How Do I Look Up Warrants in Wisconsin?

You can use WisconsinCourts.us to locate a warrant in Wisconsin, as it compiles publicly available information reported by Wisconsin's courts and law enforcement agencies into a single search. When available, a search reveals the warrant type, issuing court, case number, alleged offense, and bail or bond amount, among other details depending on the record type and issuing county.

Wisconsin's 72 counties each maintain their own criminal records independently. The state does operate the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) portal, which provides free, searchable case data from every circuit court branch in the state — a rarity among state court systems. But WCCA is a case-management index, not a warrant-specific database. It shows whether a case exists and may indicate a warrant status within the case record, but it does not offer a dedicated warrant search function, and active warrant data is not always reflected in real time. That distinction matters for anyone trying to confirm whether an outstanding warrant is currently on file.

Because some warrant records — particularly bench warrants for missed court dates — may appear only in WCCA case notes rather than in a standalone warrant list, and because municipal warrants issued by non-circuit courts may not appear there at all, piecing together a complete picture across Wisconsin's 72 jurisdictions still requires checking multiple sources. That fragmentation is precisely what makes a consolidated tool relevant in this state, despite Wisconsin having better centralized court data than most.

Are Warrants Public Information in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin's Open Records Law, codified in §§ 19.31–19.39 of the Wisconsin Statutes, establishes a strong presumption of public access to government records. Under § 19.35(1), any person has a right to inspect or obtain copies of records held by a state or local authority, with narrow exceptions. Arrest warrants and bench warrants fall within this framework: once a warrant has been issued and entered into the court system, the record of its existence is accessible to the public.

Search warrants occupy different ground. Because they are tied to active criminal investigations, the underlying affidavits and supporting documents are routinely sealed by court order, at least until the warrant is executed and returned under § 968.17. Even then, a court may keep certain materials under seal if disclosure would compromise an ongoing investigation or endanger a witness. Warrants connected to sealed cases — including some involving juveniles or John Doe proceedings under § 968.26 — remain entirely non-public.

One practical gap to understand: Wisconsin's Open Records Law sets no fixed response deadline. Instead, § 19.35(4)(a) requires authorities to respond "as soon as practicable and without delay." Agencies interpret that language differently. A small county clerk's office may fulfill a warrant inquiry within a day; a larger agency processing high volumes of requests may take weeks. There is no statutory penalty for slow responses, and the only formal remedy is a mandamus action in circuit court — a route few individuals pursue for a single records request.

How to Search for a Warrant in Wisconsin

Use WisconsinCourts.us. Our Instant Warrant Lookup presents you with warrant record data compiled from available public resources in one convenient search. When available, you can find warrant type, issuing court, case number, alleged offense, and bail/bond amount, among other details, depending on the record type and issuing county.
Search the WCCA portal directly. The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access system allows free searches by name or case number across all 72 counties. WCCA displays case filings, charges, and case status — which may include warrant notations — but the system is a case index, not a warrant database. Municipal court cases and some sealed proceedings do not appear in WCCA, and warrant-specific status updates depend on how quickly individual clerks update the system.
Call the county sheriff's office or clerk of circuit court. For the most current information on an active warrant, a direct inquiry to the county where the case originated is often the fastest route. Have the subject's full legal name, date of birth, and, if known, the county of origin ready. Some sheriff's offices will confirm warrant status over the phone; others will direct the caller to the clerk of court.
Visit in person. The clerk of circuit court in each county can look up warrant records and provide copies of publicly available filings. Anyone checking on a warrant issued in their own name should be aware that appearing at a sheriff's office or courthouse may result in immediate arrest if the warrant is active.
Retain an attorney. A criminal defense attorney can make discreet inquiries with the clerk of court or district attorney's office to confirm whether a warrant exists, determine its scope, and advise on how to respond — without triggering an arrest during the inquiry process.

How Long Is a Warrant Active in Wisconsin?

Arrest warrants and bench warrants in Wisconsin do not expire. Under § 968.04, once a judge finds probable cause and issues a warrant, it remains enforceable until it is executed, recalled by the court, or the underlying case is dismissed. Search warrants are the exception: § 968.15(1) requires execution and return within five days of issuance, and any unexecuted search warrant is automatically void under § 968.15(2).

Wisconsin's bail jumping statute, § 946.49, adds a distinctive enforcement layer. A person released on bond who fails to comply with its terms — including failing to appear — faces a separate criminal charge: a Class A misdemeanor if the underlying case is a misdemeanor, or a Class H felony if the underlying case is a felony. That means a missed court date in Wisconsin does not merely leave an open bench warrant; it can generate an entirely new criminal charge carrying up to six years of imprisonment.

Wisconsin Warrant Records by County

Warrants in Wisconsin are issued and maintained at the county level by each of the state's 72 circuit courts. While the WCCA system provides a centralized index of circuit court case records, there is no dedicated statewide warrant database that aggregates all active warrants into a single searchable list. Municipal court warrants, in particular, are not included in WCCA and must be checked separately through local courts or police departments. As a result, a thorough warrant search in Wisconsin requires county-by-county inquiry.

The table below lists the sheriff's office for each of Wisconsin's 72 counties, sourced from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Law Enforcement Directory.

County	Organization	Address	Phone Number
Adams	Adams County Sheriff's Office	402 Main Street, Friendship, WI 53934	(608) 339-3304
Ashland	Ashland County Sheriff's Office	201 West Main Street, Ashland, WI 54806	(715) 682-7023
Barron	Barron County Sheriff's Office	1420 State Highway 25 N, Room 1200, Barron, WI 54812	(715) 537-5814
Bayfield	Bayfield County Sheriff's Office	615 Second Avenue E, Washburn, WI 54891	(715) 373-6300
Brown	Brown County Sheriff's Office	2684 Development Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311	(920) 448-6450
Buffalo	Buffalo County Sheriff's Office	407 S. Second Street, Alma, WI 54610	(608) 685-4433
Burnett	Burnett County Sheriff's Office	7410 County Road K, Box 122, Siren, WI 54872	(715) 349-2121
Calumet	Calumet County Sheriff's Office	206 Court Street, Chilton, WI 53014	(920) 849-2335
Chippewa	Chippewa County Sheriff's Office	32 E. Spruce Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729	(715) 726-7700
Clark	Clark County Sheriff's Office	517 Court Street, Room 308, Neillsville, WI 54456	(715) 743-5278
Columbia	Columbia County Sheriff's Office	711 East Cook Street, Portage, WI 53901	(608) 742-4166
Crawford	Crawford County Sheriff's Office	224 N. Beaumont Road, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821	(608) 326-8414
Dane	Dane County Sheriff's Office	115 W. Doty Street, Madison, WI 53703	(608) 284-6166
Dodge	Dodge County Sheriff's Office	141 N. Main Street, Juneau, WI 53039	(920) 386-3726
Door	Door County Sheriff's Office	1201 S. Duluth Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235	(920) 746-2400
Douglas	Douglas County Sheriff's Office	1316 N. 14th Street, Superior, WI 54880	(715) 395-1371
Dunn	Dunn County Sheriff's Office	615 Stokke Parkway, Suite G100, Menomonie, WI 54751	(715) 232-1348
Eau Claire	Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office	721 Oxford Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54703	(715) 839-4972
Florence	Florence County Sheriff's Office	501 Lake Avenue, Florence, WI 54121	(715) 528-3346
Fond du Lac	Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office	180 S. Macy Street, Fond du Lac, WI 54936	(920) 929-3372
Forest	Forest County Sheriff's Office	100 S. Park Avenue, Crandon, WI 54520	(715) 478-3331
Grant	Grant County Sheriff's Office	111 S. Jefferson Street, Lancaster, WI 53813	(608) 723-2157
Green	Green County Sheriff's Office	2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566	(608) 328-9400
Green Lake	Green Lake County Sheriff's Office	571 County Road A, Green Lake, WI 54941	(920) 294-4000
Iowa	Iowa County Sheriff's Office	109 East Leffler Street, Dodgeville, WI 53533	(608) 930-9506
Iron	Iron County Sheriff's Office	300 Taconite Street, Suite 226, Hurley, WI 54534	(715) 561-2440
Jackson	Jackson County Sheriff's Office	30 N. Third Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615	(715) 284-9009
Jefferson	Jefferson County Sheriff's Office	411 South Center Avenue, Jefferson, WI 53549	(920) 674-7310
Juneau	Juneau County Sheriff's Office	200 Oak Street, Room 1110, Mauston, WI 53948	(608) 847-9432
Kenosha	Kenosha County Sheriff's Office	1000 55th Street, Kenosha, WI 53140	(262) 605-5100
Kewaunee	Kewaunee County Sheriff's Office	620 Juneau Street, Kewaunee, WI 54216	(920) 388-7108
La Crosse	La Crosse County Sheriff's Office	333 Vine Street, Room 1500, La Crosse, WI 54601	(608) 785-9629
Lafayette	Lafayette County Sheriff's Office	138 W. Catherine Street, Darlington, WI 53530	(608) 776-4870
Langlade	Langlade County Sheriff's Office	840 Clermont Street, Antigo, WI 54409	(715) 627-6411
Lincoln	Lincoln County Sheriff's Office	1104 E. First Street, Merrill, WI 54452	(715) 536-6272
Manitowoc	Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office	1025 S. Ninth Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220	(920) 683-4199
Marathon	Marathon County Sheriff's Office	500 Forest Street, Wausau, WI 54403	(715) 261-1200
Marinette	Marinette County Sheriff's Office	2161 University Drive, Marinette, WI 54143	(715) 732-7600
Marquette	Marquette County Sheriff's Office	67 W. Park Street, Montello, WI 53949	(608) 297-2115
Menominee	Menominee County Sheriff's Office	W3269 Courthouse Lane, Keshena, WI 54135	(715) 799-3357
Milwaukee	Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office	821 W. State Street, Room 107, Milwaukee, WI 53233	(414) 278-4700
Monroe	Monroe County Sheriff's Office	112 S. Court Street, Room 500, Sparta, WI 54656	(608) 269-2117
Oconto	Oconto County Sheriff's Office	301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153	(920) 834-6900
Oneida	Oneida County Sheriff's Office	2000 E. Winnebago Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501	(715) 361-5100
Outagamie	Outagamie County Sheriff's Office	3030 E. Goodland Drive, Appleton, WI 54911	(920) 832-5605
Ozaukee	Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office	1201 S. Spring Street, Port Washington, WI 53074	(262) 284-7172
Pepin	Pepin County Sheriff's Office	740 7th Avenue W, Durand, WI 54736	(715) 672-5944
Pierce	Pierce County Sheriff's Office	555 West Overlook Drive, Ellsworth, WI 54011	(715) 273-5051
Polk	Polk County Sheriff's Office	1005 W. Main Street, Suite 900, Balsam Lake, WI 54810	(715) 485-8300
Portage	Portage County Sheriff's Office	1500 Strongs Avenue, Stevens Point, WI 54481	(715) 346-1400
Price	Price County Sheriff's Office	126 Cherry Street, Phillips, WI 54555	(715) 339-3011
Racine	Racine County Sheriff's Office	717 Wisconsin Avenue, Racine, WI 53403	(262) 636-3207
Richland	Richland County Sheriff's Office	181 W. Seminary Street, Richland Center, WI 53581	(608) 647-2106
Rock	Rock County Sheriff's Office	200 East U.S. Highway 14, Janesville, WI 53545	(608) 757-8000
Rusk	Rusk County Sheriff's Office	311 Miner Avenue E, Suite L100, Ladysmith, WI 54848	(715) 532-2189
Sauk	Sauk County Sheriff's Office	1300 Lange Court, Baraboo, WI 53913	(608) 356-4895
Sawyer	Sawyer County Sheriff's Office	15880 Fifth Street, Hayward, WI 54843	(715) 634-4858
Shawano	Shawano County Sheriff's Office	405 N. Main Street, Shawano, WI 54166	(715) 526-7905
Sheboygan	Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office	525 N. 6th Street, Sheboygan, WI 53081	(920) 459-3112
St. Croix	St. Croix County Sheriff's Office	1101 Carmichael Road, Hudson, WI 54016	(715) 386-4701
Taylor	Taylor County Sheriff's Office	224 S. Second Street, Medford, WI 54451	(715) 748-2200
Trempealeau	Trempealeau County Sheriff's Office	18600 Hobson Street, Whitehall, WI 54773	(715) 538-4509
Vernon	Vernon County Sheriff's Office	1320 Bad Axe Court, Viroqua, WI 54665	(608) 637-2124
Vilas	Vilas County Sheriff's Office	330 Court Street, Eagle River, WI 54521	(715) 479-4441
Walworth	Walworth County Sheriff's Office	1770 County Road NN, Elkhorn, WI 53121	(262) 741-4680
Washburn	Washburn County Sheriff's Office	421 Highway 63, Shell Lake, WI 54871	(715) 468-4700
Washington	Washington County Sheriff's Office	500 Rolfs Avenue, West Bend, WI 53095	(262) 335-4378
Waukesha	Waukesha County Sheriff's Office	515 West Moreland Boulevard, Waukesha, WI 53188	(262) 548-7122
Waupaca	Waupaca County Sheriff's Office	1402 E. Royalton Street, Waupaca, WI 54981	(715) 258-4466
Waushara	Waushara County Sheriff's Office	430 E. Division Street, Wautoma, WI 54982	(920) 787-3321
Winnebago	Winnebago County Sheriff's Office	4311 Jackson Street, Oshkosh, WI 54901	(920) 236-7335
Wood	Wood County Sheriff's Office	400 Market Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494	(715) 421-8700