How to Get Wisconsin Vital Records (Start Here)

Vital records in Wisconsin — birth certificates, death certificates, marriage records, and divorce records — are handled at the state level by Wisconsin DHS Vital Records. Marriage licenses are issued locally by the County Clerk.

What this page covers: Wisconsin vital record ordering, eligibility requirements, and related databases. What it does not cover: Genealogy records older than the state vital records system (check the Genealogy Resources page for historical records).

Where to start: For certified copies of birth or death certificates, contact Wisconsin DHS Vital Records. For marriage licenses, contact the County Clerk in the county where the ceremony will occur. For divorce records, contact the court that granted the decree.

Common mistake: Birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees come from different offices. Do not assume one office handles all vital records.

Statewide vital-records agency
Vital Records | Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Parent agency
Vital Records | Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Records back to
Vital Records | Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Online ordering
Vital Records: Requesting a Vital Record | Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Marriage license issued by
County of Milwaukee | County Clerk | Milwaukee County Marriage License | Milwaukee County Clerk
Local intake
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Population
5,960,975
Households
2,435,900
Median Income
$72,458
Median Home Value
$230,700
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Wisconsin vital records URL verified against the official state publisher at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.

Wisconsin Vital Records — Key Facts (2026)

Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for Wisconsin — who can request, how to order, and what 2026 changed.
State-only
Issuing authority
Not federal
Restricted
Birth/death access
Usually self + family
75-125 yr
When records become public
Genealogy threshold
VitalChek
3rd-party portal
Used by many states
CDC NVSS
National statistics
Data only, no certificates
Who can request a Wisconsin vital record
The person named
100%
Parent of subject
100%
Spouse of subject
90%
Adult child
90%
Legal representative
80%
General public (recent)
10%
General public (historical 75+yr)
95%
Unit: % likely to receive a certified copy.

What Changed in 2026 — Wisconsin Vital Records

2026
Wisconsin vital records portal active
The official Wisconsin portal at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for vital records in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for vital records
The CDC National Vital Statistics System at www.cdc.gov provides federal-level context that complements Wisconsin state records.
2026
Wisconsin access in 2026
For 2026, Wisconsin continues to publish vital records information through state-authorized portals; check www.dhs.wisconsin.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Wisconsin's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.

The 4-Step Wisconsin Vital Records Pathway

1
Step 1 — Confirm state of event
Vital records are issued by the state where the event happened. For events in Wisconsin, start with the Wisconsin health department.
2
Step 2 — Verify eligibility
Most states restrict birth/death to self, parents, spouse, child, or legal rep.
3
Step 3 — Choose ordering method
Wisconsin typically allows mail, in-person, or online (often via VitalChek).
4
Step 4 — Genealogy fallback
Wisconsin records older than 75-125 years are usually public — try FamilySearch or NARA.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Wisconsin Vital Records

MYTH"VitalChek is a government website."
FACTIt's a private company that many states authorize to process orders. Legitimate, yes — but the extra convenience fees are theirs, not the state's.
MYTH"Vital records are federal records."
FACTThey're state records. The CDC compiles national statistics but has never issued a birth or death certificate — the state (and in Wisconsin, its vital records office) does.
MYTH"Marriage licenses come from the state."
FACTIn most states — Wisconsin included for most purposes — you get the license at the county level, and the state only registers the completed record.
MYTH"Old records stay sealed forever."
FACTThe opposite — most states open birth records after 75-125 years and death records sooner. That's why genealogy sites are full of historical certificates.
MYTH"The court divorce file and the divorce record are one document."
FACTTwo systems: the court keeps the case file, the vital records office keeps the divorce record/certificate. Which one you need depends on who's asking for it.

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

Related Vital Records Resources

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Vital records
Sample Wisconsin counties: Adams · Ashland · Barron · Bayfield · Brown

Vital Records Databases

28 official Wisconsin vital records sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Vital Records

About Our Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Collections | Wisconsin Historical Society
Official Free
The Society has millions of vital records recorded in Wisconsin before October 1, 1907, at the state level. The collection includes approximately: 1 million birth records and 27,000 delayed birth records ...
🌐 wisconsinhistory.org
H'Doubler, Margaret - WisHistory
Official Free
The Wisconsin Name Index (WNI) is a searchable index of names found in various collections in the Library. These include: About 150 county and local histories · Dozens of professional directories and biographical encyclopedias · More than 60 scrapbooks containing 30,000 obituaries from the “Wisconsin Necrology” scrapbooks ·
🌐 wisconsinhistory.org
Adams County, WI - County Clerk
Official Free
The County Clerk issues marriage licenses, timber cutting notices, compiles and maintains the official directory for Adams County, publishes the proceedings of the County Board, apportions taxes, issues dog licenses to Adams County municipal treasurers, and performs all other administrative duties per Wisconsin State Statutes.
🌐 co.adams.wi.us
Site help
Official Free
While some counties have loaded historical cases (Door County has probate cases going back to 1859), most counties have data going back to the time when they began using circuit court case management system. To view any cases not available on WCCA, visit the Clerk of place.
🌐 wcca.wicourts.gov
Friends of the Library - Fond du Lac Public Library
Official Free
Archival material for Wisconsin — a common source for obituaries and older record indexes. Confirm details with the official vital record office before relying on them.
🌐 fdlpl.org
Register of Deeds-Vital Records - Green Lake County, WI
Official Free
Wisconsin photo I.D. card · Out-of-state driver’s license or photo I.D. card ... Two of these: At least one of these must show your current name and address. Government-issued employee I.D. card or badge with photograph ... State Law restricts who may obtain a certified copy of a death certificate. Please review the criteria for obtaining a death certificate if you have questions. Copy Link · The Green Lake County Register of Deeds and Land Information Departments maintain a tremendous amount of important historical documents pertaining to the county.
🌐 co.green-lake.wi.us
Welcome to the Official Website of Iowa County, WI - Vital Records
Official Free
Birth, death, and marriage record requests for Iowa County route through this office. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official vital record office.
🌐 iowacountywi.gov
https://pay.paygov.us/Content/PayGOVTermsAndCondit...
Official Free
PayGOV will attempt to address and answer your questions regarding your payment. Specific items may be discussed such as the amount, date, Agency to which it was directed, and payment type. This information is based on system records available to us.
🌐 pay.paygov.us
Langlade County, Wisconsin
Official Free
Vital-record certificates connected to Langlade County are ordered here. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
🌐 co.langlade.wi.us
Portage County (Wisconsin) Cemetery Locator: Badger Cemetery
Official Free
Portage County vital records — marriages, births, deaths, certificates.
🌐 library.uwsp.edu
Vital Record Certificates | Portage County, WI
Official Free
Bring a valid photo i.d. (driver's license or government-issued i.d.) Acceptable forms of payment: cashier's check, money order, or cash. Credit/Debit cards and personal checks are not accepted. For birth or marriage certificates throughout Wisconsin and deaths, divorces or domestic partnership declarations/terminations that occurred in Portage County: Download and print one of the following Vital ...
🌐 co.portage.wi.gov
Cr-Cz - Richland County, WI Obituaries 1990-1999
Official Free
Local-history and genealogy holdings for Richland County — older records and obituary indexes often surface here first. Confirm details with the official vital record office before relying on them.
🌐 monticellowi.com
Local History Database | Hedberg Public Library
Official Free
Janesville, Wisconsin's Oldest Continuing Businesses: Locally Owned and Operated for 100 Years or More in 2002, (2002), by Albert and Lois Hough. JR REF 977.587 HOUG. Janesville's Early History, 977.587 JANES. (The major subjects of each of these essays written by Janesville teachers and residents in the 1950s are indexed) Johnstown Album, Volumes 1-3, a Visual History of Johnstown Township, Rock County, Wisconsin (1970), with an introduction by Helen Wehler, Lilah Zanton, and Vivian Sturtevant.
🌐 hedbergpubliclibrary.org
Vital Records | Winnebago County, WI
Official Free
Birth, death, and marriage record requests for Winnebago County route through this office. Confirm details with the official vital record office before relying on them.
🌐 winnebagocountywi.gov
Wood County, Wisconsin, Genealogy | McMillan Memorial Library
Official Free
Copies of Wood County, WI Governmental Records, 4 volumes · Note that many of these collections are not indexed and need to be used in-person at the Library. ... Archive of Wisconsin Newspapers has a collection of some historical Wisconsin newspapers asa well as more recent papers from 2005 up to 90 days before the present.
🌐 mcmillanlibrary.org
Church & Cemetery Records
Official Free
Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Cemeteries A searchable database of those buried at any of the eight Catholic cemeteries maintained by the Milwaukee Archdiocese including All Saints Cemetery & Mausoleum at 3300 Springbrook Road, Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County .
🌐 uwp.edu
Resources | Oshkosh Public Library
Official Free
Search vital records as reported in newspapers in 5 Wisconsin counties: Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara and Winnebago. View Resource · 1820-1907 birth, marriage & death records (& more!) made available for free through the Ancestry / Wisconsin Historical Society partnership.
🌐 oshkoshlibrary.org
PAGE 1 SUN PRAIRIE HISTORICAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM SLOTTEN, ARTHUR G.
Official Free
For historical Wisconsin research, this collection carries indexes the government offices no longer keep at the counter. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official vital record office.
🌐 cityofsunprairie.com

Wisconsin Counties

72 Wisconsin counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Milwaukee Dane Waukesha Brown Racine Outagamie Winnebago Kenosha Rock Adams Ashland Barron Bayfield Buffalo

Which Wisconsin counties publish vital records information online

31 of Wisconsin's 72 counties run their own online source for vital records information, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Certified birth certificates for events in Wisconsin are issued by the Official Wisconsin Vital Records at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov. Requests can be made by mail, in person, or (in most cases) online through the state's authorized vendor. The county of registration may also be able to issue certified copies for recent local events.

Wisconsin death certificates are issued by the Official Wisconsin Vital Records; eligibility (next of kin, executor, legal representative) and ID documentation requirements are listed at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov. For deaths within the last year, the county clerk or local registrar where the death occurred can often issue a copy more quickly.

Wisconsin marriage and divorce records are not generally available in a free, name-searchable online index. The Official Wisconsin Vital Records (www.dhs.wisconsin.gov) handles certified copies; the underlying license/decree is filed with the county clerk or court that issued it, which is also a primary search point.

Standard Wisconsin vital-record processing times vary from a few business days (in-person same-day at some county clerks) to several weeks for mailed requests. The Official Wisconsin Vital Records publishes current turnaround times at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov. Expedited processing is usually available for an additional fee.

The Official Wisconsin Vital Records requires government-issued photo identification (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID) and proof of your relationship to the record holder, if applicable. The full list of acceptable ID and supporting documents is published at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov.