Dunn County, Wisconsin Court Records
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Dunn County sits in the west-central part of Wisconsin, with Menomonie as its county seat. The county's Circuit and Municipal Courts handle the full range of criminal, civil, family, and probate matters, generating a substantial body of records that residents, attorneys, researchers, and interested parties regularly need to access. A typical court record from Dunn County may include case numbers, names of litigants, petitions and complaints, docket entries, pleadings, exhibits, orders, judgments, trial transcripts, and appeal information.
You can access Wisconsin court records through online portals, direct requests to clerk offices, and public access terminals at the courthouse. WisconsinCourts.us can help you locate publicly available case information, find links to official state search tools, and identify which records are accessible at the county level.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Dunn County?
Start with the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) portal — a free, publicly accessible system maintained by the Wisconsin Court System. WCCA covers criminal, civil, family, small claims, and traffic records from Dunn County and every other Wisconsin circuit court. To run a search, enter at least the first three characters of a party's last name along with their first name, then click Search. You can also select Dunn County from the dropdown menu and enter a specific case number to get more targeted results.
For in-person or mail-based requests, the Dunn County Clerk of Circuit Court is your main contact. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dunn County Judicial Center — Clerk of Circuit Court
Address: 615 Stokke Parkway, Suite 1500, Menomonie, WI 54751
Phone: (715) 232-2611
Fax: (715) 232-6888
The Clerk of Courts office files all court actions, manages jury administration, processes payments for fines and forfeitures (including payment plans and wage assignments), and handles record requests. If you need to make a payment on a court-ordered financial obligation, you can do so online through the Wisconsin Court System's online payment portal.
For court date information, WCCA displays upcoming scheduled activities on a case record. If you're unsure of a court date, call the Clerk of Courts directly at (715) 232-2611. A text message reminder service is also available — submit a completed Text Message Reminder Agreement to the Clerk's office by mail, in person, or by fax, and the system automatically sends a reminder at 6:00 p.m. two days before any scheduled court activity.
Dunn County also has two Municipal Courts for ordinance violations:
- Village of Boyceville Municipal Court — 903 Main Street, Boyceville, WI 54725 | Phone: (715) 643-7300 | Fax: (715) 643-2749
- Village of Colfax Municipal Court — 613 Main Street, Colfax, WI 54730 | Phone: (715) 962-3311 | Fax: (715) 962-2221
Are Court Records Public in Dunn County?
Court records in Dunn County are generally public under the Wisconsin Open Records Law (Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31–19.39), which establishes a broad presumption in favor of public access to government records. This applies to records held by circuit courts, municipal courts, and all county offices. That said, public access is not absolute — Wisconsin law permits withholding records when disclosure would violate specific privacy or confidentiality protections.
Records that are generally restricted from public view include:
- Adoption case files
- Civil commitment records
- Guardianship records
- Juvenile court records
- Records sealed by court order
- Certain domestic abuse-related financial and custody details within divorce proceedings
If you are denied access to a court record, you can challenge that denial. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Public Records Law Guide explains how Wisconsin's open records law is interpreted and enforced, including the balancing test courts apply when weighing public interest against privacy concerns.
Keep in mind that the Clerk of Court and probate staff are prohibited by statute from providing legal advice. Questions about legal rights, record restrictions, or court procedures should go to a licensed attorney or the Wisconsin State Bar Lawyer Referral Service at (800) 362-9082.
Dunn County Criminal Court Records
When the county prosecutes misdemeanor and felony offenses, the Circuit Court generates criminal case files that may include charging documents, arrest information, bail and bond orders, plea entries, conviction records, sentencing documents, and probation terms. Criminal case information that is not sealed or otherwise restricted is searchable through the WCCA case search portal.
For arrest records and law enforcement reports, contact the Dunn County Sheriff's Office, which is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of the county. Police report copies can be obtained through the Sheriff's business office, and general processing fees apply. Crash reports are handled separately through LexisNexis via the Sheriff's website.
For statewide criminal history checks, the Wisconsin Department of Justice runs the Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS), available to the public for background check requests. WORCS provides name-based criminal history searches and returns results based on conviction-level data held in the DOJ's criminal history database. Note that these results may not include pending cases or arrests that did not lead to a conviction.
Dunn County Civil Court Records
Civil court records in Dunn County cover non-criminal disputes — personal injury claims, contract disagreements, business litigation, property conflicts, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims matters. The Dunn County Circuit Court has original jurisdiction over all civil cases filed in the county.
Filing costs are set by the Wisconsin Circuit Court fee schedule. The Wisconsin Court System also supports electronic filing for circuit court cases, and parties filing electronically are subject to an e-filing fee of $35 per case per party (effective May 1, 2024).
Small claims matters — typically disputes involving money or property up to a set jurisdictional threshold — are managed through the Dunn County Clerk of Courts. The county's small claims procedures page walks you through filing a small claims action, what to do after being served, how to handle judgment enforcement, and how to file a satisfaction. Standard statewide forms for civil filings are available through the Wisconsin Court System forms library and at the Clerk of Courts office.
You can search civil cases through WCCA the same way you would search criminal cases. For certified copies of civil court documents, contact the Dunn County Clerk of Courts in person, by mail, or by fax at (715) 232-6888. When submitting a mail request, include the case number if known, the party names, the case type, and a description of the specific documents you need.
Dunn County Family Court Records
Family court matters — including divorce, legal separation, annulment, child custody and physical placement, child support, paternity, and domestic violence proceedings — are handled by the Circuit Court. The Dunn County Family and Paternity Court section of the county website provides helpful guidance for residents working through these types of cases.
Divorce records in Dunn County are accessible to the public through the WCCA portal. However, certain portions of divorce files are restricted — specifically, information about financial account details, child custody arrangements, and domestic abuse matters is not available for public inspection. Certified copies of divorce decrees may be requested through the Clerk of Courts office.
Marriage certificates and other vital records are maintained by the Dunn County Register of Deeds, not the Clerk of Courts. To get a certified copy of a Dunn County marriage certificate, complete the Wisconsin Marriage Certificate Application Form and submit it to the Register of Deeds with a fee of $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
Dunn County Register of Deeds
Address: 3001 US Highway 12 East, Suite 225, Menomonie, WI 54751
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The Dunn County Register of Deeds also processes birth and death certificate requests, using the same fee structure — $20.00 for the first certified copy and $3.00 for each additional copy requested at the same time. Access to certified copies of birth and death records is restricted to the record subject, immediate family members, legal representatives, or persons with a court order. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services also offers an online option through its Vital Records portal.
Statewide circuit court forms for family proceedings — including divorce worksheets, custody and placement agreements, and child support stipulations — are available through the Wisconsin Court System's circuit court forms library.
Dunn County Probate Court Records
Probate matters in Dunn County are handled by the Register in Probate at the Dunn County Circuit Court. The current Register in Probate is Lisa Crouse, reachable at (715) 232-6782 or by email at Lisa.Crouse@wicourts.gov. The probate office is at 615 Stokke Parkway, Suite 1500, Menomonie, WI 54751.
The Register in Probate handles five primary case types, each identified by a case classification code:
| Case Type | Code |
|---|---|
| Probate / Estate Administration | PR |
| Guardianship | GN |
| Adoption | AD |
| Civil Commitment | ME |
| Wills Filed for Safekeeping | WL |
Estate Administration Procedures
The 10th Judicial District, which includes Dunn County, requires all probate estates to be closed within 12 months of the date initial documents are filed. The inventory of the estate must be filed no later than four months after the issuance of letters. Several estate procedures are available depending on the size and circumstances of the estate:
- Transfer by Affidavit — Available for estates where the total property subject to administration does not exceed $50,000. This is a non-court form available through the Wisconsin State Bar and is not filed with the probate court.
- Informal Probate — A court proceeding supervised by the probate registrar without continuous judicial oversight. In some cases, an attorney is not required. Guidelines are available at the Dunn County probate page and at wripa.org.
- Formal Probate — Requires an attorney and involves direct supervision by the circuit judge for all matters.
- Summary Assignment — Available when the estate value, less secured debts, does not exceed $50,000 and summary settlement is not applicable.
- Summary Settlement — Available when there is a surviving spouse or minor children and the estate does not exceed $50,000 less secured debts, or when the estate value does not exceed priority debts.
To file a claim against a probate estate, claimants must complete standard state form Claim Against Estate (PR-1819), have the signature notarized, and submit it to the Register in Probate with a statutory filing fee of $3.00.
Wills and Safekeeping
Wisconsin law requires the original will of every deceased person to be filed with the court. If no probate proceeding is needed, an Affidavit of No Probate (PR-3003) must accompany the will at filing. For those who wish to deposit an original will with the Register in Probate for safekeeping during the testator's lifetime, the statutory fee is $10.00 under Sec. 853.09, Wis. Stats. Only the will's author or their written designee (with two witnesses) may withdraw a will from safekeeping.
Guardianship and Conservatorship
Guardianship in Dunn County is established by the Circuit Court when an adult has been found incompetent and requires someone to manage their health, safety, or financial affairs. A conservatorship is a voluntary arrangement for a person who has not been found incompetent but chooses to have the court appoint someone to manage their estate. Guardians of estates must file annual accounts with the probate court. Detailed procedural guidelines for guardianship due to incompetency, temporary guardianship, guardian of estate, and guardian of person are available through the Dunn County probate office.
Probate records that are open to the public — generally estate administration and will filings — can be searched through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal. Case types classified as confidential, including guardianships, adoptions, and civil commitments, are not accessible through WCCA and must be requested in person with proper authorization.