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Law Enforcement Services

Gary Hamblin, Administrator • Biography

Crime Information Bureau

Conducting Criminal Background Checks

Wisconsin Online Criminal History Record Check System     Record Check Forms    Brochures

General Information:

What Information is Available?

Wisconsin is an "open records" state. Wisconsin statute 19.35(3) provides that most records maintained by state and local government agencies are open to the general public for inspection. All adult criminal records in the CIB database are included in the open record rule. Juvenile records are confidential under s. 938.396 and will not be disclosed to the general public.

If you submit a request for a juvenile, CIB must process the request to ensure that there was no waiver of the juvenile into adult court, thereby creating an adult record. Unless allowed by statute, no juvenile information will be returned.

All information in the CIB’s criminal history database is based on submission, by police departments, of arrest fingerprint cards. Beginning in 1971, Wisconsin law enforcement agencies were required under s. 165.84(1) to submit arrest fingerprint cards for offenses designated in s. 165.83(1)(c ). CIB was also required to accept any other arrest fingerprint cards taken at the discretion of law enforcement agencies for offenses other than those listed in s.165.83(1)(c ).

Arrests without supporting fingerprints are not included in the criminal history database.

 
 

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