SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 2, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Washburn County is a county in Wisconsin with about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 8 county office pages for Washburn County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, District Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Washburn County public records live

Each kind of Washburn County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Washburn County

A person arrested in Washburn County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Washburn County.

  • Website: washburnsheriff.org/jail (page title: Washburn County Jail | Washburn County Sheriff's Office)
  • Address: 421 Highway 63, Shell Lake, WI 54871
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Washburn County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Washburn County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Washburn County.

  • Website: co.washburn.wi.us/departments/clerk-of-circuit-court (page title: Clerk of Circuit Court | Washburn County)
  • Phone: (715) 468-4677
  • Address: 500 S Barstow St Eau Claire WI 54702
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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County Clerk of Washburn County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Washburn County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Washburn County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Washburn County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: Register of Deeds

Property values: County Assessor

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Birth, death and marriage records in Washburn County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Washburn County are issued by the office below. The Wisconsin state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

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District Attorney for Washburn County

The District Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Washburn County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

  • Website: co.washburn.wi.us/departments/district-attorney (page title: District Attorney | Washburn County)
  • Phone: (715) 468-4670
  • Address: 10 Fourth Avenue Shell Lake WI 54871
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to Washburn County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Washburn County.

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Statewide Wisconsin sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Wisconsin state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Washburn County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Washburn County

Washburn County has 4 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Spooner (2,494)
  • Shell Lake (1,393)
  • Minong (557)
  • Birchwood (408)

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Washburn County Arrest Records

The Washburn County arrest records guide names the three agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 346 arrests the two agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Washburn County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Washburn County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Washburn County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Washburn County inmate search (the jail page of the Washburn County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Washburn County criminal records (the court file, the Wisconsin criminal history and the local arrest records), Washburn County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Washburn County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Wisconsin Public Records Law requires), Washburn County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Washburn County DUI (the OWI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Washburn County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Washburn County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Washburn County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Washburn County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Washburn County at washburnsheriff.org/jail. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Washburn County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Washburn County is at co.washburn.wi.us, phone (715) 468-4677. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Washburn County?

The Register of Deeds, at co.washburn.wi.us. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Washburn County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Washburn County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Washburn County vital records at co.washburn.wi.us, phone (715) 468-4616, or from the Wisconsin state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Washburn County?

Through the records request page at co.washburn.wi.us. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.