Washington County
Washington County was created by the Wisconsin Territory Legislature in 1836. As of 2022, 136,842 persons reside in Washington County. The county's most populous city and government seat is West Bend.
Washington County has two trial courts, including the Circuit and Municipal Courts. As the general jurisdiction court, the Circuit Court handles all major court proceedings in Washington County. It has a criminal and traffic division that handles felonies, misdemeanors, traffic Infractions, and preliminary hearings. On the other hand, the Circuit Court civil department resolves tort claims, property disputes, name changes, contract breaches, and small claims disputes for up to $10,000.
The Washington County Family Court, also a division of the Circuit Court, has jurisdiction over divorce cases, juvenile delinquencies, paternity disputes, and child custody cases. The county's Mid-Moraine Municipal Court handles all civil violations, such as traffic offenses, municipal ordinance violations, and certain small claims cases.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court creates and maintains court records showing details of court proceedings in Washington County. These records provide information on case filings, trial transcripts, dockets, court orders, names of involved parties, hearing dates, and court judgments. The Wisconsin Open Records Law allows public access to the following court records in Washington County:
- Family law records
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Small claims court records
- Traffic records
- Probate records
However, sealed and confidential records involving juvenile and adoption cases are exempted from state law. To protect individuals' privacy, these documents are accessible only to record owners and their legal representatives. The Circuit Court may allow certain persons access to confidential court records. Requesters can get public court records by making phone requests or submitting written requests in person at:
Washington Clerk of the Circuit Court
484 Rolfs Avenue Room 3151
West Bend, WI 53090
Phone: (262) 335-4341
Interested persons may also subscribe to the Wisconsin Courts Case Search to find Washington County court records online. To find relevant case information online, users must provide party names, dates of birth, business names, or cases. The state's online tool costs $5 for a one-time use account or guest search.
