How to Search Brown County Court Records
The official portal is Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, or WCCA, at wcca.wicourts.gov. It is free and open to the public. WCCA holds case summaries from the statewide CCAP system, which is where Brown County enters its current court records. The site shows case numbers, captions, parties, filing dates, status, and docket events. It does not hand over full filed documents from home in most cases.
Have a few details ready before you start. A case number finds a file fastest. A full party name works too, and a birth date helps when names repeat. The county's own circuit court records and forms page links straight to WCCA and to statewide forms.
- Open the WCCA case search and accept the terms screen.
- Select Brown as the county to keep results local.
- Type a case number, or enter a last name and first name.
- Add a birth date to narrow a person search when needed.
- Click a case number in the results to open the full case detail.
That county page is a useful hub because it groups the search tool, the forms, and the clerk's copy instructions in one spot.
Brown County Court Records Search Fields
The simple WCCA form keeps the fields short. You can search by case, by person, or by business. The county menu limits a search to Brown County files. The two checkboxes control whether the system also shows parties with no middle name or no birth date on record. Leaving them checked keeps older or partial records in the list.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Optional | Choose Brown for a county-only search. |
| Case number | Text | Optional | Shorthand accepted; 22CF1800 returns 2022CF001800. |
| Last name | Text | Optional | Needed when searching a person by name. |
| First name | Text | Optional | Narrows the result list. |
| Middle name | Text | Optional | Optional checkbox includes parties with none. |
| Birth date | Date | Optional | Separates people who share a name. |
| Business name | Text | Optional | Use instead of person-name fields. |
Types of Brown County Court Records
The circuit court is a court of general jurisdiction, so its records span many case types. Civil files hold lawsuits, contract disputes, and money judgments. Criminal files hold felony and misdemeanor charges. Family files cover divorce, custody, and support. Probate files cover estates and guardianships. The Wisconsin circuit courts page explains the single-level trial court design.
Which office holds the record depends on the matter. The clerk keeps civil, criminal, family, and traffic files. The Register in Probate keeps estate and guardianship files. The main categories are listed below.
- Civil - lawsuits, liens, money judgments, and injunctions.
- Criminal - felony (CF) and misdemeanor (CM) prosecutions.
- Family - divorce, paternity, custody, placement, and support.
- Probate - estates, wills, guardianship, and trust accountings.
- Small claims - lower-dollar claims, eviction, and replevin.
- Traffic and forfeiture - citations and county or state forfeitures.
What Brown County Court Records Show
A case detail page is built from standard fields. The header sets the case number, caption, filing date, and status. Below it you find parties, charges, hearings, and the disposition. For criminal matters, the caption reads as the State of Wisconsin against a named defendant. The table maps what each field returns in a public search result.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year, type code, and sequence, like 2022CF001800. |
| Caption | The case title, such as State of Wisconsin vs. a named party. |
| Parties | Names, roles, and a birth date when not sealed. |
| Filing Date | The date the clerk opened the case. |
| Charges / Claims | Statute cite, count, and description. |
| Disposition | Plea, finding, dismissal, or judgment. |
| Status | Open or closed, plus any warrant flags. |
One sample public result returned a party name, the county, a birth date, the case number, the caption, the status, and the filing date. A sealed birth-date flag tells you when a date of birth is not public.
Reading a Brown County Case Number
Every Brown County court record carries a case number, and the number itself tells you a lot. The full format is a four-digit year, a two-letter type code, and a six-digit sequence. So 2022CF001800 is the 1,800th felony case opened in 2022. WCCA accepts a short version too, so 22CF1800 finds the same file. The two letters in the middle are the key to the case type.
These codes show up across Brown County court records, so it helps to know the common ones.
- CF / CM - felony and misdemeanor criminal cases.
- CV / SC - civil and small claims cases.
- FA / PA - family and paternity cases.
- PR / GN - probate and guardianship cases.
- TR / CT - traffic forfeiture and criminal traffic cases.
Public Access Framework for Brown County Court Records
Wisconsin's public records law opens with a clear policy. The public should get the greatest possible information about government acts. That policy reaches Brown County offices, including the clerk and the sheriff. The core access rule and fee authority sit in Wis. Stat. § 19.35, while the policy statement is in Wis. Stat. § 19.31.
Court records also follow Supreme Court rules on retention and access. A custodian must find the records, apply the right exemptions, and explain a denial. When access is denied, Wis. Stat. § 19.37 lets a requester ask a court to order release.
Note: WCCA shows the public summary, but the Clerk of Circuit Court remains the official custodian for certified copies and for documents that are not online.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Brown County
Some Brown County court records stay closed. Juvenile, adoption, and mental health files are confidential by statute. Pre-judgment paternity matters and many sealed or expunged cases also stay off the public search. Personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and certain birth dates are redacted even on otherwise public files. The Wisconsin Court System overview describes how the courts are organized.
To view a sealed record, you usually need to be a party, an attorney of record, or someone with a court order. A written motion to the assigned branch is the standard route. Expungement under Wisconsin law is decided at sentencing, so an old conviction cannot always be cleared later.
Presentence reports get special handling in Brown County. Local court rules say a copy of a presentence investigation is made available only for set purposes, and no other copies may be made. A defendant acting without a lawyer reviews the report at the courthouse as directed. That keeps sensitive background details out of the general public file.
Copies, Fees, and In-Person Requests
For copies, the clerk's Records Management office is the place to call. Brown County asks you to speak with that office before you pay, so the copy or search fee is set correctly. Call 920-448-4521. Copies may be mailed, emailed, or faxed after payment. The Wisconsin Court System fee schedule lists the statewide fee structure.
Attorneys and many filers use the statewide eFiling system for new cases. The fee is $35 per case, per party, and it rose by $15 on May 1, 2024. The circuit court eFiling page covers signups and exemptions.
To request records in person, visit the clerk at the courthouse during office hours.
Brown County Clerk of Circuit Court
100 South Jefferson Street
Green Bay, WI 54301
920-448-4155
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.