Genealogy
About Searching
You may search Dane County public birth, death, marriage and domestic partnership records in the Vital Records
office free of charge. No appointment is necessary. Visit our office between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. On your
first visit of each calendar year, you will be required to complete our search application, providing us with
the first and last names for which you will be searching. You are welcome to bring a list which we can photocopy.
You will also be required to present current, valid identification (i.e., a non-expired driver’s license, passport
or state identification card) and proof of current address IF your identification has an old address on it
(Additional acceptable forms of ID).
You will be asked to read and abide by the
State of Wisconsin Administrative Code Conditions for Users of Vital Records Area (DHS 142.07)
Each time you visit, you will be required to sign in and provide the first and last names for which you will be searching.
About Our Records
Birth and death records are available as early as 1876, and marriage records as early as 1839.
Please be aware that not all records were registered in each county in these early years, so
you may find that there are some records that were filed with Wisconsin State Vital Records
but not with our office. Unfortunately, we are unable to obtain copies of missing records from
State Vital Records solely for genealogical purposes, so you may find it helpful to make an
appointment with their office to supplement your research. For more information, you may
visit their website.
Our domestic partnership records begin in 2009.
Obtaining Copies
You may purchase uncertified copies of any public record in the Vital Records section, whether
or not you are related to the person/people on the record. For fee information, or to learn
how to obtain certified copies of these records, please
click here.
Registered Genealogists
Although we are happy to show you how to search records in our office when you visit, we do not
have the staff resources available to help you perform extensive genealogical research.
However, there are a number of individuals in the area who are familiar with searching records
in the State Historical Society Archives and in several local Register of Deeds offices.
Please feel free to contact any of the genealogists listed below: