Vernon County Court Records Search

Tucked along the Mississippi River bluffs of western Wisconsin, Vernon County handles its court business through a single Circuit Court at the courthouse in Viroqua, the county seat. A joint municipal court also operates here, taking care of local ordinance violations and traffic citations. Together, these courts produce a steady stream of official records—criminal complaints, civil filings, family court orders, probate documents, traffic citations, and everything in between. The Clerk of Circuit Court and the Register in Probate each maintain their respective files, and the public regularly requests access for background checks, legal research, property transactions, employment screening, and genealogy projects.

Wisconsin makes it relatively easy to search court records statewide, and Vernon County is no exception. The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) portal lets you look up any circuit court case in the state's 72 counties—free of charge and without creating an account. It's often the best place to start before calling or visiting a clerk's office. If your search involves an appeal, the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case search (WSCCA) tracks those cases separately. And for a broader look at court directories and public access resources across the state, WisconsinCourts.us pulls that information together in one place.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Vernon County?

The Clerk of Circuit Court, located on the first floor of the Vernon County Courthouse in Viroqua, is the central office for all Circuit Court case records. Whether it's a felony prosecution, a small claims dispute, a divorce filing, or a traffic ticket, the paperwork lives here. You can search in three ways.

Online Through WCCA

Start with the WCCA portal. It's free, open to everyone, and doesn't require you to register. Type in a party name or case number and you'll see docket entries, filing dates, current case status, upcoming hearings, and party details. Coverage goes back to roughly 1994 for most cases. One important caveat: WCCA shows docket summaries, not full documents. If you need actual copies of a complaint, a court order, or a judgment, you'll have to go through the clerk's office.

In Person at the Courthouse

Walk-in visitors can use the public access terminals at the Clerk of Circuit Court's office during normal business hours. Staff can help you track down a specific filing or pull a paper record from the archives. When you need copies, the fees set by Wis. Stat. § 814.61(10) are straightforward:

Standard copies: $1.25 per page
Certified copies: $5.00 per document, plus $1.25 per page
File search fee: $5.00 per case (charged when staff have to locate the file for you)

By Mail

Written requests work too. Mail yours to the address below and include enough detail for staff to find the right file—a case number is ideal, but full party names, approximate filing dates, and case type will also work. Make your check or money order payable to the Vernon County Clerk of Circuit Court so it covers the expected copy and search charges.

Vernon County Clerk of Circuit Court
Address: 400 Courthouse Square, Suite 115, Viroqua, WI 54665
Phone: (608) 637-5340
Civil Division Phone: (608) 637-5339
Fax: (608) 637-5554
Email: sheila.olson@wicourts.gov
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Need a form before you file? The Wisconsin Court System's forms library has free, downloadable forms for small claims, civil cases, family actions, probate, and more.

Municipal Court

Traffic citations, first-offense OWI charges, and local ordinance violations for the Cities of Viroqua and Westby go through the Hidden Valleys Joint Municipal Court, which operates separately from the Circuit Court.

Detail	Information
Court Address	702 East Broadway Street, Viroqua, WI 54665
Court Phone	(608) 637-8231
Clerk	Tammy Bekkum, 723 Main Street, Cashton, WI 54619
Clerk Email	courtclerk20@gmail.com
Clerk Phone	(608) 654-8517

If you want to pay a municipal citation in person, bring it to the Viroqua Police Department at 1130 Nelson Parkway, Viroqua, WI 54665, any weekday between 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. You can also pay by phone at 1-877-392-2455.

Are Court Records Public in Vernon County?

Yes—with some important exceptions. Wisconsin's Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31–19.39) creates a strong default in favor of openness. You can request to inspect or copy records from the Clerk of Circuit Court, the Register in Probate, or the Sheriff's Office, and you don't need to explain why you want them.

Certain categories of records, however, are off-limits to the general public:

Juvenile case files — Typically sealed. They won't show up in WCCA and can't be viewed at the clerk's window.
Sealed and expunged records — Pulled from public view by court order. Online searches won't return them.
Adoption records — Confidential by statute.
Mental health and commitment proceedings — Only parties to the case and certain authorized agencies can access these.
Certain protective order details — Information that might identify or put a protected party at risk may be held back.
Personal identifiers in family cases — Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and details that identify minor children are redacted before any documents are released.

Files that mix public and confidential material get handled carefully: the clerk will redact the restricted portions and release everything else. If you think a record was improperly withheld, the Public Records Law includes a process for challenging that decision.

Vernon County Criminal Court Records

All felony and misdemeanor prosecutions in Vernon County move through the Circuit Court. The Clerk of Circuit Court keeps the complete case file for each criminal proceeding—criminal complaints, bail and bond documents, plea records, sentencing orders, and final judgments. First-offense OWI cases and municipal ordinance violations are a separate matter; those go through the Hidden Valleys Joint Municipal Court instead.

Searching Criminal Cases Online

The WCCA portal is your best free tool for looking up Vernon County criminal dockets. Search by the defendant's name or case number to see charges, scheduled hearings, case status, and how the case was resolved. Be aware that confidential case types—especially juvenile cases—won't show up in the results.

Arrest and Incident Records

Arrest reports, incident reports, and other law enforcement records are kept by the Vernon County Sheriff's Office—not the Clerk of Circuit Court. Here's how to request them:

Email: vcsorecords@vernoncountywi.gov — You can also use the downloadable Record Request Form from the Sheriff's website.
Mail: Vernon County Sheriff's Office, Attn: Records, 1320 Bad Axe Court, Viroqua, WI 54665
In person: Walk up to the lobby window, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Phone: (608) 638-5710

The Sheriff's Office charges different copy fees than the circuit court:

Record Type	Fee
Black-and-white copies	$0.02 per page
Color copies	$0.25 per page
Electronic records	No charge
Staff time for locating/redacting	$25.40 per hour

Need an accident report? You can often bypass the Sheriff's Office entirely and download it from crashdocs.org—just have the report number, a party name, and the date of the crash ready. For jail-related questions, call (608) 638-5780.

Vernon County Civil Court Records

Contract disputes, foreclosures, personal injury lawsuits, landlord-tenant conflicts, replevin, worker's compensation appeals, and small claims actions in Vernon County all land in the Circuit Court. The Clerk of Circuit Court holds every filing from the initial complaint through the final judgment.

How to Find Civil Case Information

Search WCCA online: The WCCA portal lets you look up civil cases by party name or case number to review docket history and basic case details.
Call the civil division: Dial (608) 637-5339 to speak directly with civil division staff about a specific case.
Visit in person: Go to 400 Courthouse Square, Suite 115, Viroqua, during regular hours (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) to review documents or get copies made.
Mail a request: Send a letter to the Clerk of Circuit Court at the courthouse address. Identify the case clearly and specify which documents you need. Include payment to cover copy fees.

Civil Filing Fees

What you'll pay to file a civil case in Vernon County depends on the type of action and the amount in dispute. Wis. Stat. § 814.61 sets the fee schedule. Here are some of the most common amounts:

Action	Total Filing Fee
Small claims ($10,000 or less)	$94.50
Civil action (claim over $10,000)	$265.50
Civil action (no money judgment requested)	$164.50
Foreclosure	$265.50

Each total folds in the base filing fee plus mandatory surcharges for court support services and justice information. For case types not listed here, check the Wisconsin Court System's full fee schedule. If you file electronically, expect an additional $35 per party e-filing fee on top of the standard amount.

Vernon County Family Court Records

Divorce, legal separation, paternity, child custody, child support, and domestic violence cases in Vernon County are filed through the Circuit Court's family division. The county's Divorce & Family section online offers guidance on self-representation, mediation options, and links to the required state forms.

Divorce and Custody Records

Divorce filings on record with the Clerk of Circuit Court are generally open to the public—but not everything inside them is. Documents that reveal minor children's identifying information, Social Security numbers, financial account data, or specifics about domestic violence are either redacted or withheld entirely. You can pull up docket details for any divorce or custody case through the WCCA portal, or email the Clerk of Circuit Court at clerkofcourt@vernoncountywi.gov if you need actual document copies.

Filing fees for family cases include a $20 family court counseling services surcharge on top of the base. A divorce, annulment, or legal separation that doesn't involve a support request costs $184.50 to file. Add a request for support or maintenance and it goes up to $194.50.

Child Support

Paternity establishment, support order enforcement, medical support, and parental location services are managed by the Vernon County Child Support Agency. Reach them at:

Vernon County Child Support Agency
Address: 318 Fairlane Dr, Suite 100, Viroqua, WI 54665
Phone: (608) 637-5290
Fax: (608) 637-5505
Email: childsupport@vernoncountywi.gov

Marriage Records

Certified copies of marriage certificates come from the Vernon County Register of Deeds. The first copy costs $20.00, and each additional copy ordered at the same time is $3.00. Three ways to request one:

In person: Vernon County Register of Deeds, 400 Courthouse Square, Room 110, Viroqua, WI 54665
By mail: Download the marriage certificate application, fill it out, include a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID and a check or money order, and send it to the Register of Deeds.
Online: Place an order through VitalChek. Extra processing fees apply, and anything submitted after 2:30 p.m. CST won't be processed until the following business day.

Marriage licenses are a separate matter—those are issued by the Vernon County Clerk at 400 Courthouse Square, Suite 108, Viroqua, WI 54665 (phone: (608) 637-5380, email: countyclerk@vernoncountywi.gov). After you apply, there's a three-day waiting period before the license becomes valid.

Birth and Death Records

Birth certificates in Wisconsin are confidential. Only the person named on the certificate (if 18 or older), immediate family members, or authorized legal representatives can obtain copies. Death records follow similar rules, though they open up for public access 75 years after the date of death. Both cost $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

To request either type locally, download the appropriate form from the Vernon County Vital Records page, attach a copy of your photo ID and payment, and mail it to the Register of Deeds at 400 Courthouse Square, Room 110, Viroqua, WI 54665. You can also visit the office in person during business hours. Worth knowing: Wisconsin's statewide issuance system allows any Register of Deeds office in the state to issue records from any Wisconsin county, though not every record qualifies for that.

For records beyond what the county office can provide, contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Vital Records office at (877) 885-2981, or mail your request to the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI 53701.

Vernon County Probate Court Records

Estate administration, will filings, guardianships, conservatorships, protective placements, adoptions, terminations of parental rights, and mental health commitments—all of these probate matters in Vernon County run through the Register in Probate Office, which operates as part of the Circuit Court system.

Vernon County Register in Probate
Address: 400 Courthouse Square, Suite 115, Viroqua, WI 54665
Phone: (608) 637-5364

Filing Requirements

If someone passes away with a will, Wisconsin law requires that the original document be filed with the Register in Probate within 30 days of the death—even if no formal probate proceeding ends up being necessary. Estates can go through either informal administration (overseen by the Probate Registrar without ongoing court supervision) or formal proceedings (which require hearings before the Circuit Judge or a Probate Court Commissioner). For smaller estates valued at $50,000 or less, heirs may be able to skip probate altogether by using a Transfer by Affidavit (form PR-1831).

Key Probate Fees

Fee Type	Amount
Claim against estate filing (form PR-1819)	$3.00
Inventory fee	$20.00 minimum, or 0.2% of estate value over $10,000
Inventory fee (minor/adult guardianship of estate)	$20.00 minimum, or 0.2% of estate value over $50,000
Certified copies (Register in Probate)	$3.00 per document, plus $1.00 per page
Regular copies (Register in Probate)	$1.00 per page
Trust petition	$250.00

To file a claim against an estate that's currently in probate, fill out the standard state form PR-1819, have your signature notarized, and submit it to the Register in Probate along with the $3.00 statutory fee. The office will not accept a claim without the fee attached.

Searching Probate Records

Probate case dockets appear in the WCCA portal alongside all other circuit court matters, so you can search them online at no cost. If you'd rather look at records in person, visit the Register in Probate Office during business hours—there's no search fee for reviewing files yourself. Sending a request by mail instead? Include $4.00 so staff can conduct the search on your behalf.

Vernon County probate records go all the way back to 1851, which makes this office particularly useful for genealogical research alongside its day-to-day estate work. For detailed guidance on what personal representatives need to do, how distribution works, and which forms to file at each stage, check the county's Wills, Estates & Trusts page. Every state-required probate form is available for download through the Wisconsin Court System's probate forms directory. One last note: Register in Probate staff can walk you through the procedural steps, but they're prohibited by law from giving legal advice or telling you how to handle your specific situation.