Columbia County Court Records

Per Wisconsin Statutes § 19.32 (2), Columbia County court records include all types of information produced or kept by a government authority, whether in written, drawn, printed, visual, or electronic form. These documents hold significance by offering a detailed account of every legal case handled in Columbia County. The records provide valuable information on case history, court decisions, and relevant legal data, making them a valuable resource for those with legal interests, both individuals and organizations.

Columbia County court records contain diverse information, such as case details, court orders, legal papers, criminal and civil records, probate records, domestic relations records, juvenile records, and mental health records. The data in these documents offers individuals and organizations a glimpse into the Wisconsin court records and the state's legal system.

Are Court Records Public in Columbia County?

Court records in Columbia County, Wisconsin, are generally public. This means that Wisconsin residents have the statutory right to access court records within the state. According to Wisconsin Statute § 59.20(3), county officials, including the circuit court clerk, must keep their offices open to the public during regular business hours. This Statute allows individuals to examine and copy court records, ensuring transparency and integrity within the judicial system.

Nonetheless, access to some court records is restricted. For instance, the Statute stipulates that documents that could be used to identify an informant may be kept private. Other state laws contain additional restrictions or exclusions, such as those on juvenile records, sealed records, or documents containing sensitive personal information.

Columbia County Court Records Search

There are different ways to search out court records in Columbia County, and they include the following:

• Columbia County Clerk
• Columbia County Clerk of Courts
• Columbia County Register in Probate
• Columbia County Register of Deeds
• Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Portal
• Wisconsin Department of Justice
• Wisconsin Vital Records Office.

Columbia County Courts

The judicial system in Columbia County consists of both the Circuit Courts and the Municipal Courts. Circuit courts handle a more diverse array of cases, including serious criminal charges, civil disagreements, and increased juvenile cases. Municipal courts primarily deal with infractions of laws and minor juvenile crimes. Nevertheless, cases requiring fair solutions or jury trials are referred to Circuit Court and cannot be addressed by Municipal Courts.

The contact information of these courts is listed below:

Columbia County Circuit Court
P.O. Box 587
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-2191
Fax: (608) 742-9601

City of Wisconsin Dells Municipal Court
300 La Crosse Street
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Phone: (608) 254-2442
Fax: (608) 254-7329

Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court
641 South Main Street
P.O. Box 96
Fall River, WI 53932
Phone: (920) 484-6320
Fax: (920) 484-6321

Portage Municipal Court
115 West Pleasant Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-2258
Fax: (608) 742-8623

Columbia County Criminal Records

Interested persons can search for their criminal records in Columbia County at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The DOJ's Criminal History Unit (CHU) oversees and manages criminal records in Wisconsin. The CHU gathers criminal records of Wisconsin residents from police departments.

Therefore, anyone can ask for their criminal record by filling out the Wisconsin Criminal History DJ-LE–250 forms. The requester must submit all necessary information in a genuine format, which includes the subject's complete name, gender, ethnicity, and birthdate. While not required, providing extra identifying information, including the maiden name, social security number, or other names, may help ensure a more precise search.

For a single name record request, the requester should choose "General information" under the request purpose and "Non-profit" under the requestor type. Requesters are to mail the completed form, $12 payment, and a self-addressed stamped return envelope to:

W.I. Division of Law Enforcement Services
Crime Information Bureau
Record Check Unit
P.O. Box 2688
Madison WI 53701–2688
Phone: (608) 266–5764.

Requesters may have to wait seven to ten days for the request to be processed. For persons seeking a fingerprint-based criminal history record, submit a set of fingerprints along with the DJ-LE–250 form. Fingerprints can be obtained from a local sheriff's office or police department in the County. A fingerprint-based criminal record costs $20.

Wisconsin also allows requestors to lookup criminal records through the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS) portal. Criminal record checks on the WORCS portal cost $7 per search.

Get Columbia County Civil Court Records

Civil court records are generated within Columbia County as the courts hear cases, such as small claims, civil equity, complex commercial, foreclosures and liens, real estate title and boundary, landlord/tenant, ordinance violations, protection, no contact, restraining orders, and administrative agency appeals. The Columbia County Clerk of Courts' Office is the official custodian of the court case records within the County. This office oversees civil court records from the initial filing of the case through the destruction of the case file at the expiration of the retention period. To access civil court records in Columbia County, requesters need to contact this office using their contact details below:

400 DeWitt Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-2191
Fax: (608) 742-9601

Mailing Address
Columbia County Clerk of Circuit Court
P.O. Box 587
Portage, WI 53901.

Interested persons may also obtain Columbia County civil court records from the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA). The WCCA provides easy case search, advanced case search, docketed civil judgment search, and lien search options. Users must agree to the terms and conditions before they can proceed to the search page. They are expected to provide the case party's name and case number.

Columbia County Marriage Records

Columbia County marriage records are not considered public records, meaning they are not open to the public. However, these records may be available to eligible requesters as captured under Wisconsin General Statutes § 69.20(1). This rule states that only legally permitted persons, such as the couple, immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with a court order, can access information from marriage records. Eligible persons may contact the Columbia County Register of Deeds (ROD) and the Wisconsin Vital Records Office to access these records.

To obtain marriage records from the Columbia County Recorder of Deeds Office, eligible requesters need to fill out the Application form. They can then submit their request in person or by mail along with their I.D. and the associated fee of $20 (an extra charge of $3 applies for each additional copy of the same record).

Columbia County Recorder of Deeds
112 East Edgewater Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-9677
Fax: (608) 742-9875

Eligible persons may also obtain marriage records from the State Vital Records Office. Requesters are to download and fill out the Wisconsin marriage record application form and submit it via mail or in person, along with their I.D. and a fee of $20. The contact details of the State Vital Records Office are given below:

Office Location

1 West Wilson Street
Room 16
Madison, WI 53701
Phone: (608) 266-1373
Email: dhsvitalrecords@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Mailing address:
Vital Records
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309.

Columbia County Divorce Records

Columbia County divorce records are also not accessible to the general public records. However, they may be available to eligible requesters per Wisconsin General Statutes § 69.20(1). This rule states that only legally permitted persons, such as the couple, immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with a court order, can access information from divorce records. Eligible persons may contact the Columbia County Register of Deeds (ROD) and the Wisconsin Vital Records Office to access these records.

Eligible requesters need to fill out the application form to obtain divorce records from the Columbia County Recorder of Deeds Office. They can then choose to submit their request in person or by mail, along with their I.D. and the associated fee of $20 (an extra charge of $3 applies for each additional copy of the same record).

Columbia County Recorder of Deeds
112 East Edgewater Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-9677
Fax: (608) 742-9875

Eligible persons may also obtain divorce records from the State Vital Records Office. Requesters are to download and fill out the Wisconsin divorce record application form and then submit it via mail or in person, along with their I.D. and a fee of $20.The contact details of the Columbia County Recorder of Deeds are given in the "Columbia County Marriage Records" section above.

Columbia Birth and Death Records

Birth and death records provide a lot of valuable information that is extremely useful. Genealogists depend on these documents to track family histories and build elaborate family trees. They can establish identity, citizenship, inheritance rights, and other essential details in legal issues.

Certified copies of Columbia County birth and death records are inaccessible to the general public. However, they may be available to eligible requestors per Wisconsin General Statutes § 69.20(1). Eligible requestors include the record subjects, immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with a court order. These individuals may contact the Columbia County Register of Deeds (ROD) or the Wisconsin Vital Records Office to access these records.

Eligible requesters may obtain birth and death records from the Columbia County Recorder of Deeds Office by filling out the application form (Birth record application or Death record application). They can then submit this form in person or by mail along with their I.D. and the associated fee of $20 (an extra charge of $3 applies for each additional copy of the same record).

Columbia County Recorder of Deeds
112 East Edgewater Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-9677
Fax: (608) 742-9875

Also, these records may be obtained from the State Vital Records Office. Requesters are to download and fill out the application form (Birth record application or death record application) and then submit it via mail or in person along with their I.D., with a fee of $20.The contact details of the Columbia County Recorder of Deeds are given in the "Columbia County Marriage Records" section above.

Columbia County Probate Court Records

Columbia County does not have a dedicated Probate Court, but the Circuit Court possesses jurisdiction over all the probate cases heard within the County. These probate cases include the administration of estates, trust proceedings, probate of wills, trust, name changes, and other related legal matters. To access probate court records in Columbia County, requesters can contact the office of the Columbia County Clerk of Courts at:

400 DeWitt Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-2191
Fax: (608) 742-9601

Columbia County Property Records

The Columbia County Register of Deeds is responsible for maintaining property records in Columbia County. This elected official maintains property records such as deeds, land contracts, mortgages, UCC filings, subdivision plats, condominium plats, certified survey maps, lis pendens, annexations, resolutions, and miscellaneous files.

To access these records, requesters should contact the Registrar of Deeds' Office located at:

Register of Deeds
112 East Edgewater Street
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: (608) 742-9677
Fax: (608) 742-9875

Columbia County Court Records Online

Online public record vendors make accessibility to public records easier. Third-party websites like Wisconsincourtrecords.us offer a user-friendly portal for seeking court records. They afford requesters a convenient one-stop database for all court records that individual official sources may be unable to provide.

However, requesters should note that third-party websites have some limitations. For instance, the information obtained may vary in completeness and accuracy. Furthermore, the cost of obtaining complete records may be higher than official sources. These websites also do not provide certified copies of court records to requesters.