Sauk County Court Records

When any legal action or suit is filed in Sauk County, Wisconsin, a corresponding file is created in the court clerk's office to house all documents and information generated during the court proceedings. This file, in its entirety, is referred to as the court record, and it includes motions, complaints, dockets, responses/answers, orders, judgments, calendars, and exhibits.

Court records promote public transparency, impartiality, and accountability within the judicial system. They also allow for legal research, including discovering judicial precedents that can influence future court rulings.

The clerks of courts serve as the legal custodians of Sauk County court records. These officials are tasked with providing access per the state's laws.

Are Court Records Public in Sauk County?

Yes. According to the Wisconsin Public Records Law, records generated from court case activity (court records) are open to anyone who wishes to examine or replicate them. There is no statutory requirement to state one's reason for requiring access to a court record or prove that one is indeed a citizen or resident of Wisconsin before access can be granted.

However, not all court records are disclosable to the public. Certain documents or information are deemed exempt from the Public Records Law and can only be furnished to authorized parties or for legitimate purposes. These include:

• Confidential name change petitions
• Child abuse restraining orders and injunctions
• Grand juror lists and grand jury proceedings
• Records from guardianship proceedings
• Paternity pre-adjudication records
• Juvenile delinquency proceedings
• Adoption records

Sauk County Court Records Search

One of the more common methods for conducting a Sauk County court records search is to query the court clerk's office in the courthouse where a legal matter was brought/filed. Such offices often offer different channels for submitting a court records request, including in person, via mail, and online.

Additionally, members of the public can use third-party aggregator websites to conduct a Sauk court records query.

More information on leveraging the above resources for case research is available below.

Sauk County Courts

Sauk County has a single circuit court (Wisconsin's 5th Judicial Circuit) and three municipal courts that adjudicate legal disputes or matters within the region.

Sauk County Circuit Court
Sauk County Historic Courthouse
515 Oak Street
Baraboo, WI 53913-2496
Phone: (608) 355-3287
Fax: (608) 355-3480

Municipal Courts in Sauk County

City of Reedsburg Municipal Court
134 South Locust Street
P.O. Box 490
Reedsburg, WI 53959
Phone: (608) 768-3348

River Valley Joint Municipal Court
230 East Monroe Street
Spring Green, WI 53588
Phone: (608) 588-2125

Sauk Prairie Municipal Court
640 13th Street
Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
Phone: (Office): (608) 643-2427 ext. 106
Phone: (Direct Line): (608) 370-9352

Sauk County Criminal Records

Sauk County criminal records can be obtained from law enforcement at the state and county levels. A county-level inquiry involves contacting the police agency that made an arrest or has jurisdiction where a charge was filed. Requesters can also stop by an agency's office during normal business hours to place inquiries. Typically, such requests only uncover Sauk County arrest records and will not indicate whether an arrestee or suspect was later found guilty or innocent.

Persons seeking not only Sauk arrest records but also court dispositions and sentences can request a statewide background check from the Wisconsin DOJ's Crime Information Bureau (CIB). Public access to such information is furnished through the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS), an internet portal where users can look up adult criminal records in Sauk and other Wisconsin regions by name, birth date, race, and gender. Juvenile criminal records are not publicly available in Wisconsin and are not provided through WORCS unless for daycare background checks. Each search on WORCS costs $7. Users can also request certification of their results for an additional fee.

It is important to note that the Wisconsin Online Record Check System only permits name-based checks. Hence, the results retrieved may not belong to the search subject. This happens because several people may share the same name and date of birth.

Therefore, those who wish to verify that a criminal record belongs to a specific individual may seek a fingerprint-based check instead. However, that option is only available for statutorily recognized purposes, such as immigration, adoption, and employment. To obtain a fingerprint-based check, one should mail the Single Name Record Request Form (DJ-LE-250), a complete set of fingerprints (obtained from a sheriff's office or local police agency), and a $15 fee to the CIB's Record Check Unit.

Get Sauk County Civil Court Records

The circuit court in Sauk maintains jurisdiction over all non-criminal (civil) matters filed by private individuals or public/private organizations in Sauk County. Although the county has some municipal courts, they handle only ordinance violations within their respective cities, towns, or villages.

To find civil court records maintained by the Sauk County Circuit Court, a person may access the Circuit Court System Access (CCAP) portal maintained on the Wisconsin judiciary's website. A search can be performed with a case party's last or business name. Users who know an assigned case number can search the portal. To filter the search results, it is necessary to specify the county (i.e., Sauk) within which the system should search.

Those who require copies of civil case documents can contact or visit the Sauk County Clerk of Courts Office, which serves as the legal custodian of such records. Per the Wisconsin Circuit Court Fee Chart, the office charges $1.25 to provide regular copies and $5 to certify a document. Additional fees apply for postage if the requester wants the results/copies to be transmitted to them by mail.

Sauk County Marriage Records

Members of the public can request Sauk County marriage records from the local Register of Deeds Office for a fee. Parties will need to complete the Application for Marriage Certificate and hand-deliver or mail this form, plus the required payment, to the Register's Office.

Register of Deeds

Sauk County West Square Building
505 Broadway
Room 122
Baraboo, WI 53913
Phone: (608) 355-3288
Fax: (608) 355-4439

Each Sauk County marriage certificate costs $20, plus $3 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Besides the completed form and payment, requesters must also attach/present a valid ID.

If the application is to be mailed, a self-addressed, business-size envelope with a stamp should be included for the return of copies, and payment should be made via check or money order. Cash, checks, and credit/debit cards are acceptable payment methods for in-person requests, with a $2 transaction fee applicable for card payments.

Generally, requests for certified or uncertified copies of a Sauk County marriage certificate can be made to the local Register of Deeds Office. However, Wis. Stat. § 69.21 limits the provision of certified copies (printed on security paper with a raised seal and deemed sufficient for legal purposes) to be released only to parties with a "direct and tangible interest," namely:

• A registrant
• A registrant's immediate family
• A registrant's legal guardian or custodian
• The legal representative of a registrant, the registrant's immediate family, or the registrant's guardian or custodian
• A party requiring the record to determine or protect a property or personal right

Anybody can order uncertified Sauk County marriage records from the Register's Office. Uncertified copies are printed on plain paper and marked as "Uncertified". These contain the same information as the certified copies, but they cannot be used to establish identity or for other legal reasons.

In-person orders for Sauk County marriage records are usually processed within two hours of an application, while mail orders may take up to 2 weeks (plus postage time) for certified copies and up to a month (plus postage time) for uncertified copies.

Sauk County Divorce Records

Divorce records are created during proceedings filed in the Sauk County circuit court to end a marriage. The Sauk County Clerk of Courts Office is the primary custodian of these records. Thus, interested persons can contact or visit this office for copies of divorce records. Members of the public can also use the Circuit Court System Access (CCAP) portal to look up divorce case information at no cost.

Because divorce records are considered part of the Sauk County vital records, individuals can inquire at the local Register of Deeds Office for a Sauk divorce certificate. While the certificate is not the official divorce decree/judgment obtainable from the Clerk of Courts, it is deemed sufficient for legal or identity purposes if it is certified. The Register only has certificates of divorce events since 2016. Prior dates should be obtained from the State Vital Records Office.

Sauk Birth and Death Records

Individuals seeking Sauk County birth records can complete the Birth Certificate Request Form and hand-deliver or mail it to the Sauk County Register of Deeds. Each Sauk County birth certificate costs $20 to order, with an additional $3 fee if ordering another copy at the same time.

All requesters of a Sauk County birth certificate must provide a valid ID (acceptable IDs are provided in the form), payment, a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope (for mail orders), and any proof or authorization required. People ordering a Sauk County death certificate must also provide the same details; however, the Death Certificate Request Form must be completed instead.

Requesters should note that certified copies of birth and death certificates are releasable only to those with a direct and tangible interest, as earlier defined. Any member of the public can obtain uncertified copies.

Being among the Sauk County vital records, birth and death records have several important uses, including serving as legal documentation that proves a person's identity or parental lineage and enabling the collection of vital statistics, which are helpful for public health planning.

Sauk County Probate Court Records

Probate court records include all papers or materials generated from a probate court case, such as estate administration, guardianships/conservatorships, will contests, and trusts. These cases are heard in the Sauk County Circuit Court, and the Office of the Register in Probate keeps associated records at the following address:

Register in Probate/Juvenile Clerk of Court
Sauk County Courthouse
515 Oak Street
Room C234
Baraboo, WI 53913
Phone: (608) 355-3226

Members of the public can stop by or write to the Register in Probate's address in Sauk County to request copies of Sauk probate court records. They may also call the Register in Probate's office line to request certified copies (payment is required before record issuance). A case number is the required criterion for telephone requests.

However, anyone ordering a copy of a probate record from the Register in Probate is liable for the $1 per page copy fee plus $3 to certify a document (if needed). An extra $4 search fee (per name) applies to search for files or records.

Those who simply wish to review a probate case may input a name or case number into the Wisconsin Circuit Court System Access database to view case information for free.

Sauk County Property Records

Sauk County property records include important information about the county's real estate and properties, including ownership histories, sales data, mortgage details, tax/assessment information, building/land characteristics, and zoning details. Individuals looking into properties or lands in Sauk County can obtain records from the following places:

• The Sauk County Register of Deeds, the region's official recorder and custodian of land records. Parties can visit or write to the Register's Office for copies of Sauk County property records. Information such as a grantee/grantor's name, document number, street address, or parcel ID number will be required for a search. Note that nominal fees apply to obtain copies of documents. If requesting records by mail, it is necessary to include an adequately sized self-addressed envelope with a stamp to facilitate the return of copies.

At the same time, property records can be accessed digitally via electronic databases provided on the Register's Office website. Viewing indexed information on these portals is typically free of charge; however, users are liable for the established costs to view or print imaged documents.

• The Sauk County Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer provides a Property Tax Information website where people can look up property assessment and tax information online. (The system is also utilized to pay property taxes.) Individuals can also call or visit the office for their property inquiries at the following address:

Sauk County West Square Building
505 Broadway
Room 148
Baraboo, WI 53913
Phone: (608) 355-3275
Fax: (608) 355-3577

• The Sauk Land Information/GIS's interactive mapping site (Tax Parcel iSite). Users can search by street address, parcel ID number, or other parameters. A person can also call the Land Information/GIS office at (608) 355-3240 for assistance.

Sauk County Court Records Online

Aside from official government websites, members of the public can utilize third-party resources, like Wisconsincourtrecords.us, to obtain Sauk County court records. These websites can be accessed with keywords like a person's first and last name or case number. They also provide other Sauk County public records and information from other US jurisdictions, such as the Sauk criminal records. However, the information retrieved from such sources might occasionally be inaccurate, making it good practice to always verify with the official sources.