How to Conduct a Wisconsin Criminal Record Search

Wisconsin is an “open records state,” which means that most records held by the state and local government bodies can be accessed by the masses. This is also true for all Wisconsin criminal cases, except juvenile records, that are contained within the Crime Information Bureau (CIB) database. The CIB is a part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), Division of Law Enforcement Services. This database, however, contains records of only those fingerprinted arrests that have been submitted by the police.

The TIME System, operated by the CIB, is a law enforcement network that contains data on wants and warrants, driver's licenses and information on vehicle registration, criminal histories, information on sex offenders and correction cases, protection orders and injunction files, missing persons, and stolen property. The system is sources from the comprehensive Wisconsin’s Criminal History Repository that stocks arrest and conviction data of more than 1,000,000 persons all the way back to 1971.

Wisconsin Background Checks

If you want to carry out a criminal background check, you will have to fill out the Wisconsin criminal record mail-in form and send it to the office of the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice located in Madison. You may also obtain this form at the Wisconsin Department of Justice official website, at this address: http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/forms/cib/djle251.pdf.

The CIB records are also posted on the Internet and customers who hold accounts with the Department of Justice Crime Information Bureau can apply for a CIB Record Check. Setting up an account is easy. The form and concise instructions on how to fill out and order specific information is available here: http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/forms/record_check_forms.asp.

Do not worry if you do not hold an account with the DOJ. Credit card customers may also access CIB records online. This Record Check System is open on all days of the week, from 6:00 am to 2:00 am (CST.) This search system is limited to those who would like to check their own history or for employers who would like to verify employee records. You can do your own searches here: https://wi-recordcheck.org/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/cc/html/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/index.html. If you require a “police certificate,” a “statement of good conduct,” or need to obtain a certified copy of a record check, you must send a Single Subject Record Request DJ-LE-250 with a letter requesting a record check accompanying it. The form is available at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/CIB/forms/cib/djle250.pdf.

Court Records in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Supreme Court also maintains a statewide online database called the Circuit Court Automation Program (CCAP). You can view summaries of all court records that are categorized under the Wisconsin open records law. This does not include confidential court records like adoption, child protection, juvenile delinquency, guardianship, termination of paternal rights, and civil commitments. Visit the CCAP website, http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl; you'll find the details here. However, remember that some counties use the CCAP case management system to store only specific cases. For instance, Portage County has a database that houses only probate cases.

A Wisconsin criminal record search becomes easy with two more unique services provided by the CIB. You can carry out a check on licensed gun dealers and handgun buyers at Wisconsin’s Handgun Hotline, operated by the CIB and located at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib/handgunhotline.asp. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) is a comprehensive online database which reads, logs, searches, and matches fingerprints, palm prints, and associated demographic details.