Walworth County, Wisconsin State Court Records
Walworth County court records are official files created during court proceedings in the county's circuit court. The Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court maintains these records, which may include civil, criminal, traffic, family, small-claims, probate, judgment, and other circuit-court filings. Interested parties may access some of these records online through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or visit the Clerk of Courts Office to inspect and copy files.
Court records may connect with other records. For example, an arrest record may later connect to a criminal court case if charges are filed. Divorce and probate cases may connect to vital records when a person needs proof of marriage, divorce, birth, or death. In Walworth County, vital records are handled by the Register of Deeds, which files, records, and issues birth, death, marriage, and related vital records.
Are Walworth County Court Records Public?
Yes. Walworth County court records are generally public under Wisconsin's public access framework.
For example, Wisconsin Statutes § 59.20 generally requires county officers, including the clerk of circuit court, to make records maintained by their offices available for public examination, subject to legal exceptions. This stance aligns with Wisconsin's public records law (Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31 to 19.39), which reflects state policy that public records should generally be open to inspection. Consequently, requesters may access most public information on Walworth County Circuit Court cases through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court's Office.
Wisconsin statutes or court rules may classify records as confidential, sealed, or restricted. Commonly restricted case types and records include adoption-related records, certain juvenile matters, expunged records, protected personal identifiers, and information restricted by statute or court order.
What Information is Available in Walworth County Court Records?
Some components of a Walworth County court record include:
- Parties' names and names of attorneys
- Case number, case type, and filing date
- Docket entries
- Complaints or petitions
- Motions and orders
- Judgments and dispositions
- Hearing dates, trial dates, and sentencing information (where applicable)
- Case status
Depending on the case type, Walworth County court records may also comprise criminal charges (in criminal cases), small claims information, civil case claims, family case filings (where public), some guardianship case information (if publicly available), financial obligations, fines, or fees, and warrant or commitment entries (if shown in the case record).
Walworth County Court Records Search
Requesters wishing to conduct a county-wide search of Walworth County court records may do so using the following resources:
For Online Searches
Individuals seeking Walworth County court records may search theWisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA), which returns public case information, including party names, case numbers, case status, court events, judgments, and docket entries. Requesters may search the WCCA by a person's name, a business name, or a case number.
When searching by party name, users must enter a complete first and last name (or a business name). However, they only need to insert the first three (3) or more consecutive letters of the name and the asterisk (*) to search for partial names.
The portal provides access to publicly available court records for civil, criminal, family, probate, and small-claims cases. It does not display confidential court records related to adoptions, juvenile delinquency, child protection, termination of parental rights, guardianship, and civil commitments.
Information seekers usually do not have to pay or register for an account to access record indexes on the platform. However, viewing the physical documents at the courthouse may incur fees.
In-Person Access
County residents and visitors may request court records in person from the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court Office at the following address.
Walworth County Clerk of the Circuit Court
1800 County Trunk NN
Elkhorn, WI 53121
Phone: 262-741-7012
Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For in-person requests, interested parties are expected to provide the case number (if known), the parties' names, the case type, and the approximate filing date.
Mail and Phone Requests
A requester may contact the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court by phone before sending a mail request. The office directory lists several numbers for different case areas, including Criminal (262-741-7040), Docketing (262-741-7063), Probate (262-741-7048), Records-Civil (262-741-7063), and Records-Family (262-741-7063).
Individuals sending mail-in requests must submit a written request with the court case number or citation number, a self-addressed, stamped envelope, a copy of their valid photo ID, and payment for copy or certification fees.
Requesters are expected to send their mail requests to:
Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court
P.O. Box 1001
Elkhorn, WI 53121
Physical address:
Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court
1800 County Trunk NN
Elkhorn, WI 53121
Wisconsin's circuit court fee schedule lists regular copies at $1.25 per page and certified copies at $5.00 per document plus $1.25 per page for copying. Applicants who do not provide a case number will incur a $5.00 fee per name searched.
Fees for Court Records in Walworth County
In Walworth County, requesters may inspect public court records for free when they access them through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or the Circuit Clerk's Office. Court record costs typically arise from making paper copies, certifying copies, or searching for records.
Under the Wisconsin circuit court fee schedule, plain copies cost $1.25 per page, while certified copies cost $5.00 per document, plus $1.25 per page. A $5 search fee may apply when a requester does not provide the case number and the clerk must search for the file.
Walworth County Courthouse Locations
Walworth County has one main county circuit court courthouse and about 17 municipal courts serving municipalities in the county. The contact and location addresses for these courts are outlined in the table below.
|
Court/Courthouse Location |
Address |
Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
|
Walworth County Circuit Court/Walworth County Judicial Center |
1800 County Trunk NN, Elkhorn, WI 53121 |
262-741-7012 |
|
Town of Bloomfield Municipal Court |
W889 Eau Claire Road, Genoa City, WI |
262-745-2058 |
|
Village of Bloomfield Municipal Court |
W889 Eau Claire Road, Genoa City, WI |
262-745-2058 |
|
Town of Delavan Municipal Court |
5621 Town Hall Road, Delavan, WI 53115 |
262-728-5563 |
|
Town of East Troy Municipal Court |
W720 Honey Creek Road, Burlington, WI |
262-206-1993 |
|
Town of Geneva Municipal Court |
N3496 Como Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147 |
262-248-3885 |
|
Town of Linn Municipal Court |
P.O. Box 130, Zenda, WI 53195 |
262-275-6300 ext. 30 |
|
Village of Darien Municipal Court |
P.O. Box 224, Darien, WI |
262-882-5050 |
|
Village of East Troy Municipal Court |
2015 Energy Drive, East Troy, WI 53120 |
262-642-6252 |
|
Village of Fontana Municipal Court |
308 Kinzie Avenue, Fontana, WI |
630-292-1776 |
|
Village of Mukwonago Municipal Court |
Address not listed in the Walworth County municipal judges document |
262-363-6433 |
|
Village of Sharon Municipal Court |
P.O. Box 379, Sharon, WI |
262-749-4649 |
|
Village of Walworth Municipal Court |
P.O. Box 400, Walworth, WI 53184 |
262-275-2125 |
|
Village of Williams Bay Municipal Court |
P.O. Box 580, Williams Bay, WI |
262-245-2634 |
|
City of Delavan Municipal Court |
123 S. 2nd Street, Delavan, WI |
262-728-5585 |
|
City of Elkhorn Municipal Court |
100 W. Walworth Street, Elkhorn, WI |
262-723-2340 |
|
City of Lake Geneva Municipal Court |
626 Geneva Street, Lake Geneva, WI |
262-248-4651 |
|
City of Whitewater Municipal Court |
312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI |
262-473-1384 |
Criminal Records Access in Walworth County
In Walworth County, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Crime Information Bureau, handles official statewide criminal history checks through the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS). These background checks differ from county court searches because they search the statewide criminal history database, not just one county's court records. Walworth County residents and visitors may request adult criminal history record information through WORCS after paying the necessary fee.
For local criminal case records, requesters may obtain such information through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court. The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access provides online access to circuit court case information, excluding confidential, sealed, or restricted court records. Alternatively, inquirers with identifying information (e.g., case number) may visit the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court to search the office's public criminal case files.
Walworth County Probate Records
Walworth County probate records comprise court files and office records used to administer a deceased person's estate and protect people who need help making decisions. In Walworth County, the Walworth County Register in Probate handles these records.
Probate-related estate records often include wills and probate filings (proving a will), estate administrations (appointing an administrator when there is no will or no executor can serve), trust proceedings, and guardianship proceedings.
Walworth County Family Court Records
In Walworth County, family court records comprise family law cases filed in the Walworth County Circuit Court. These cases often involve divorce, legal separation, custody, physical placement, child support, maintenance, paternity, adoption, and related family proceedings.
Requesters may search for some family case information through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, but access usually depends on case type. Some family records, such as those related to divorce, annulment, or legal separation, are generally public unless sealed or redacted. Records related to adoption, juvenile, sealed, confidential, and certain child-related records may be unavailable online or restricted from public inspection.
Individuals may also request family court records in person from the Walworth County Clerk of Circuit Court, as the primary record custodian.
The Clerk of Circuit Court's Office is located at:
Walworth County Judicial Center
1800 County Trunk NN
Elkhorn, WI 53121
Those seeking certified copies may also submit their request to the Clerk of Circuit Court. Requesters are usually expected to provide record-identifying information, such as the case number, parties' names, case type, and the document sought. Certified copies of court records cost $5.00 per document, plus $1.25 per page for copying.
Requesters may obtain divorce records from January 1, 2016, to the present as vital records (divorce certificates). They must, however, contact the County Clerk of Courts where a divorce occurred for divorces before January 1, 2016.
Federal Court Records in Walworth County
At the federal level, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (Milwaukee Division) handles federal cases related to Walworth County, while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin oversees bankruptcy matters.
The court hears cases involving federal crimes, lawsuits based on federal law, and specific matters from different states that meet federal requirements.
Individuals seeking federal court records may contact the Clerk's Office. The Eastern District of Wisconsin Clerk's Office maintains the official public record of federal court proceedings for the district. It provides access and administrative support for court business.
Alternatively, they may access federal case records online through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). Using the portal, information seekers may search and view federal docket sheets and documents for cases filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin federal district court, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and nationwide via the PACER Case Locator. Registration is free, but PACER typically charges $0.10 per page for access.
Note: Federal records are separate from Walworth County's state court files and are accessed through federal court systems and federal court locations.
