Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Madison, Wisconsin, in Dane County, has about 285,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Madison is a file of the Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records and common questions.
Related guides: Madison public records, Dane County divorce records, Madison arrest records, Madison warrants, Madison inmate search, Madison criminal records, Wisconsin arrest records and Wisconsin inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Madison Is Filed and Kept
A divorce in Wisconsin is a court case, so the file and the final judgment of a divorce from Madison stay with the Circuit Court. The Clerk of Circuit Court keeps it, and the case index tells whether a divorce was filed and when.
For Dane County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at da.danecounty.gov/Court-Process/Records-and-Fines (page title: Records and Fines | The Dane County District Attorney's Office), phone (608) 266-4311, 215 S. Hamilton St. #1000 Madison WI 53703-3285, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, Wisconsin Circuit Court Access is the free statewide case search of every circuit court.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Madison
A certified copy of the decree comes from the Clerk of Circuit Court, the office that keeps the file, reached through the court at (608) 266-4311.
Wisconsin Vital Records also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1907.
The Wisconsin vital records page SearchSystems verified is at dhs.wisconsin.gov/vitalrecords/index.htm.
The Register of Deeds, whose page SearchSystems verified is at rod.danecounty.gov/real-estate/online-record-search, records deeds and liens, not divorces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Madison?
From the Circuit Court, through the Clerk of Circuit Court (da.danecounty.gov). Wisconsin Vital Records also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1907.
Are divorce records public in Wisconsin?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Madison?
The Circuit Court. The file is kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
Does Wisconsin issue divorce certificates?
Wisconsin Vital Records also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1907.
Is this the official Madison website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.