Getting Ozaukee County Court Records
The Ozaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court holds circuit records across many case types: criminal, civil, family, small claims, traffic, probate, guardianship, commitment, juvenile, and judgments. Access limits still apply. Begin with WCCA to find the public case number. Once you have it, the terminal in Room 201 or a written request to the clerk can retrieve the filed document behind any docket entry.
- Identify the case number, caption, branch, and exact document through WCCA or a court notice.
- Choose inspection, plain copy, certified copy, exemplified copy, transcript, or digital audio.
- Inspect open documents at the Justice Center terminal, or request copies by email, phone, fax, mail, or in person.
- State the case number, document name, copy type, and delivery preference. Without a case number, budget for a name search.
- Pay the quoted fee and verify the completed record with the clerk or official reporter.
Call the records request line at 262-284-8420. Other channels work too. The clerk accepts email at share45.owner@wicourts.gov, fax at 262-284-8491, and mail or walk-ins at 1201 S. Spring Street, P.O. Box 994, Port Washington, WI 53074. The county answers requests as soon as practicable and follows a ten-working-day Wisconsin DOJ guideline. There is no need to send the same request twice.
Three Ozaukee Court Record Products
Three products come out of an Ozaukee case lookup. They are not the same thing. A WCCA summary is a free information aid built from public data the clerk enters. It is not the official Judgment and Lien Docket. It also does not display public document images remotely. For the signed filing itself, you need the actual document or a copy of it.
| Product | What it provides | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Case information | Number, parties, dates, entry text, status, disposition | WCCA or Room 201 |
| Filed document | The actual motion, order, judgment, or other open filing | Room 201 or clerk request |
| Certified copy | Clerk-authenticated copy for an official need | Clerk of Circuit Court |
The county's official access instructions describe WCCA and the courthouse computers.
That line matters. A public entry description is not the signed filing.
Court Record Types
Ozaukee County Circuit Court runs three branches under a single clerk structure. The record type follows the case rather than a separate civil or criminal clerk. Municipal ordinance and municipal traffic files stay with the municipal court unless an appeal creates a circuit record.
- Case information and the chronological register of events.
- Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, notices, orders, and judgments that are open to inspection.
- Criminal, civil, family, small claims, probate, traffic, forfeiture, and other circuit case files.
- Certified or exemplified copies of a specified court document.
- Certified transcripts or digital audio arranged through the official court reporter.
Confidential treatment can attach to juvenile, adoption, and protected family data, along with medical or financial attachments and anything sealed by court order. Redactions may hide part of a file. Access turns on the specific record and the law, not just the broad case category.
Ozaukee Court Record Viewing
For live records, go to Room 201 of the Ozaukee County Justice Center. The counter is not in the historic 1901 courthouse. Public computers there can display open-record filed documents. Remote WCCA omits those. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bring the case number if you can. The official clerk page identifies the office and its public-service role.
The same office takes copy orders, handles certification, and helps identify the official circuit file. It also serves as Register in Probate, though probate carries some lower copy and certification rates.
Ozaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court
Ozaukee County Justice Center, Room 201
1201 S. Spring Street
Port Washington, WI 53074
262-284-8409
Inside a Ozaukee County Court Record
Think of public case information as a map to the file. The file itself may hold every open document listed in the register, subject to redaction and retention rules.
| Case Number | A year, two-letter type, and sequence such as 2016CV000023. |
|---|---|
| Caption | The formal case name and public party roles. |
| Pleadings | Complaint or petition, answer, motions, and supporting filings. |
| Orders and Judgments | Signed court directions and final or post-judgment rulings. |
| Register | Chronological filing, hearing, order, disposition, appeal, and payment descriptions. |
| Exhibits | Filed attachments when retained and open to inspection. |
Ozaukee Local Rule 201.2 spells out what a filing caption must contain. The case name, number, branch, WCIS classification, a description of the document or motion, and the requested relief all belong there. That detail helps the clerk route papers, and it helps a requester name the precise item.
Ozaukee Court Records vs Police Files
Police reports, body-camera recordings, and arrest audio are law-enforcement agency files. They do not sit with the Clerk of Circuit Court just because they relate to a court case. Ask the responding agency for those. Criminal discovery runs through the District Attorney discovery coordinator, not the general court-record desk. A docket entry may note that material was filed or discussed. That still does not turn an agency file into a clerk record. Before submitting any request, ask who created and maintains the item. The check avoids delays and duplicates.
Custodian check: Court filings go to the clerk, transcripts and audio go to the official reporter, discovery goes to the prosecutor's coordinator, and police media goes to the responding agency.
Fees and Certified Copies
A plain copy just reproduces an open document. A certified copy adds the clerk's authentication, and an exemplified copy adds a higher form with its own charge. Confirm which form the receiving court or agency requires before you pay.
| Item | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Search without case number | $5 per name |
| General plain copy | $1.25 per page |
| Probate plain copy | $1 per page |
| General certification | $5 per document |
| Probate certification | $3 per document |
| Exemplification | $15 plus $1.25 per attached page |
These county rates track the duties and fees in Wis. Stat. §814.61. The records page does not fully list payment methods, so check current check, money-order, or card instructions before mailing anything. Page count can raise the copy cost.
Ozaukee Court Record Transcripts
Transcripts come from the official court reporter, not the general records counter. The CS-211 request form asks for the case number, case name, proceeding dates, requester contact data, requested format, and signature. The reporter then arranges production, payment, and delivery.
| Reporter product | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Certified written transcript, general public | $2.25 per page |
| Certified transcript for government agency | $1.50 per page |
| Copy of certified transcript | $0.50 per page |
| Digital audio | $10 per recording plus media and postage |
For a matter under review, the official record is the typed certified transcript, not a digital audio file. Each circuit branch has its own reporter contact. Identify the branch and proceeding date before ordering.
Older Ozaukee Court Records
Old cases can be missing from WCCA. Some predate local CCAP use; others were never backloaded. A gap does not prove the paper record never existed. Give the clerk every identifier you have. Include names, an approximate year, case type, and any old number. The clerk can address retention under Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule Chapter 72. The clerk can also check whether an archived file remains available. The county's historic courthouse page documents the older 1901 building.
The old building offers local court history, but current record inspection happens at the Justice Center. Do not assume old files are stored in the photographed building.
Sealed Records and Public Access
Wisconsin leans toward open court records. That presumption gives way, though, to statutes that make certain material confidential. Required redactions and orders a judge signs also limit it. Sealing is not something the clerk can do on request. A party who wants non-automatically confidential content sealed or redacted must file a motion, citing the legal authority and the facts. The judge rules on it.
Key Rules:
Wis. Stat. §19.31 states Wisconsin's public-record policy and presumption.
Wis. Stat. §19.35 governs inspection and copying requests, lawful limits, and fees.
Wis. Stat. §59.20(3) addresses clerk and register-in-probate record examination duties.
Wis. Stat. §801.19 protects listed personal identifiers in circuit filings.
Wis. Stat. §801.20 identifies confidential court records and documents.
Wis. Stat. §801.21 supplies the motion process for sealing or redaction.
Even a public file can hold a restricted attachment. WCCA may display limited metadata, or flag the item as sealed, while keeping the protected content out of view. Redaction of only what needs hiding is preferred where it fits, but statutory confidentiality and judicial orders always control. No public portal or courthouse terminal gets around them.