Eau Claire County Arrest Records

Eau Claire County law enforcement agencies create arrest records to detail information about individuals they take into custody and the circumstances surrounding their arrests. Law enforcement can arrest individuals with or without warrants. An arrest may become necessary if

• There is a warrant for the arrest of an individual
• There is evidence that a person committed a crime
• A person commits an arrestable offense
• A suspect is about to commit a crime
• There is evidence that a person is a danger to self or the society
• An individual is escaping custody or fleeing to avoid arrest.

Several law enforcement agencies create arrest records in Eau Claire County. These include the

• Sheriff's Office
• Eau Claire Police Department
• Altoona Police Department
• Wisconsin State Patrol
• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Police and other local law enforcement agencies.

Eau Claire County law enforcement agencies hold convicts at the Eau Claire County Jail or the Northwest Regional Juvenile Detention Center (for minors). However, they may detain arrestees at the Eau Claire Police Department, Altoona Police Department, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Police Department, or other local law enforcement temporary holding facilities across the county. Arrest records provide information for criminal trials. Hence, Eau Claire County criminal records are part of Eau Claire County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Eau Claire County?

Yes, Eau Claire County arrest records are public. Chapter 19, Subchapter 31 - 37 of the Wisconsin Statutes stipulate that all persons are entitled to information regarding government affairs and the official acts of its officers and employees.

Nonetheless, Wisconsin and federal laws exempt public access to arrest records relating to minors, active law enforcement or judicial investigations, sealed or expunged cases, and victim or witness information. Notwithstanding, exempted arrest records may be accessible to authorized individuals and government agencies.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records contain personal information of the owner of the records, the circumstances surrounding their arrest, booking details, and bail or bond information. These information include

• Name, date of birth, address, gender, race, and description of the record owners
• Date, time, and location of arrest
• Case numbers, reasons for arrests, names of the arresting officers and agencies
• List and description of the charges against the arrestees
• Booking ID, mugshots, and fingerprints
• Bail or bond information
• Court appearance information (if applicable).

Eau Claire County Crime Rate

The Eau Claire City Police Department's annual reports show a varying crime trend between 2021 and 2023. In 2022, the agency reported 4,206 crime incidents, a decline from the 4,746 incidents in 2021 and less than the 4,215 incidents in 2023. Also, during that period, larceny theft was the most common crime within the county. Larceny-theft averaged 30% of crime incidents in Eau Claire County between 2021 and 2023.

The table compares larceny-theft incidents to some of the other high-rate crimes in Eau County between 2021 and 2023.

Data Source: Eau Police Department.

Eau Claire County Arrest Statistics

Eau Claire County arrest reports show that the number of arrests within the county declined between 2018 and the second quarter of 2024. In 2018, 10,937 individuals were taken into custody by law enforcement agencies in Eau Claire County. In contrast, there were 6,946 arrests for various crimes in 2023.

72% of arrestees in Eau County between 2018 and the second quarter of 2024 were male. Also, 48.75% of arrests in Eau Claire County resulted in incarceration.

The tables below show the arrest statistics for Eau Claire County and the age bracket of arrestees between 2018 and August 2024.

Find Eau Claire County Arrest Records

There are several methods for obtaining Eau Claire County arrest information. To access Eau Claire County arrest records, any of the following options may suffice:

• Call or visit the Eau County Sheriff's Office during business hours at

The Law Enforcement Center

721 Oxford Ave.
Suite 1400
Eau Claire,
WI 54703
Phone: (715) 839-4709
Fax: (715) 839-4854

• Visit the Eau Claire City Police Department's Public Records Request Webpage and formally request arrest records.
• Contact Eau Claire local law enforcement and request access to their arrest records.
• Send an email request to the Wisconsin Highway Patrol at DOTDSPNWRECPOpenRecords@dot.wi.gov or contact the Eau Claire County office at

5005 STH 53 South
Eau Claire,
WI 54701
Phone: (715) 839-3800 ext. 2
Fax: (715) 839-3841

Free Arrest Record Search in Eau Claire County

There are few options for free access to Eau Claire County arrest records. To obtain Eau Claire arrest information at zero costs:

• Visit the Eau Claire County Clerk of Courts Office and search for arrest records through their Public Access Terminals at the courthouse.
• Search for Eau Claire County arrest records online through third-party websites. Some websites may offer information relating to Eau Claire County arrests for free.

Get Eau Claire County Criminal Records

Criminal records refer to official documents on individuals' criminal histories. Eau Claire County criminal records encompass case files on all criminal trials with the county's Circuit Court.

To access Eau Claire County criminal histories:

• Log in to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Portal
  • Select Eau Claire from the County options
  • Use names, birth dates, and case numbers to search for information relating to active arrest warrants
• Search for Eau County rap sheets through the Clerk of Courts Office Public Access Terminals at

721 Oxford Avenue, Suite 2220
Eau Claire,
WI 54703

• Call the Eau County Clerk of Courts at (715) 839-4801 or visit the office and make an official request to access the county's criminal histories.
• Search for Eau Claire County criminal records on third-party online databases.

Eau Claire County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Eau Claire County criminal and arrest records are tools for enforcing law and order. However, there are distinctions between both documents. Firstly, law enforcement agencies create arrest records to account for individuals within their custody. On the other hand, the courts generate criminal records during criminal case trials.

Eau County arrest records provide details of arrests; they contain personal details of arrestees, booking, bail, and bond information.

Contrariwise, criminal records provide details of criminal trials, convictions, sentencing, incarceration, parole, and probation of individuals within the criminal justice system.

An arrest record does not confirm guilt or innocence, but a criminal conviction may be evidence of wrongdoing. Arrest records are also components of criminal records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Eau County and the rest of Wisconsin State, arrest information will remain on a record indefinitely. However, record owners can petition for sealing or removal if they fulfill the requirements according to Wisconsin laws.

Expunge Eau Claire County Arrest Records

Per Chapter 973, Section 015 of the Wisconsin Statutes, an individual may petition the court to seal or remove their arrest information if

• There is no conviction, or the court dismissed the case or acquitted the petitioner.
• The owner of the record is under the age of 25 years at the time of the offense.
• The arrest is for a misdemeanor or Class H or I felony crime
• The individual completes the sentence for the conviction resulting from the arrest, pay all fines, and make restitutions (if necessary)
• The court orders the relevant agencies to seal the record upon the completion of the sentence.

To seal or remove arrest information from records in Eau Claire County, a record owner should do the following:

• Gather all relevant documents relating to the arrest (these should include court records, the arrest report, and the final disposition of the case)
• Draft a formal petition for expungement of arrest record. The petition must include the following information
  • Name, date of arrest, and current address
  • Date, time, location of arrest, arresting agency, and charges
  • Reasons the court should seal or remove the record
• File a petition for arrest records expungement with the Eau Claire County Clerk of Courts Office
• Serve a copy of the petition to the District Attorney’s Office in Eau Claire County
• Attend any hearing relating to the petition (if any) to answer questions and counter objections from interested parties
• If the court grants the petition, it will issue an expungement order for the sealing of the record
• Serve the expungement order to the relevant agencies (this may include the arresting agency, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and any other entities that may hold the arrest record)
• Follow up and ensure that the agencies remove or seal the arrest information.

Eau Claire County Arrest Warrants

Arrest Warrants are legal documents that grant law enforcement the legal authority to take individuals into custody. In Eau Claire County, a judge/magistrate of the Circuit or Municipal Court will issue an arrest warrant if there is evidence of a crime or law or intention to commit a crime. An arrest warrant identifies a subject and outlines the conditions of arrest. A typical arrest warrant information includes:

• Name and physical description of the subject
• Statement of the Crime: this encompasses the nature of the crime and the legal statutes it violates
• Statement or affidavit establishing the reason for a warrant
• Instructions to law enforcement to take the subject into custody
• Jurisdiction of the warrant (where the warrant is valid)
• Date of issuance and signature of the authorizing judge/magistrate
• Instructions to law enforcement on how to execute the arrest and return the warrant after the arrest.

Eau Claire County Arrest Warrant Search

For information on Eau Claire County fugitives:

• Visit the Eau Claire County's Most Wanted Page
• Scroll down, and click Eau Claire County Active Warrant List to download a PDF of individuals wanted by the law enforcement
• Log in to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Most Wanted Page and search for Eau Claire County Noncompliant Registered Sex Offenders
• Contact the Eau Claire County Clerk of Courts Office, or local police departments and request information on active arrest warrants.

Do Eau Claire County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In the United States, arrest warrants do not expire. They remain active until law enforcement takes the subject into custody. However, Eau Claire County arrest warrants become inactive upon the subject's demise or if the court recalls them.