How to Search Dane County Court Records
The main tool for a Dane County court records search is Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, known as WCCA. It is the free statewide site for circuit court case information. You can search by party name, business name, case number, county, case type, citation number, filing date, offense date, or attorney. Select Dane County to narrow your results. WCCA shows case summaries, not every document in the file. For full documents, certified copies, or older files, you contact the Dane County Clerk of Circuit Court Record Center instead.
Before you start, gather what you know. A correct case number is the fastest path. A full name with a date of birth helps for criminal searches and common names. The Dane County Court Records page notes that a criminal index runs online from about 1984 forward, while civil years vary by case type.
The Dane County Clerk of Courts website links out to WCCA, court fees, forms, and the judge directory. A quick look at the home page shows how the office is organized.
The official Clerk of Courts site is the local starting point at courts.danecounty.gov.
From that home page you can reach the Record Center, the fee schedule, and the forms library in a few clicks.
Use these steps for a typical WCCA search:
- Open WCCA at wcca.wicourts.gov or through the Wisconsin Court System case search page.
- Pick a search mode: party name, business name, or case number.
- Select Dane County to limit the results to local cases.
- Type the last name and first name, or the business name. Add a date of birth where it is legally visible.
- Open the case summary to view parties, charges, hearings, and financial entries.
- Request a certified copy from the Record Center if you need an official document.
WCCA exposes a set of search fields. The table below lists the ones most users need.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last name | Text | Used for person search | Use correct spelling; add middle name for common names. |
| First name | Text | No | Narrows a party search. |
| Date of birth | Date | No | Helps tell apart criminal defendants; some show "Date of Birth Sealed." |
| Business name | Text | No | Used instead of person fields for a company. |
| County | Dropdown | No | Select Dane to limit results; statewide is also available. |
| Case number | Text | No | Search by exact case number. |
| Citation number | Text | No | Advanced filter for traffic and forfeiture tickets. |
The same search works on desktop and phone, but long case histories are easier to read on a larger screen. More detail lives on the Dane County court records page.
The Dane County Judicial System
Wisconsin has one main trial court, and that is the Circuit Court. The Dane County Circuit Court handles felony and misdemeanor crimes, civil suits, family cases, probate, small claims, and traffic or forfeiture matters. Above it sits the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Dane County falls in District IV, which is based in Madison. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the top court in the state. Below the Circuit Court, municipal courts handle city and village ordinance cases, parking, and many local traffic citations.
Dane County Circuit Court is large. It has 17 branches, each with its own judge, room, and phone line. Judges rotate case assignments under a plan that changes August 1 of odd-numbered years, so the judge on one case type today may shift later.
Case flow: Municipal Court › Circuit Court › Court of Appeals › Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Highest state court | Reviews lower decisions; limited original jurisdiction |
| Wisconsin Court of Appeals (District IV) | Intermediate appellate | Reviews circuit court rulings |
| Dane County Circuit Court | General trial court | Criminal, civil, family, probate, small claims, traffic |
| Municipal courts | Local lower courts | Ordinance, parking, many local traffic cases |
The two trial-level courts split work in clear ways. The short comparison below helps you pick where a case belongs.
| Circuit Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|
| State law crimes and civil suits | City or village ordinance cases |
| Records held by the Clerk of Circuit Court | Records held by the issuing municipality |
| Searchable on WCCA | Often not on WCCA |
The full branch list, with judges and room numbers, is on the Dane County Circuit Court page.
Dane County Courthouses
The Dane County Courthouse is the working home for circuit court records. It stands at 215 South Hamilton Street in Madison, near Capitol Square. The Clerk of Circuit Court public counter is Room 1000. The Record Center, where files are pulled, is Room 1002. Probate is Room 1005. The Law Library and Legal Resource Center is Room L1007. Court hours run 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, except on posted holidays.
The Contact Us page lists the main phone, fax, and closure dates. It is worth a look before any in-person trip.
That same official contact page repeats the public counter hours and lists the records email used for requests.
Clerk of Circuit Court
Dane County Courthouse, Room 1000
215 S Hamilton St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-4311
Mon–Fri 7:45 AM–4:30 PM
Record Center
Dane County Courthouse, Room 1002
215 S Hamilton St
Madison, WI 53703
Fax (608) 267-8859
Dane.courtrecords@wicourts.gov
Probate Office
Dane County Courthouse, Room 1005
215 S Hamilton St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-4331
Mon–Fri 7:45 AM–4:30 PM
Types of Court Records Available in Dane County
The Dane County Clerk of Circuit Court keeps many record types. Each comes from a different kind of case. Civil files hold complaints, answers, motions, judgments, and liens. Criminal files hold complaints, bond orders, pleas, sentencing, and judgments of conviction. Family files hold divorce, paternity, custody, and support records. Probate files cover estates, guardianships, and trusts. Traffic and forfeiture files hold citations, findings, and fines.
The court forms library sorts blank forms by these same case types. It is a quick way to see how the system is split.
The official forms page groups family, small claims, restraining order, probate, and criminal or traffic forms.
- Criminal records - felony and misdemeanor cases, online from about 1984 forward.
- Civil records - money suits, liens, and large claims, with years that vary.
- Family and divorce records - divorce, custody, support, and paternity files.
- Probate records - estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and trusts.
- Traffic records - citations and forfeitures tied to Dane County Circuit Court.
You can read about each set on the court records and court dockets pages.
What Dane County Court Records Show
A WCCA case summary holds a clear set of fields. The case number combines a county code, the year, a case-type code, and a sequence number. Dane County is county code 13 in the state numbering. The summary also shows the parties, the case type, the judge or commissioner, the charges or claims, the hearing dates, and any money owed. Documents like the full complaint or a certified judgment are not free to download for every user, so you request those from the Record Center.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | County, year, case type, and sequence; Dane is code 13. |
| Filing Date | The date the case was filed with the Clerk. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, petitioner, defendant, or respondent, plus attorneys. |
| Charges / Cause | Offense, statute, counts, and the reason for the suit. |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge, claim, or whole case. |
| Sentence / Judgment | Conviction terms, money owed, restitution, or final order. |
Protected items are kept out of the public view. Social Security numbers, account numbers, and driver license numbers are redacted under state rule.
Public Access Laws for Dane County Court Records
Wisconsin starts from a strong open-records rule. The Public Records Law says the public should get the greatest possible information about what government does. Court records are open unless a statute or a court order seals them. The Clerk may charge set fees for copies and searches. For court records, access often begins on WCCA and then moves to the Clerk of Circuit Court for the actual file.
Several statutes shape how this works. They set the policy, the right to inspect, the limits, and the redaction rules.
Key Statutes:
Wis. Stat. § 19.31 - states the open-records policy that the public is entitled to the fullest information about government.
Wis. Stat. § 19.35 - gives the right to inspect and copy records, and sets fees and prepayment rules.
Wis. Stat. § 19.36 - lists the limits where other law restricts access.
Wis. Stat. § 801.19 - requires parties to omit or redact protected personal data from court filings.
Dane County cites section 19.35(3)(f) when it asks for prepayment on record requests that cost more than $5.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Open access has limits. Some Dane County court records are closed by statute. Juvenile records are restricted under Wis. Stat. § 938.396. Adoption records are confidential under Wis. Stat. § 48.93. Mental-health and treatment records are protected under Wis. Stat. § 51.30. Sealed records and protected identifiers are also kept from public view. The Clerk will not release a file sealed by court order.
To open a sealed or juvenile record, you usually need a court order or a statutory path. Dane County provides forms to request inspection of juvenile court records. For sealing, a person must name the record, cite a legal basis, and show why redaction alone is not enough. Plain embarrassment is rarely sufficient.
Specialty Courts in Dane County
Dane County runs problem-solving courts that mix treatment with court oversight. Drug Court is one of the oldest in the state. It serves people whose substance use is tied to criminal conduct, with supervision, testing, and frequent court reviews. Entry is not automatic and turns on screening and judicial approval.
The Drug Court page sits under the court's Alternatives navigation.
The official Drug Court page describes the program as a court alternative for eligible cases.
Veterans Treatment Court is a voluntary diversion program. It serves veterans of any branch or discharge status who live in Dane County or an adjoining county without its own veterans court. Each veteran gets a plan with treatment, testing, and a volunteer mentor who is also a veteran. Participants move through five ranks to graduate, with bi-weekly reviews before the judge.
The Veterans Treatment Court page lists the eligibility points and the team approach. An OWI Treatment Court also serves operating-while-intoxicated cases.
Note: Specialty court entry depends on screening, charge type, treatment fit, and a judge's approval, so eligibility is decided case by case.
Dane County Sheriff and Jail
The Dane County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail system. It posts a "Current Residents" roster online. Dane County uses the word "resident" for people in custody, though most searchers call it an inmate search. The jail operates out of two downtown buildings: the Public Safety Building at 115 West Doty Street and the City-County Building at 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Both sit a short walk from the courthouse.
The roster shows a name, a judicial status, and a link to a detail page with booking and arrest data. It tells you who is in custody now, not a full criminal history.
For the full roster, visitation rules, and sample fields, see the Dane County inmate records page. For active warrants, see the warrant records page.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Three record types sit just outside the criminal and civil index. Marriage licenses are issued by the Dane County County Clerk, not the Clerk of Circuit Court. Divorce cases are family actions filed in Circuit Court, and divorce judgments come from the Record Center. Probate is handled inside the Circuit Court through the Probate Office and Register in Probate. The short glossary below defines a few probate terms.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out a will, also called a personal representative.
- Conservator
- A person appointed to manage another adult's money or property.
More detail is on the marriage and divorce records page, the probate records page, and the County Clerk page.
Dane County Court Records Fees
The Clerk charges set fees for copies and searches. These come from state statute and from the Dane County Court Records page. Public inspection of a non-sealed file is free, but copies cost money. If a request will cost more than $5, the Clerk asks for prepayment first.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page | $1.25 |
| Certified copy | $5 per document |
| Exemplified copy | $15 plus $1.25 per page |
| Records search without case number | $5 per name |
| Probate copies | $1 per page |
You can avoid the $5 search fee by giving a correct case number. Find it first on WCCA or a courthouse public terminal.
How to Interpret Dane County Court Records
Court records use shorthand. Case-type codes tell you the kind of case at a glance: CF for a felony, CM for a misdemeanor, TR for traffic, FA for family, SC for small claims, and PR for probate. A charge is not the same as a conviction. A charge is what the state alleges. A conviction is a finding or plea of guilt. Read the disposition line to learn the outcome, and read the judgment line for the sentence or money owed.
If something in WCCA looks wrong, the fix is not with the technology staff. You contact the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county that holds the file. For Dane County cases, that is the Dane County Record Center.
Federal Courts Serving Dane County
Dane County also sits in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. The federal courthouse is the Robert W. Kastenmeier U.S. Courthouse at 120 North Henry Street in Madison. Federal cases cover crimes under federal law, civil rights, and suits involving the United States. Federal records live in PACER, not WCCA.
The district court home page lists the judges, the clerk, and the main phone line.
The Western District of Wisconsin court site covers the Madison location and ECF help desk. Congress created the district in 1870.
The court's history page traces the district back over 150 years.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online data can lag. WCCA shows an exact copy of what court staff entered, and older converted cases may show less. The jail roster changes through the day with bookings and releases. Warrant data updates daily but can shift fast. Always confirm a key fact with the office that holds the record before you rely on it.
Note: WCCA is not the official judgment and lien docket; that docket sits in the Clerk of Circuit Court office, so verify important details there.
History of Dane County Courts
Dane County was founded in 1839 and named for Nathan Dane. The county seat is Madison, the state capital and home to more than 500,000 residents across over 60 cities, villages, and towns. Because state agencies and officials sit here, many statewide cases are filed in Dane County.
The county's growth and role show up on its official about page.
The Dane County about page calls the county the fastest growing in Wisconsin. Wisconsin's modern circuit court structure dates to a 1977 court reorganization that replaced the old county-court and circuit-court split.
Federal cases here have shifted hands too. In early 2026 a new U.S. Attorney took office for the Western District.
The U.S. Attorney's Office covers 44 western Wisconsin counties, including Dane.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Dane County court records online?
Use Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at wcca.wicourts.gov. Search by party name, business name, case number, or citation number, and select Dane County to narrow the results. WCCA gives case-summary data, not every document. For certified copies or full files, contact the Dane County Record Center. The court records page walks through each step.
What does it cost to get copies?
Dane County charges $1.25 per page for copies and $5 per certified document. A staff search without a case number costs $5 per name. Probate copies are $1 per page. Prepayment is required when a request tops $5. See the Clerk of Circuit Court page for the full fee list.
Where do I find a current jail resident?
Use the Sheriff's Current Residents roster. It lists names, judicial status, and a detail link with booking data. Absence from the roster does not prove release. The inmate records page explains the fields, and the released inmates page covers release checks.
More answers are on the Dane County Court Records FAQ page.