La Crosse County Court Records
La Crosse County court records are official documents of filings, actions, and proceedings of cases heard in La Crosse County. The purpose of these records is to preserve official documents of cases and outcomes, ensure transparency and openness in the local judicial system, and enable enforcement, public access to case history and information, legal research, and appeals. The La Crosse County Circuit Court, the county’s only trial-level court, is the custodian of these records, which it creates, retains, and preserves in line with Wisconsin Public Records Law, Supreme Court 72, and other Wisconsin laws or rules governing record creation and retention. La Crosse County court records form part of the broader La Crosse County public records, which include vital records, arrest records, and federal case files.
Are La Crosse County Court Records Public?
Yes. La Crosse County court records, like all other government records, are public and thus open to inspection and copying under the Wisconsin Public Records Law, unless otherwise prohibited by law or court order. Civil cases, criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, traffic and ordinance violation cases, probate matters, and most family cases (e.g., divorce, child support) are generally public and available for inspection and copying.
In contrast, juvenile cases, adoption proceedings, domestic abuse/restraining order filings, paternity cases, mental health proceedings, and cases sealed by a court order are restricted from public access under state law and court rules. Also, adult guardianship and conservatorship records, as well as protective placement and protective services records, are generally closed to the public (Wis. Stat. § 54.06 and Wis. Stat. ch. 55).
What Information is Available in La Crosse County Court Records?
The typical contents of La Crosse court records include:
- Case number, case type, court, attorney, judge
- Party information-names of plaintiffs and defendants
- Key event dates (e.g., filing, hearings, disposition)
- Court dockets
- Complaints/petitions, answers, counterclaims, motions
- Court orders, decrees, and judgments
- Transcripts
- Warrants, summonses, subpoenas
- Exhibits
- Charges, plea agreement, sentences (criminal records)
- Wills and estate administration documents (probate records)
La Crosse County Court Records Search
La Crosse County court records may be searched through:
- Online Access - Available via name-based and case number searches on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA/CCAP) portal. The portal is free and provides access to public court records of Wisconsin circuit courts. Users may search for and view La Crosse County case dockets, summaries, and case documents via the portal. However, note that access to case documents may vary, and records not open to public inspection are not available on the WCCA portal. These include adoptions, juvenile delinquency, child protection, termination of parental rights, guardianship, and civil commitments.
- In-Person Access - Through in-person visits to the La Crosse County Clerk of Courts (also referred to as the Clerk of Circuit Court) from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. At the clerk’s office, submit a request to search and/or obtain copies of court records of cases heard in the La Crosse County Circuit Court. The clerk’s office allows requesters to use its public access computers to search for and retrieve court records/documents of interest.
La Crosse County Clerk of Courts
333 Vine Street, Room 1200
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 785-9590
Fax: (608) 789-7821
E-mail: LaCrosse.Clerk@wicourts.gov
- Mail and Phone Requests - Contact the La Crosse County Clerk of Courts at 608-785-9590 to make inquiries or request record searches and/or copies. Or request a search and/or copies by e-mail to LaCrosse.Clerk@wicourts.gov or by mail to the clerk’s office. Mail requests should include the case party’s first name, middle initial, last name, and date of birth, and the records to be searched. It should also include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for returning feedback and fees for copies (in checks or money orders made payable to the La Crosse County Clerk of Circuit Courts). Mail requests should be sent to:
La Crosse County Clerk of Circuit Courts
333 Vine Street
La Crosse, WI 54601.
Fees for Court Records in La Crosse County
The fees for court records in La Crosse County include $5.00 per record search (Wis. Stat. 814.61(11)), $1.25 per page for copies (Wis. Stat. 8.14.61(1)), and $5.00 per document for certification (Wis. Stat. § 814.61(5)). However, online access to court dockets and case documents via the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA/CCAP) portal is free. It is also free to search court records in person at the clerk’s office using a public access computer.
In contrast, vital records, including birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates from the La Crosse County Register of Deeds, cost $20 for the first copy, with an extra $3 for each additional copy of the same record issued at the same time as the first.
La Crosse County Courthouse Locations
La Crosse County has one circuit court and two (2) municipal courts. The circuit court hears criminal, traffic, family, civil, juvenile, and probate cases for La Crosse County. The circuit court also hears some municipal code violation cases. Meanwhile, the municipal courts handle municipal ordinances and traffic citations, etc.
La Crosse County Circuit Court
333 Vine Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 785-9590
Fax: (608) 789-7821
La Crosse City Hall
400 La Crosse Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 789-7290
Fax: (608) 789-8099
Coulee Region Joint Municipal Court
415 Main Street
Room 150
Onalaska, WI 54650
Phone: (608) 781-9558
Fax: (608) 779-7903.
Criminal Records Access in La Crosse County
Note that official state-level criminal history checks in La Crosse County are handled by the Wisconsin Department of Justice through its Wisconsin Online Records Check System (WORCS). As such, persons seeking to conduct statewide criminal background checks in La Crosse County should do so through WORCS.
Notwithstanding, local case records of criminal felony and misdemeanor matters handled in the La Crosse County Circuit Court are available and may be searched via the WCCA/CCAP portal or in person using public computers at the La Crosse County Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office. Copies of local criminal case documents may also be requested in person or by mail to the La Crosse County Clerk of Circuit Courts, 333 Vine Street, La Crosse, WI 54601.
La Crosse County Probate Records
La Crosse probate records encompass official filings and case documents of matters handled in La Crosse Circuit Court’s Probate Division. These include wills, estate administrations, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships. Except for probate records restricted by law or sealed by the court, such as guardianship, conservatorship, and protective placement records that are closed to the public, wills and estate records are considered public and may be searched and/or obtained via in-person or mail request to the La Crosse County Clerk of Courts (clerk of circuit courts). These records, including wills and probate filings, may also be searched/accessed online via the WCCA/CCAP portal.
La Crosse County Family Court Records
The La Crosse Family Court (part of the circuit court) handles family law cases in the county, including divorce, paternity, child support, adoption, custody, harassment, and domestic abuse injunctions. Not all La Crosse family court records are public records. Under state law, adoption, domestic abuse/restraining order filings, and paternity records are excluded from public access. However, divorce and other non-exempt family court records are public and accessible via searches on the WCCA/CCAP portal. Interested parties can also search and/or request copies of family court records in La Crosse County in person, by mail, or by e-mail from the La Crosse County Clerk of Court. Search and copy fees, as already discussed, apply.
Federal Court Records in La Crosse County
Federal cases in La Crosse County are heard in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, with records available electronically via the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) or through the district clerk’s office at the court’s location.
United States District Court
120 N. Henry Street, Room 320
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 264-5156
Fax: (608) 264-5925.
