Wisconsin Vital Records – History 101

The state of Wisconsin has statutes that require people requesting a copy of Vital Records to provide a valid signature and pay fees. The bulk of requests have prompted the Vital Records Office to prioritize those who need certified copies. The office has devised a scheme to also accommodate requests for uncertified copies through an expedited service.


Vital records in Wisconsin can be obtained from the Department of Health and Family Services. They have statutes that specifically prohibit individuals from requesting records without submitting a signature and paying a fee. Hence, records request via email or telephone. Requests should be made in person, through mail or via fax. Like many other states, the process of centralizing vital records is not implemented throughout. Certain records have to be requested elsewhere.

WI Vital Records – Background On Records

Birth Records – Doctors, parents or individuals attending the birth were required to file the birth certificate with the register of deeds in the county where the birth took place. This was the case from 1852 until 1907. From 1907 onwards, a copy of the certificate was forwarded to the Bureau of Health Statistics.

Birth records contain a lot of information which is essential for researchers. However, there are problems with consistency. Though registration of birth records started in 1852, many records had incomplete data. Some birth records were never filed at all.

Marriage Records – Clergy or judges presiding over the marriage in Wisconsin from1836 until 1907 were responsible for submitting a certificate to the county clerk. Starting 1905, the county was required to submit a copy of the certificate to the Bureau of Health Statistics.

Death Records – Since 1852 the physician was required to file the death certificate to the register of deeds at the county. The register of deeds is again required to submit a copy of the certificate to the Bureau of Health Statistics. Unfortunately, the archive of death records is far from complete. Numerous counties have no registrations earlier than 1870.

Obtaining Vital Records in Wisconsin

Individuals can easily obtain birth records by simply dropping by the Vital Records Office. Because of the volume of requests, the office no longer prioritizes request for uncertified copies. Uncertified copies are similar to the certified kind except that they cannot be used in any official manner. It may sometimes take months just to complete regular requests for uncertified copies. To alleviate the problem, the office introduced an expedited service. With expedited services, the records are provided within a mere fifteen or thirty minutes.

Useful Wisconsin Vital Records Resource

Vital Records
1 West Wilson Street
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701
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