)) |
| Certified copy | $1.25 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee per document (Wis. Stat. § 814.61(10)(a) and § 814.61(5)(am)) |
Wis. Stat. § 814.61(10)(a) sets $1.25 per page for "copies, certified or otherwise" of any court document without its own specific fee. The $5.00 certificate fee comes from § 814.61(5)(am), and county clerks (Dane, Winnebago, Kenosha, and Marathon among them) publish it as a $5.00-per-document charge on top of the per-page copy fee. A records or file search when you cannot supply a case number is $5.00 under § 814.61(11), rising to $14.00 on November 1, 2026 under 2025 Wis. Act 179. Exemplified (triple-seal) copies are commonly $15.00 plus the per-page fee. Register in Probate offices follow a separate fee section, so confirm probate copy fees with that office.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Wisconsin court records are public under the state's open-records law, Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31–19.39, but several categories are removed from public view:
The Wisconsin guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a Dane County court case?
Use the "Lookup A Court Case" link on the Dane County Clerk of Courts site, which goes to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) at wcca.wicourts.gov. It is free and does not require registration.
Who handles probate in Dane County?
The Dane County Register in Probate, located in Room 1005 of the Dane County Courthouse, separate from the Clerk of Courts' civil, criminal, and family divisions.
Can I request Dane County court records by email?
Yes. The clerk of courts accepts record requests at Dane.courtrecords@wicourts.gov in addition to in-person and mail requests.
Are Dane County family case records fully visible on WCCA?
No. WCCA shows case activity and docket entries, but many family-case documents and all juvenile records are excluded from public view by statute. Contact the clerk of courts for what is not online.
Sources
- Dane County Clerk of Courts — https://courts.danecounty.gov/
- Dane County Clerk of Courts — Probate — https://courts.danecounty.gov/Prepare/Probate
- Dane County Clerk of Courts — Request Court Records — https://courts.danecounty.gov/Resources/Court-Records
- Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) — https://wcca.wicourts.gov/
- Wisconsin Court System — Court system overview — https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/overview/overview.htm
- Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Access (WSCCA) — https://wscca.wicourts.gov/
- Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS) — https://recordcheck.doj.wi.gov/
- Wisconsin Department of Justice — Criminal Background Checks — https://www.wisdoj.gov/Pages/CriminalJusticeServices/criminal-background-check.aspx
- Wisconsin Statutes § 814.61 — Fees of the clerk of circuit court — https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/814/ii/61/1
- Wisconsin Statutes § 814.61(10) — Copies — https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/814/ii/61/10
- Wisconsin Statutes § 814.61(5) — Certificates, judgments, and other filings — https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/814/ii/61/5
- Wisconsin Court System — Circuit court clerk contact information — https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/clerkcontact.htm
- Wisconsin Statutes § 973.015 — Special disposition (expungement) — https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/973/015
- Wisconsin Statutes ch. 19, subch. II — Public Records — https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/19/ii
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin — https://www.wied.uscourts.gov/
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin — https://www.wiwd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Wisconsin counties.