Milwaukee County Court Records

Milwaukee County Court Records

Milwaukee County court records comprise all official records and files containing details about cases heard by local courts. Milwaukee County's judicial system includes the Circuit Court and several municipal courts. The courts hear all cases for which the county has jurisdiction, and the clerks of these courts administer all court activities, including maintaining records of active and closed cases.

Court records are considered part of Milwaukee County Public Records and are highly relevant in fostering transparency and accountability within the Milwaukee County court system. They can be inspected or obtained to determine a case's final verdict, determine a trial location or time, or review case events and activities. At the same time, judges can peruse records of previous court cases to decide new cases having similar facts, and attorneys can research past cases to find legal precedents, and so on.

Are Court Records Public in Milwaukee County?

Yes. Court records are open to the public in Milwaukee County under the Wisconsin Public Records Law (Wis. Stats. §§ 19.31-19.39). The law ensures that any record, such as a court record, being kept by an authority is open to public access.

However, certain court records are deemed confidential in Milwaukee County. These records are exempt from public access because of a law, court rule, or court order. Examples include:

• Guardianship records
• Juvenile proceedings
• Mental health records
• Adoption case records
• Child abuse cases
• Grand jury proceedings
• Documents sealed by court order
• Protected information such as driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and passport numbers

What Do Milwaukee County Court Records Contain?

The contents of Milwaukee County court records generally vary according to case type (civil or criminal). Nonetheless, individuals seeking Milwaukee County court records may find the following details:

• Case title
• Case filing date
• Case type and status (open or closed)
• Mode of filing (how a case was filed)
• The court location
• The date of birth, sex, address, and name of the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s)
• Names and bar numbers of attorneys of record
• The presiding judge's name
• A list of events that occurred and documents filed during case proceedings (as well as the filing dates)

Where to Conduct a Milwaukee County Case Lookup

Individuals who intend to conduct a court case lookup in Milwaukee County have the following options:

• Search at the courthouse where a case was heard
• For remote access: Search the electronic case search portal provided by the court

How to Conduct a Milwaukee County Case Records Search

The first point of contact for individuals who wish to conduct a case record search in Milwaukee County is the courthouse or court division where a case was filed. In-person requesters must visit during business hours to ask the records custodian for assistance.

An individual can also write to the records custodian (usually the court clerk's office) to search for case records. All requests, whether made in person or via mail, must contain sufficient details (e.g., a case number, party name, filing date) to identify the sought-after record(s).

Alternatively, one may access a case search portal on a Milwaukee County court or court clerk's website. An example is the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access provided on the state judiciary's website to research circuit court cases remotely, including cases originating from the Milwaukee County Circuit Court (see FAQs). Another example is the Case Search portal provided on the City of Milwaukee Municipal Court's website to look up the city's municipal cases without going to the courthouse. These websites are typically searchable with a party name, case number, or citation number.

While inspecting case records is typically free, the courts may charge a fee to search for a case or release uncertified/certified copies of court case records. Inquirers may contact the relevant records custodian's office for the exact reproduction or research costs.

Milwaukee County Civil Court Case Records

Civil court case records contain information about civil disputes between two or more parties. The Civil Division of Milwaukee County's Circuit Court hears all civil matters, including small claims, evictions, foreclosures, garnishments, probate, paternity, and divorce cases.

Milwaukee County civil court case records can be obtained through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website by visiting the circuit clerk's civil records center in Room G-9 during business hours or by submitting a completed records request form via mail or email. Mail requests may take up to three weeks to be processed. (Note that some records are only available in person.)

Generally, plain copies cost $1.25 per page, certified copies cost $5 per document, and a $5 search fee applies if a requester does not provide a case number.

Milwaukee County Criminal Court Case Records

Criminal court case records include all files and paperwork generated, gathered, or maintained because of a criminal court proceeding—a criminal traffic, felony, or misdemeanor case. The Criminal Division of Milwaukee County's Circuit Court handles such proceedings and keeps related records through the circuit clerk's office.

Criminal case records can be obtained from the circuit clerk in person at the criminal division's customer service window or online via the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, as described previously. The clerk does not process mail requests for criminal case records.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free

Although courts in Milwaukee County provide online case search portals to interested members of the public, these sites usually offer only summaries of court cases. Obtaining uncertified (plain) or certified (with court seal) copies of court records costs a small fee.

Another viable option to obtain court records online for free is to search third-party aggregator websites that offer such services. However, some information or documents may not be accessible to a user without payment. Third-party websites are primarily viewed as an excellent place to start a search for court records.

Courts in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Milwaukee County Circuit Court - Civil Division
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 North 9th Street
Room 104
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: (414) 278-5362

Milwaukee County Circuit Court - Criminal Division
Milwaukee County Safety Building
821 West State Street
Room 117
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: (414) 278-4538

Milwaukee County Circuit Court - Children's Division
Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center
10201 West Watertown Plank Road
Room 1530
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Phone: (414) 257-7700

Milwaukee County Circuit Court - Traffic Division
Milwaukee County Safety Building
821 West State Street
Room 117
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: (414) 278-4538

Milwaukee County Circuit Court - Probate Division
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 N 9th Street
Room 207
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: (414) 278-4444

City of Cudahy Municipal Court
5050 South Lake Drive
Cudahy, WI 53110
Phone: (414) 769-2218
Fax: (414) 769-2259

City of Franklin Municipal Court
Franklin Law Enforcement Center
9455 West Loomis Road
Franklin, WI 53132
Phone: (414) 425-4768
Fax: (414) 858-2625

City of Greenfield Municipal Court
5300 West Layton Avenue
Greenfield, WI 53220
Phone: (414) 761-5366
Fax: (414) 761-5360

City of Milwaukee Municipal Court
951 North James Lovell Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: (414) 286-3800
Fax: (414) 286-3615

City of Oak Creek Municipal Court
301 West Ryan Road
Oak Creek, WI 53154
Phone: (414) 766-7621
Fax: (414) 766-6691

City of South Milwaukee Municipal Court
2424 15th Avenue
South Milwaukee, WI 53172
Phone: (414) 762-2222 ext. 170

City of St. Francis Municipal Court
St. Francis Civic Center
3400 East Howard Avenue
St. Francis, WI 53235
Phone: (414) 316-4315

City of Wauwatosa Municipal Court
7725 West North Avenue
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
Phone: (414) 471-8488
Fax: (414) 479-8999

City of West Allis Municipal Court
11301 West Lincoln Avenue
West Allis, WI 53227
Phone: (414) 302-8181

Village of Greendale Municipal Court
Greendale Safety Center
5911 West Grange Avenue
Greendale, WI 53129
Phone: (414) 423-2127
Fax: (414) 409-2559

Village of Bayside Municipal Court
Glendale City Hall
5909 North Milwaukee Parkway
Glendale, WI 53217
Phone: (414) 228-1752

Village of Brown Deer Municipal Court
4800 West Green Brook Drive
Brown Deer, WI 53223
Phone: (414) 371-3005
Fax: (414) 371-3045

Village of Fox Point Municipal Court
7300 North Santa Monica Boulevard
Fox Point, Wisconsin 53127
Phone: (414) 247-6637
Fax: (414) 351-9807

Village of Hales Corners Municipal Court
5635 South New Berlin Road
Hales Corners, WI 53130
Phone: (414) 529-6145
Fax: (414) 529-6142

Village of River Hills Municipal Court
7650 North Pheasant Lane
River Hills, WI 53217
Phone: (414) 247-2311
Fax: (414) 352-8355

Village of Shorewood Municipal Court
Village Hall
3936 North Murray Avenue
2nd Floor
Shorewood, WI 53211
Phone: (414) 847-2617
Fax: (414) 847-2606

Village of West Milwaukee Municipal Court
West Milwaukee Community Centre
1345 South 47th Street
West Milwaukee, WI 53214
Phone: (414) 645-5411
Fax: (414) 645-8162

Village of Whitefish Bay Municipal Court
5300 North Marlborough Drive
Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
Phone: (414) 967-5125
Fax: (414) 755-6558