Birth, Death, Marriage, and Domestic Partnership Records
The Vital Records Section of the Register of Deeds Office maintains copies of all birth,
death, marriage, and domestic partnership records for events that occur in Dane County. To obtain certified
copies of any of these records, you will need to fill out an application form and pay a fee.
Information about certified and uncertified copies is listed below.
Important Information & Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my name?
Information on how to obtain name change forms and a description of the procedure
are available through the Clerk of Courts web site.
Who Can Apply for Certified Copies?
Certified copies (legal copies) are printed on security paper and have raised seals in the
bottom corners. You can apply for certified copies of your record and that of your spouse/domestic partner,
child, grandchild, parent, brother or sister, or
your client.
You may be required to provide documentation proving your relationship to the person on the record.
Application methods, fees, and turnaround times are listed below.
Who Can Apply for Uncertified Copies?
An uncertified copy of a record is not a legal copy; it is a photocopy that is designed to be
used for informational purposes only. Anyone can obtain an uncertified copy of a vital record,
provided the record is unprotected. Application methods, fees, and turnaround times are the
same as for certified copies (see below).
How to Apply
You may apply for copies in person, through the mail, or online. There are different fees
charged, application requirements, and turnaround times depending on how you apply:
In Person
(building address and hours are to the top left)
|
$20
Additional Copies: $3 |
Cash, money order, cashier’s check, business check, or, for a $2.50 fee, credit or debit card (excluding Visa credit cards) |
Completed application (below) and current photo ID with correct address
(additional acceptable forms of ID)
and proper form of payment
|
Turnaround: Approximately 15 minutes from the time we receive your completed application at the counter
Please note: We stop issuing certified copies at 4:15 PM.
|
Through the Mail
(mailing address is listed to the top left)
|
$20
Additional Copies: $3 |
Money order, cashier’s check, or business check |
Completed application (below) and proper form of payment |
| Turnaround: Mailed via First Class Mail within 2-3 days of receipt |
Online (Expedited Service) |
$45
Additional Copies: $3 |
Credit or debit card only |
Completed online application, faxed authorization form (obtained during application process) with signature and copy of photo ID, and valid form of payment |
Turnaround: Mailed via First Class Mail the same day if received by 2:00 p.m. CST
(UPS Next Day Air Service can be purchased for an additional $17.50 per order)
|
Application Forms (in person and through the mail only)
Why is it a Felony to Make a Photocopy of a Birth, Death, Marriage, or Domestic Partnership Certificate?
The Attorney General stated in 78 Op. Att'y Gen. 232,233 (1989), "Section 69.24(1)(a) was enacted
in apparent response to a substantial increase in the practice of obtaining and using false
identification documents by manipulating the existing system. For example, it was easy for a
person to procure a photocopy of a birth certificate from a source other than discussed in
chapter 69. This certificate, which might be accurate or already altered, could be altered
to provide a new identity or other erroneous identifying information……. The Legislature
obviously determined that this evil and its consequences could only be prevented by a strict
measure which makes copying per se a criminal violation unless done under the authority
of subchapter I of chapter 69."
Information for Parents, Coaches and Schools
Instead of photocopying a child's birth certificate (see above paragraph) please ask the child's coach
to use the following form.
How Do I Make Changes to an Existing Record?
How Do I Locate Vital Records for Events That Occurred Outside of Dane County?
If the event occurred in Wisconsin, you may contact
Wisconsin State Vital Records.
For events that occurred outside of Wisconsin, you can lookup contact information for the State
Vital Records Office you are interested in through the National Center for Health Statistics
website at www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
Tips for Officiants of Marriage Ceremonies
- Use black ink and only black ink.
- Never use liquid white out, white out tape, or typewriter lift-off on an Original Certificate of Marriage.
- Use your best possible handwriting, or an assistant’s good handwriting. Genealogists for centuries to come will be grateful! But please note – officiants must sign the certificate themselves, AFTER the information has been completed!
- If your handwriting is unclear, you may want to send a letter of “correction” (clarification) along with the Original Certificate of Marriage in order to avoid delaying the groom and bride from obtaining certified copies. See below for a description of a letter of correction.
- Remember to indicate the type of municipality where the marriage took place (section 20b). Click here for a list of Dane County municipalities.
- The officiant is responsible for sending the completed Original Certificate of Marriage to the county where the wedding occurred (not the county in which the license was purchased, if different).
- ANY corrections MUST by accompanied by a letter of correction on the officiant’s letterhead, including the names of the bride and groom, their date of marriage, and a description of the error and how it should be corrected.
- Please call if you have any questions: 608.267.8810.
How to Record your Domestic Partnership Declaration or Termination
IMPORTANT: Your Domestic Partnership Declaration or Termination* only becomes legal once it is recorded in our office --
Dane County Vital Records in the Register of Deeds office. (*Terminations go into effect 90 days later.)
To record your notarized document, you may either mail or bring it to our office.
Or, bring your notarized document to Dane County Vital Records in the Register of Deeds office, Room 110 in the City-County building at 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison, Wisconsin, between the hours of 7:50 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
We will usually process your record within 1-2 days. Processing time may be longer for the first few weeks of August 2009, just after the law goes into effect. After processing, you may apply for certified copies of your Domestic Partnership Declaration or Termination.