Records Search Help
This help page will walk you through the Records Search and Request process, offer tips on refining your search and explain advanced search options to make your research journey smooth and successful.
Records Request Process
The records search is designed for local history enthusiasts and genealogists. It simplifies accessing some of our complex historical records and genealogical collections. Follow the steps below to complete your own search.
1 Search by Name
Go to Search and Request Records and enter your search criteria in the Search by Name form. The more your fill in, the more specific your search will be, and the narrower (fewer) results you’ll get.
Name Searching Tips:
- Try all potential spelling variations. Errors often arise from misinterpreted handwriting or phonetic spelling.
- Try just the surname, or if the first name is unusual, simply search by that name.
- Enable Soundex Search to expand your search and get more results. Soundex will include alternate spellings of a name, based on the way the name is pronounced. For example, if you enter Mueller in the Last Name search box and enable Soundex, the search will also find Miller, Mailer, Mahler, etc.
2 Review Results
A list of records that match your search criteria will appear in a table below. Open “more info” for each result to see record details.
3 Request Records
You can either request our records in person or online.
Free: In-person
Visit during our regular hours to view, scan or copy the records. Just provide the attendant with the citation information (e.g. call number, collection name and volume, etc.) for each record you seek. This information is found in the online index entry.
Online: Starting at $10 each
We’ll scan or copy the records and send them to you. Just open the "More info" and add each record you request to the shopping cart section at the bottom of the page and follow the check-out prompts to complete your online credit card purchase.
Records Request Fees
Our fees start at $10 per record type and name requested, covering the search and up to 20 pages of copies. This fee applies even if no records are found. If more than 20 pages are located, we will contact you with the additional charges before proceeding.
- $10 per item includes 20 pages of copy or scan
- $0.50 per page for additional pages
Additional Records Request
The online indexes only represent a fraction of the collections held by the Archives. You can add a custom request for further searching by completing one or more of the Additional Records Request Forms. For more information about our holdings check our Genealogy and Local History collection.
Advanced Search Options
Collection Name Search
Collection name indicates the broad types of collections included in the index (e.g. citizenship, court records, etc.). The collections listed here are only those that have available online indexes at this time and do not represent the complete holdings of the Archives.
- Check back frequently, as new indexes will be added as they become available.
- For broadest results, do not select a collection name.
- To narrow results, add a collection name to your search.
Case Type Search
Case Type is an advanced search field that is useful for researchers who are seeking information about a particular subject (i.e. prohibition, abuse/neglect, arson, divorce, violation of voting laws, etc.), and not necessarily specific individuals by name.
- If you are searching for an individual, don't select a case type.
- Selecting a case type limits search results to circuit court records.
- If a case type is selected, the search won't retrieve any results for records other than circuit court case files (i.e. no citizenship, probate, plat map, etc.).
Corporate Name Search
This index field was used to record the name of a corporation or other entity (such as a unit of government or a business) rather than a personal name. Circuit court case files, for example, might have a business suing an individual for non-payment of debt. Or the State of Wisconsin might be suing a railroad company for wrongful death, etc.
- This field is for entities like businesses or government units, not personal names.
- For corporate name searches, use the broader term (e.g., "Wisconsin" instead of "State of Wisconsin") in the Corporate Name search field. This will find results indexed as "State of Wisconsin" AND "Wisconsin, State of."
Available Records
Below is a description of the records available through our Records Search and Request.
Census Records
Census records provide details about individuals and families. Census records for Wisconsin include territorial, federal, state and “Indian Census Rolls.” We can research census records for you—just complete and return a census records research request form.
Citizenship Records
Citizenship records are documents completed by immigrants seeking to become an American citizen. In the online index you can access citizenship records for Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Outagamie Counties. For Door, Florence, Marinette, Oconto and Shawano Counties, submit an additional records request form.
Court Records
Court records can be used for a wide range of research purposes. Documents generated by a court can be helpful for obtaining information on family history, businesses, divorces, land ownership, criminal activities and more. In the online index, you can access case files for Kewaunee and Shawano counties. For Brown, Door, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto and Outagamie Counties, submit an additional records request form.
Probate Records
Probate case files generally consist of documents pertaining to the settling of a person’s estate upon their death. Typical documents include wills, list of property owned, heirs (names, family connections, etc.), distribution of property/assets and settlement of debts. For Brown, Oconto and Outagamie Counties search the online index. For Calumet, Manitowoc, Marinette and Shawano Counties, submit an online research request form.
Tax Rolls
Tax rolls provide information about land ownership as well as the assessed value of a particular property. We have tax rolls for the following counties: Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto and Outagamie.
To access these documents, submit an additional records request form.
Vital Records
Registering life events like birth, marriages and deaths was not regulated in Wisconsin until 1907. Therefore, many of these events prior to 1907 went unrecorded. The Archives maintains a statewide index to births, marriages and deaths that were registered before 1907. We have birth, death, and marriage records for Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie and Shawano counties.
To access these documents, submit an additional records request form.
Search the Library Catalog
Are your search goals more academic in nature? Savvy researches may prefer to search the library catalog to browse archival holdings from the UW-Green Bay Archives and the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Need help?
If you have tried all of our tips and suggestions, and nothing seems to work, you can contact an archivist with your specific research question.