La Crosse County Court Records

La Crosse County court records refer to the official documentation associated with court proceedings within the La Crosse judicial system. According to Section 59.40 (2) of the Wisconsin legislature, the clerks of the courts are tasked with preserving Wisconsin county court records. Such records include court orders, motions, judgments, responses, pleadings, and other information or documents related to court cases, regardless of physical format.

In La Crosse County, Wisconsin, court records are significant for legal research, analyzing legal trends, and promoting transparency within the judicial system.

Are Court Records Public in La Crosse County?

Yes. Wisconsin's Public Records Law (Wisconsin Stat. § 19.31–19.39) affirms the public's right to access government records, including court records, except where prohibited by law or court order. Court records specifically exempt from public disclosure include:

• Social Security, tax identification, passport numbers, financial account, and driver's license numbers
• A minor's personally identifiable information
• Records rendered confidential by attorney-client privilege
• Material compiled by an attorney in preparation for litigation
• Records sealed by the court

La Crosse County Court Records Search

An interested entity may conduct a La Crosse County court records search online or offline. They can query a court clerk's office, use the Wisconsin Court System's case search tool, or access public terminals at a courthouse (if available). One can also utilize a third-party aggregator website.

La Crosse County Court Records Search by Name

Name-based searches are available to persons who want to perform a La Crosse County court records inquiry through a court clerk's office. The interested party may write to, contact, or visit the relevant court clerk for records. The first and last name (or business name) will be needed for the search, and fees may apply to obtain copies of responsive documents.

La Crosse County Courts

The La Crosse County court system comprises a circuit court and municipal courts. The court addresses and contact details are as follows:

La Crosse County Circuit Court
333 Vine Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 785-9590
Fax: (608) 789-7821

Municipal Courts in La Crosse County
La Crosse Municipal Court
400 La Crosse Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: ( 608) 789-7290
Fax: (608) 789-8099

Coulee Region Joint Municipal Court
415 Main Street
Room 150
Onalaska, WI 54650
Phone: (608) 781-9558
Fax: (608) 779-7903

La Crosse County Superior Court Case Search

Wisconsin's judicial system provides for circuit and municipal courts. Per this arrangement, La Crosse County does not have a superior court, but the circuit court carries out all the functions expected of a superior court. The court has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases.

La Crosse County Circuit court court records searches may be done online or offline.

Online

Online tools that a person can use to search for La Crosse County Circuit court case records include:

• The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) tool: This tool allows researchers to conduct a simple case search (search criteria include party name, date of birth, and case number) or an advanced case search with expanded search criteria to look up circuit court cases.
• The Clerk of the Circuit Court: An interested person may send an email request to the circuit court clerk at LaCrosse.Clerk@wicourts.gov. Email requests cost $5, payable to the "clerk of courts," and must include a case party's name, birth date, and the type of record to be searched.

Offline

• Mail Requests: Each mail request carries a $5 fee, payable to the "clerk of courts," and includes the exact case information requirements as email requests. Mail requests should be forwarded to:
  The Clerk of Courts
  333 Vine Street
  La Crosse, WI 54601
• Court Terminals: Records searches at the court clerk's terminals during business hours are free, but obtaining a copy of the records costs $1.25 per sheet.

La Crosse County District Court Records

La Crosse County has no district courts. However, there are two municipal courts, one in Onalaska and the other in the City of La Crosse, that hear traffic, parking, and ordinance matters within their respective districts. To request records from these courts, one must query the relevant court or clerk's office. Note that fees apply to duplicate a court record.

La Crosse County Criminal Records

People searching for criminal records in La Crosse County can inquire at the local sheriff's office (charges apply for copy requests). However, where a request pertains to active warrants, the interested individual can search the sheriff's warrant list. This warrants database lists the names of persons wanted for criminal offenses.

Alternatively, one may find La Crosse County criminal records through the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ provides a Wisconsin Online Record Check System following Wis. Stat. § 165.83(2). The system lets users register or use the "Public Access" option to locate a person's arrest summary and other criminal history background information. The applicable fee for this online service is $7, plus an additional $5 for signed and notarized results. Because adult criminal history information is a public record in the State of Wisconsin, anyone may order this information by paying fees established according to Wis. Stat. § 165.82

One may also find La Crosse arrest records and criminal records offline by forwarding a mail request along with applicable fees to the Department of Justice at:

Wisconsin Department of Justice
P.O. Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707-7857

La Crosse County Criminal Court Case Lookup

La Crosse County criminal court cases include all felony and misdemeanor cases heard by the circuit court. The options for looking up criminal court cases in La Crosse County include:

• Visit the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office to use the public access terminals or send a written request via mail or email.
• Use the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access tool.

Get La Crosse County Civil Court Records

The La Crosse Circuit Court hears almost all civil cases in the county. These include small claims, equity, foreclosure, divorce, child support, domestic relations, child custody, divorce, child visitation, and domestic violence protection orders. To obtain civil court records, an individual can access the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal, visit the clerk's office courthouse terminals, or send written requests to the clerk's office.

La Crosse County Family Court Records

Chapter 767 of the Wisconsin state legislature addresses issues affecting the family. These include divorce and separation, child custody and visitation, child support, property division, adoptions, termination of parental rights, juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect, and paternity court cases. The La Crosse Family Court hears most family law cases in the county; in some cases, a circuit court judge will preside, but usually only after the family court decides. The family court is overseen by the Family Court Commissioner, whose office is at:

333 Vine Street
Room 2500
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 785-5600
Fax: (608) 785-5622

The process for accessing La Crosse family court records is the same as that for the circuit court case files described above. Researchers should note that while most family court records, including divorce records, are publicly accessible, juvenile and paternity proceedings are not.

La Crosse Dissolution of Marriage Records

La Crosse County's dissolution of marriage records refer to filings and other documentation relating to divorce proceedings, often heard by the Family Court division. Interested persons can visit the family court in Room 2500 of the local circuit courthouse to request a copy of the divorce document or decree. They may also use the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal to look up a divorce case or judgment.

La Crosse County Marriage and Divorce Records

Under the Wisconsin legislature, marriage and divorce records maintained by state or local registrars are classified as vital records. These records are only accessible to subjects of records, immediate family members, and individuals with a direct and tangible interest in the record. La Crosse marriage and divorce records are obtainable through:

The County Register of Deeds

The Register of Deeds keeps marriage, divorce, and other La Crosse County vital records as provided in Wis. Stat. § 69.05 and Wis. Stat. § 69.07. Records of marriages (from 1907 through the present) and divorces (from 2016 to date) in La Crosse County are available through the office. Requests may be submitted online, at the Register's office during office hours, or via mail to:

La Crosse County Register of Deeds Office
Administrative Center
Room 1400
212 North 6th Street
La Crosse, WI 54601

Per Wis. Stat. § 69.22., each record costs $20 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy purchased at that same time, payable via cash, money order, certified check, or credit or debit card (extra charges apply for debit and credit card payments). Requestors must provide an acceptable ID, a completed marriage or divorce application, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for mail requests. To receive the results by mail, requesters must include an additional $6.50 fee.

Wisconsin Vital Records

The Wisconsin Vital Records Office furnishes requesters with marriage and divorce certificates upon request by mail, online, or via phone. Online and phone requests are handled by the agency's vendor, and in-person requests are only permitted for genealogy searches and must be pre-scheduled.

Mail requesters should fill out an application form and send it with acceptable identification and applicable fees ($20 for first copy and $3 for each additional copy) to the office. The fee is payable via cash, check, or money order addressed to "State of Wisconsin Vital Records". Below is the agency's mailing address:

Wisconsin Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701

Suppose a divorce happened before January 1, 2016. In that case, the requester should contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office or the state's Vitals Records Office for access.

La Crosse County Birth and Death Records

La Crosse's birth and death records are vital records—and, like other vital records, are only accessible to immediate family members like parents, siblings, spouses, grandparents, or persons with a tangible interest. Potential reasons for obtaining birth or death documentation include to prove one's identification, settle an inheritance matter, or find ancestral ties.

The procedure and fees for accessing La Crosse birth and death certificates are the same as for obtaining other La Crosse vital records, such as marriage and divorce records (see above). However, those applying for birth and death records through the La Crosse Register of Deeds office should use the birth and death application forms, respectively.

La Crosse County Probate Court Records

The La Crosse Circuit Court's Probate Division hears all probate-related cases in the county, including wills and estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and name changes. All La Crosse County probate court records are publicly available, except those sealed by a judge or restricted by law. As with other circuit court records, one can search for La Crosse County probate records at the Circuit Court Clerk's office or by searching the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access system.

La Crosse County Property Records

La Crosse County property records refer to documentation about real property within the county's borders. Per state legislature, the Register of Deeds is the records custodian of La Crosse County property records.

Interested individuals may use online systems provided by the Register to look and order property records. Fees are assessed to obtain documents, however. One can also access the La Crosse County Land Records Information System to find details like a property's parcel number, acreage, owner's name, address, zoning, and legal description, among other information. Search criteria include a tax parcel number (which produces the most accurate results), owner name search, property address, or public land survey. This service is free.

La Crosse County Court Records Online

Researchers benefit from the accessibility of La Crosse County court records online. In addition to government agencies, many third-party websites like Wisconsincourtrecords.us collate public records from various sources and sell them to online users for a fee. Ease of use and expanded search functionalities are some advantages that third-party research sites offer.

Unfortunately, records obtained from third-party websites may not always have the most current records, and most websites charge processing fees, which add up for large volumes of documents. As such, users should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages and ensure to verify information obtained from these platforms with the official court records where possible.