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 obtaining certified and uncertified copies is listed 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:
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In Person
7:50 am to 4:15* pm
Monday—Friday
Suite 110
210 Martin Luther King
Madison, WI 53703
Turnaround Time:
Approximately 15 minutes from the time we receive
your completed application at our counter*
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Each time you apply & each record you apply for:
$20.00 for search and first copy (certified or uncertified)
$3.00 for additionals
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Cash, money order, cashier’s check, business check, or, for a $2.50 fee,
most major credit and debit cards
(excluding Visa credit cards)
No personal checks
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Completed application and current photo ID with correct address (additional acceptable forms of ID) and proper form of payment
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*Please arrive no later than 4 pm for same day service.
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Through the mail
Register of Deeds
PO Box 1438
Madison WI 53701-1438
Turnaround Time:
Mailed via First Class Mail within 1-2 business days of receipt
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Each time you apply & each record you apply for:
$20.00 for search and first copy (certified or uncertified)
$3.00 for additionals
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Money order, cashier’s check, or business check
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Completed application and proper form of payment
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Online Expedited Service
www.vitalchek.com
1.800.255.2414
Turnaround Time:
Same day service if you place your order by 2:00 pm CST.
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Each time you apply:
$20.00* for search and first copy (certified or uncertified) of each record
$3.00 additionals
$20.00 expedite fee
$10.00 VitalChek
$50.00 Minimum Total**
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All major credit cards are accepted.
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See www.vitalchek.com
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*You can apply for more than one record during the course of making your order and avoid paying multiple expedite, VitalChek and UPS Next
Day Air fees.
**You may have your record/s sent UPS Next Day Air (delivers Monday-Friday) for an additional $17.50**.
Otherwise, your record/s will be mailed via First Class Mail.
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Application Forms (in person and through the mail only)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my name?
If you have recently been married, the first step is to apply and pay for certified copies of your marriage certificate,
which should have been sent to the Register of Deeds office in the county in which you were married.
Marriage certificates are usually available as soon as one week after the date of your wedding. Once you have certified
copies of your marriage certificate in hand, please see our document,
How to Change Your Name after Marriage.
For all other name changes, see 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.
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.
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."
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
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 business days.
Information for Parents, Coaches and Schools
Instead of photocopying a child's birth certificate (see above) please ask the child's coach
to use the following form.
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.
- Keep your writing within each box.
- Do use a standard title in Box 25a (reverend, minister, judge, etc.). "Officiant" will not be accepted.
- Do not abbreviate your title.
- 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.