In the state of Wisconsin, criminal records are considered to be available to the general public for inspection. The state has an open records policy, which means that those who wish to gather information from public records can do so. There is no limitation on who can do so. In most situations, access to these records is restricted to only family members or the individual, but waivers can also help to speed up the process of gathering records. Individuals applying for jobs in the state may be required to sign such a waiver to allow for a background check.

In most cases, though, Wisconsin criminal records are free to the public for searches. Though some searches can take a longer period to conduct, most information is available through databases stored and maintained by various government agencies. All juvenile records (those for individuals under the age of 18) remain sealed to the public. All adult criminals that are tried in Wisconsin court will have a criminal file available for inspection. To obtain copies of any record, individuals will need to contact the proper authority in requesting this information.

The most common resource is the Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is responsible for maintaining, collecting and distributing required criminal records and other matters related to the enforcement of laws in the state. It handles all investigations related to violent crimes, handgun purchase violations, organized crime and all types of criminal activity throughout the state. More specifically, for Wisconsin criminal records searches, individuals should contact the following location for additional information.

Wisconsin Department of Justice

Division of Criminal Investigation

608 266-1671

For those that need to obtain Wisconsin criminal records, it is a good idea to contact local law enforcement as well. If there is a particular incident in which an individual wishes to gather information police files will contain this information in the city or county it occurred in, depending on which court had jurisdiction of the information. However, it is more common for individuals to seek out criminal records based on a person's full history rather than an incident-by-incident report.

It is possible to use the Department of Justice website to conduct a search of all criminal records in the state based on a person's identifying information. It will be necessary to have the full legal name of the individual, date of birth, address and/or Social Security number to use this database. There is also a fee for most searches. That nominal fee is $13 in most cases and it is an administrative related fee. Individuals will need to search with as much information as possible to find the proper records.

For those who have Wisconsin criminal records that are inaccurate or do not contain proper information or identification, it is possible to contact the Department of Justice for a form to remove this information. To do so, call 608 266-1221. It is also possible to file this type of complaint with the local reporting office for that information.

• Wisconsin Crime Reports & Statistics

• Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Search