Getting a Wisconsin birth record is not a complicated procedure and there are limited restrictions on who can access such records. Anyone can order an uncertified copy of a birth certificate, but you have to be an immediate family for a certified one.
The uncertified copies are printed on plain paper and have no legal standing as a piece of identification whereas a certified one will have the raised seal of the state and can be used as ID. The actual information included in either case will be the same.
Immediate family members include children, parents, siblings, spouses or domestic partners and grandparents. You can also request your own Wisconsin birth record to get a certified copy.
The process to place an order is the same in either case, you just need to complete the request form and pay the search fee. You can print the form out from the Department of Health Services website (http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/F0/F05291.pdf), which includes 1 page to complete and 1 page of current rules.
The form requires that you provide the full name of the person on the record, along with their birth date and place of birth. Also include the parent's full names. The rest of the form is about your, with your name, address and contact information. You need to tick off what your relationship is to the person of record, unless you indicate that you want an uncertified Wisconsin birth record.
Your request also requires a photocopy of one piece of government-issued photo ID for yourself (or 2 pieces if you have no photo ID).
Next, you have to include a check or money order made out to the "State of Wisconsin Vital Records" for the total sum of $20 USD for each record you are searching for. Any extra copies are $3 each. Lastly, your application needs a stamped and self-addressed envelope so they can easily return your ordered records.
Once all your materials are together, you can mail them to the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, PO Box 309, Madison WI, 53701-0309 USA. It will take about a month for them to be processed and your Wisconsin birth record sent back to you. If you are in the Madison area, you can visit their office in person at 1 West Wilson Street, Room 158 instead. Then you can usually get same-day service (around a 2 hour wait) for your records request.
The Vital Records office has a relatively complete collection of Wisconsin birth records from 1907 until the present, but many individual counties have their own records that date back farther than that. Many counties have from the late 1800s. Brown county even goes back to 1814. If you are looking for any pre-1907 material, you can do further searches at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Their website (http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/vitalrecords/) has a search form where you can search through more than 150,000 names. The index only provides the base information of name, birth date and place. But also the microfilm reel for the complete record at their research room.
To make a request by mail for a certified Wisconsin birth certificate, you must:
Step 1.
Complete a Wisconsin Birth Certificate application. The application must be completed in full and signed in order for your request to be processed.
Step 2.
Obtain a check or money order in the amount of $20 to cover the search fees and one copy of the record.
Step 3.
Mail in the appropriate fees, the completed application, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address listed below.
If you have more questions regarding how to access Wisconsin birth records, you can contact:
Wisconsin Department of Health
Wisconsin Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309
(608) 266-1371
Requesting Wisconsin Birth Records
If you need Wisconsin birth records, then you can contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The Department provides both certified and uncertified birth certificates for the state.
Ways To Order Wisconsin Birth Certificates
Wisconsin law states that requests for Wisconsin birth records must include a signature and the appropriate fees. Subsequently, you must order Wisconsin birth records either in person, by mail, or by fax.
Limitations To Ordering Certified Copies
Any person who fills out an application and pays the appropriate fee can be issued an uncertified copy of Wisconsin birth records, though these documents are not accepted as identification. Certified copies of Wisconsin birth records are able to be used as identification and are only available to the person listed, their spouse, a parent or grandparent, a sibling, a child, or someone that has been given legal access to the record.
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