Wisconsin Background Check Guide · 2025
Whether you're applying for a manufacturing job at Harley-Davidson or Briggs & Stratton, a healthcare role at Aurora or Froedtert in Milwaukee, a teaching license through DPI, or a position at one of Wisconsin's major employers like Kohler or Northwestern Mutual, the employer is pulling your record through WORCS, the Wisconsin Online Record Check System, run by the Department of Justice Crime Information Bureau. WORCS makes a self-check fast and inexpensive at $12 per name.
This guide explains how Wisconsin's record system works, what shows up, and how Wisconsin's expungement law (§973.015), one of the most procedurally restrictive in the country, affects what records can be cleared.
Wisconsin's CCAP (Consolidated Court Automation Programs) system makes the state's court records unusually visible to anyone with an internet connection. That visibility means errors and unfinished dispositions hurt more in Wisconsin than in states with stricter access controls. A $12 WORCS check on yourself is one of the cheapest sanity checks in the country.
WORCS data is fed from 72 counties and the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) system. Combined with the state's CCAP public access, that means employers routinely see both state-level and county-level information. Errors at either level can hurt you. The $12 self-check catches state-level issues; a CCAP search catches county-level cases.
Wisconsin's expungement statute is unusually restrictive, the court has to order expungement at sentencing, not later. If you believe you had an expungement ordered, run a self-check to verify it was actually applied after you completed your sentence. Many expungements ordered at sentencing don't make it through the post-completion process correctly.
Wisconsin's major employers, Harley-Davidson, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Aurora, Froedtert, run thorough background checks. The state's licensed professions (nursing, real estate, security, education) require fingerprint-based DOJ + FBI checks. Knowing what's on your record beforehand is essential.
Wisconsin's rental markets, particularly in Madison around UW and Milwaukee's gentrifying neighborhoods, depend on commercial screening reports built on WORCS and CCAP data. Madison's fair-chance ordinance limits how landlords can use criminal records, but errors still cause denials. Fixing them at the source is the only durable solution.
Felony convictions and most Class A and B misdemeanor convictions processed in Wisconsin circuit courts appear on the WORCS record unless expunged. The report shows offense, court, conviction date, and sentence.
One of Wisconsin's distinguishing features: CCAP (Consolidated Court Automation Programs) provides free public access to all circuit court records statewide. Even cases that don't appear on the WORCS criminal history file may be visible on CCAP. This makes CCAP a critical secondary check.
Arrest records, including arrests not leading to conviction, appear on the WORCS record. Wisconsin also has expansive arrest disclosure compared to many states.
Open and pending charges appear on the WORCS record and prominently on CCAP. If a case was dismissed and the disposition wasn't transmitted to the DOJ, the record may still show "open" until corrected.
Federal court records, out-of-state convictions, juvenile records (sealed), most traffic offenses (excluding OWI/DUI), and certain municipal violations fall outside the DOJ system. A complete personal check usually combines the state report with federal and multi-state sources.
The fastest official route is the Wisconsin Online Record Check System at recordcheck.doj.wi.gov. Pay $12 by credit card, enter the subject's name and date of birth, and receive results electronically. The same source most Wisconsin employers and landlords use.
For immigration, adoption, or other purposes that require a fingerprint-based check, the DOJ Police Certificate is $20. Submit fingerprints with the application form to the Crime Information Bureau in Madison.
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at wcca.wicourts.gov provides free public access to all circuit court records. This is the same source most Wisconsin landlords and employers use as a secondary check, and it sometimes reveals cases that don't appear on WORCS.
For a single report combining Wisconsin DOJ data with federal courts, multi-state records, and sex offender registries, a professional service is fastest. Background-Check.com consolidates all of this in one report.
For nationwide coverage based on fingerprints, request an Identity History Summary directly from the FBI.
Wisconsin's expungement statute is procedurally unique and restrictive:
Legislative reform efforts (AB 37 / SB 38 in 2023) have proposed allowing post-sentencing expungement petitions, but as of 2025 this reform has not been enacted. The "sentencing-only" rule remains one of the most restrictive expungement frameworks in the country.
Allows certain first-time offenders to be diverted from prosecution. Successfully completed diversion may result in dismissal without conviction, and the underlying arrest record may be eligible for clearance.
Wisconsin has no statewide private-sector Ban the Box law. Private employers can ask about criminal history on initial job applications. Local ordinances exist:
Wisconsin is unique in that the Fair Employment Act includes "conviction record" and "arrest record" as protected characteristics. Employers cannot discriminate based on conviction history unless the offense is "substantially related" to the job. This is a stronger protection than EEOC individualized assessment.
Third-party background checks in Wisconsin are governed by the FCRA: written consent required, pre-adverse-action notice required, right to dispute errors, and 7-year cap on non-conviction reporting.
Yes, and run BOTH a WORCS check AND a CCAP search. They show different things. Wisconsin's combination of WORCS criminal history plus universal CCAP court access means employers and landlords routinely see information that other states keep more restricted. The $12 WORCS check tells you what's on the criminal history file; CCAP (free) shows you the court-level case dockets. Both matter.
For a comprehensive personal report combining Wisconsin DOJ data with federal records, sex offender registries, and out-of-state convictions, run a multi-source check through Background-Check.com.
The fastest route is the WORCS online portal: $12, electronic delivery. Pair it with a free CCAP search at wcca.wicourts.gov for court-level case details. For deeper coverage, request a fingerprint-based Police Certificate ($20) or an FBI Identity History Summary.
Wisconsin has no state cap on conviction reporting. The federal FCRA caps non-conviction records (arrests not leading to conviction) at 7 years on third-party employment reports. Expunged records are removed entirely, though Wisconsin's restrictive expungement statute means fewer records get cleared than in most states.
Records expunged under §973.015 should be removed from the WORCS database and should not appear on FCRA-compliant employer background reports. Note that Wisconsin requires expungement to be ordered at sentencing, there is no post-sentencing petition process available under current law.
WORCS online: $12. Police Certificate (fingerprint-based): $20. CCAP court search: free. FBI Identity History Summary: $18. Professional comprehensive multi-state checks: $20 to $80.
Yes, when they use a third-party background check company, the federal FCRA requires written authorization. Under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, employers also cannot discriminate based on conviction history unless the offense is "substantially related" to the job. You always have the right to see any report used in a hiring decision and dispute inaccuracies.