The Dane County Clerk of Circuit Court
Wisconsin uses a Clerk of Circuit Court for court records, not a district clerk. In Dane County the Clerk of Circuit Court is Jeff Okazaki, and the public counter is Room 1000 of the Dane County Courthouse. The office sits in downtown Madison at 215 South Hamilton Street, near Capitol Square. Public counter hours run 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, except on posted court closures.
The Clerk's office is the hub for court filings, courtroom support, case records, and payments. It works with the judges, court commissioners, and the Record Center, and it relies on Wisconsin Relay 7-1-1 for telephone access. The contact details are below.
The role is broad but bounded. The Clerk keeps the official case files, takes filings, collects fees and fines, schedules many court activities, manages jury service, and maintains the official judgment and lien docket. What the office cannot do is give legal advice. Staff can explain a procedure or point to a form, but they cannot tell a person whether to sue, what to file, or how to argue a motion. That line matters, because many practical questions cross into legal advice that only a lawyer can give.
Clerk of Circuit Court
Jeff Okazaki, Clerk of Circuit Court
Dane County Courthouse, Room 1000
215 S Hamilton St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-4311, fax (608) 267-8859
What the Clerk of Circuit Court Handles
The Clerk keeps court files for Dane County Circuit Court actions. The Record Center lists civil, criminal, family, paternity, small claims, traffic, forfeiture ordinance, state tax lien, construction lien, hospital lien, condominium lien, and probate matters among the records typically available, for Dane County actions only. The office does not hold records for other Wisconsin circuit courts or for municipal courts that handle their own cases.
Retention is limited. The office keeps about five years of records on site, except simple traffic and non-criminal ordinance violations, which are kept one year on site. Older or off-site records may need retrieval from remote storage, which can take several days. That is why a request for an older Dane County case should give as much detail as possible, including the year and case type.
The Clerk's records are tied to Dane County Circuit Court alone. If a case was filed in another county, that county's Clerk of Circuit Court holds it, and a statewide search on the case access site is the way to find which county that is. Municipal citations issued by a city or village are handled by that municipality, not the Dane County Clerk, so the address on a ticket controls where it belongs. Knowing this prevents a request from landing at the wrong desk.
How to Request Dane County Court Records
The Record Center, in Room 1002, handles record copies and file review. Requests can be made in person, by mail, by fax, or by email. No phone requests are taken, though staff can answer general questions by phone. The request should include the full name and any other names the case could be under, a phone number, a current address, the case number if known, and the specific documents wanted. For criminal searches, include the date of birth if you have it.
When no case number is given, a background search on a person or company costs $5 per name. You can avoid that fee by finding the case number first on Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or on a public terminal in the Clerk's lobby. Files sealed by court order or made confidential by law are not open to public inspection.
Records Request Fields
A request moves faster when it is complete. The fields below are what the Record Center asks for. The case number is the most important one, because it avoids the search fee and points staff straight to the file.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yes | Include any other names the case could be filed under. |
| Phone number | Requested | For staff contact; phone requests are not accepted. |
| Current address | Yes | Used to mail records or an invoice. |
| Case number | Recommended | Avoids the $5 staff search fee. |
| Date of birth | For criminal searches | Helps tell apart similar names. |
| Documents requested | Yes | Name exact items, such as a judgment of conviction or order. |
| Payment | If fees apply | Prepayment is required when the total tops $5. |
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is the version courts and agencies accept as official. It carries the Clerk's certification, which a plain printout does not. The steps below get you a certified copy from Dane County.
- Find the case number on Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or a courthouse public terminal.
- Gather the full name, the date of birth for criminal cases, and the exact document you need.
- Send the request to the Record Center by email, fax, mail, or in person.
- State clearly that you want a certified copy of the document.
- Pay the certified copy fee, plus page copy fees and postage where they apply.
- Allow extra time if the file must be pulled from remote storage.
Note: An uncertified online copy is not accepted for many legal purposes, so request a certified copy when a court or agency requires one.
Clerk of Circuit Court Fees
The Clerk charges set fees for searches and copies, drawn from state statute and the Dane County Court Records page. Public inspection of a non-sealed file is free, but copies cost money. The schedule below covers the common items.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Staff search without case number | $5 per name |
| Plain copy per page | $1.25 |
| Certified copy | $5 per document |
| Exemplified copy | $15 plus $1.25 per page |
| Postage | Actual cost |
These come from Wis. Stat. ยง 814.61, which authorizes the clerk fees Dane County uses. Because the fees are statutory, they apply the same way in every Wisconsin county. The Court Fees page explains the payment options in more detail.
The Court Fees page lists payment methods and the AllPaid pay-location code. Payment rules are covered next.
Payment and Prepayment
In person, the Clerk takes cash, check, money order, or a credit or debit card with a convenience fee. Accepted cards are Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Checks are made out to "Clerk of Courts." Mailed payments go to the Clerk of Circuit Court at the Room 1000 courthouse address. Many payments can also be made online through the AllPaid service using Pay Location Code 5479.
AllPaid covers citations, fines, costs, attorney fees, mediation fees, guardian ad litem fees, juvenile legal fees, electronic monitoring fees, custody study fees, and copy or search fees, around the clock. Filing fees cannot be paid online through AllPaid. For record requests, the Clerk asks for prepayment when the total cost will exceed $5; if the cost is $5 or less, records may be sent with an invoice unless there is a prior balance.
Filing With the Clerk
Dane County uses e-filing and electronic records. The Clerk's electronic system places an electronic signature, a filed stamp, a case number, a document number, the filed date, and pagination in the margin of a filed document. The office advises that documents be filed at least two business days before a scheduled activity date, such as a return date, an answer date, or a hearing. That lead time helps the court process the paper before the date arrives.
The Clerk's FAQ answers common questions about copies, legal advice limits, and the Law Library.
The Clerk of Courts FAQ explains that staff can give procedural information but cannot give legal advice. The Law Library and Legal Resource Center in Room L1007 can explain form directions.
Clerk of Circuit Court Versus County Clerk
Two offices share the word "clerk," and people mix them up. The comparison below shows the split so you reach the right one.
| Clerk of Circuit Court | County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Holds court case files | Issues marriage licenses |
| Civil, criminal, family, probate records | County board, election, and county records |
| Record Center in Room 1002 | Marriage by virtual appointment |
| Phone (608) 266-4311 | Phone (608) 266-4121 |
For marriage licenses and county-government records, see the Dane County County Clerk page. For the courts themselves, see the Circuit Court page.