Brown County Clerk of Circuit Court

About the Brown County Clerk's Office

John A. Vander Leest serves as the Brown County Clerk of Circuit Courts. The office is a constitutional office that supports the circuit courts in Brown County. It sits at the courthouse at 100 South Jefferson Street in Green Bay, with hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clerk contact page lists the phone, fax, and mailing address.

The clerk's office keeps the official record for the circuit court and works with the Director of State Courts in Madison to present current records through the statewide CCAP system. Use the contact card below to reach the office directly.

What the Clerk Does in Brown County

The Brown County Clerk of Circuit Court handles the business and records of the courts. It opens and maintains case files across civil, criminal, family, traffic, and other matters, and it indexes those records so they can be found. The office also manages the money side of the courts, collecting fines, forfeitures, costs, and fees. The county's local court rules page shows the procedures the office follows.

The clerk also keeps and updates the jury system, maintains minutes and orders from each hearing, and communicates court actions to the public and to other agencies. Because Brown County runs eight circuit branches, the clerk coordinates files and in-court staff across all of them. The main duties of the office include the following.

• Maintain official circuit court records and case files.
• Collect fines, forfeitures, court costs, and fees.
• Provide in-court clerks and record minutes and orders.
• Run the county jury system and coordinate jurors.
• Index records and report court actions to the public and agencies.

Clerk Division Phone Numbers

The clerk's work is split across divisions, and each has its own line. Calling the right division saves time, since a criminal question and a small claims question go to different desks. The table lists the main numbers.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is the version that courts and agencies accept as official. A plain printout from the online portal is not certified. The Brown County clerk asks you to speak with Records Management before paying, so the copy or search fee is set correctly for your request. The office sits in the historic Brown County Courthouse downtown.

The steps below outline a certified copy request.

1. Identify the case number, or the party names and the document you need.
2. Call Records Management at 920-448-4521 to confirm the copy or search fee.
3. Submit the request and pay the fee by an accepted method.
4. Receive the copy by mail, email, or fax, or pick it up in person.

Visiting the Clerk in Person

Many requests can be handled by phone or mail, but some people prefer to come in. Since October 14, 2025, all visitors enter the Brown County Courthouse through a single point on the East Walnut Street side, and the old Doty Street entrance is now an emergency exit only. Every visitor passes through security screening, so arrive early. The courthouse parking page explains where to park.

Limited metered street parking surrounds the courthouse, and several City of Green Bay parking ramps sit within two blocks. Jurors can bring a ramp or lot ticket to court for validation. Plan for a few extra minutes, because the closest spaces fill quickly on busy court mornings.

Records Request Fields

A clear request speeds the search. Whether you call or use the county contact form, include enough detail to identify the case and the exact document. The table lists what to provide.

Brown County Clerk Fees

Copy and search fees are confirmed by Records Management, while filing fees follow statewide rules. The clerk's fee authority comes from Wisconsin law. The table lists the fees the office handles most often.

Court costs, fines, and citations can be paid online through the Wisconsin Court System or the county's AllPaid service, but filing fees themselves must go through the state court site rather than AllPaid. The Brown County AllPaid location code is 6061, and the office accepts major credit and debit cards with a service fee.

Common Clerk Forms and Tools

Most Wisconsin court forms are statewide, so the clerk points filers to the state forms library rather than local versions. These are the tools people use most when working with the Brown County clerk.

• Statewide circuit court forms - the standard Wisconsin court forms.
• Wisconsin Circuit Court Access - public case search.
• County records and forms page - the clerk's own links hub.

Mail and Online Filings

Brown County circuit filings use the statewide eFiling system. Attorneys and many self-represented filers submit documents electronically under Wis. Stat. § 801.18. The circuit court eFiling page covers signups, electronic signatures, and fees. The eFiling fee rose by $15 on May 1, 2024, making it $35 per case, per party. A fax filing received after regular clerk hours counts as filed the next business day, and the sending party is responsible for a complete transmission.

It is worth repeating that the clerk's public portal and the official file are not the same thing. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access shows a public case summary, but the Brown County Clerk of Circuit Court remains the official custodian. When you need a stamped, certified document for a court, an agency, or a benefit program, the request goes through the clerk's office, not the online portal.

Related Brown County Resources

For court files, see court records. For estate matters, see probate records. For non-court county records, see the County Clerk. For broader requests, see public records.