How to Get a Wisconsin Death Certificate (2026)

You get a Wisconsin death certificate from the state Vital Records Office or from a county register of deeds. A certified copy costs $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Only a person with a direct and tangible interest in the record, or a requester holding a court order, may obtain a certified copy.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Wisconsin?

You get a Wisconsin death certificate from the state Vital Records Office, part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), or from a county register of deeds. The state office holds death records registered since October 1907.

The state office does not serve walk-in customers. DHS states that in-person counter services are closed and that vital records requests are handled by U.S. mail, online through VitalChek, or by phone through VitalChek at 877-885-2981. Appointments are required for in-person genealogy research.

You can request a copy in three ways. Each method serves the same record, so choose whichever fits your timing and location.

By Mail

Complete the Wisconsin Vital Record Application (form F-05280), include payment and a copy of your photo ID, and mail it to the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI 53701-0309.

Online or by Phone

The state uses VitalChek as its authorized vendor for online and phone orders. You can place a phone order through VitalChek at 877-885-2981. Additional vendor and processing fees apply to these orders.

In Person at a County Register of Deeds

A county register of deeds can issue a certified copy for a death that occurred anywhere in Wisconsin, but only if the record is enabled for statewide issuance in the state registrar's electronic system of vital records under Wis. Stat. 69.21(1)(a)1. If the record is not enabled that way, the registrar responsible for filing or registering it issues the copy instead. DHS makes the same point: records may not always be available at a county office, and it depends on the event type and date. Call the office before you drive there.

Who Is Eligible to Request a Wisconsin Death Certificate?

Only a person with a direct and tangible interest in the record may obtain a certified copy of a Wisconsin death certificate, unless the registrar has received a court order directing issuance, under Wis. Stat. 69.21(1)(a)2.a. The categories that count as a direct and tangible interest are defined in Wis. Stat. 69.20(1).

People who typically qualify include the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the deceased. The executor or personal representative of the estate, an attorney representing the estate, and a legal guardian also qualify.

You may also qualify if you can show the certificate is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right. Government agencies may obtain record information for use in their official duties under Wis. Stat. 69.20(3)(d).

Access to an uncertified copy is wider, but it is not open to everyone. Until 50 years after the date of death, Wis. Stat. 69.20(2)(c) bars registrars from disclosing the cause-of-death and manner-of-death portion of a death record to anyone except a person with a direct and tangible interest or a direct descendant. DHS puts it in plain terms: for a death that occurred less than 50 years ago, you must be a direct descendant or someone with direct and tangible interest to get a copy.

Wisconsin Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

A certified Wisconsin death certificate costs $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Fees are set by state law and are the same whether you order from the state office or a county register of deeds.

Processing time depends on how you order. DHS completes orders placed online or by phone through VitalChek in about five business days, and requests mailed to the state office in about 10 business days, not counting mail time in each direction. A county register of deeds sets its own turnaround, so ask that office directly rather than assuming same-day service.

Online and phone orders through VitalChek add vendor and expedited-shipping fees on top of the state fee. Build in extra time if you need the certificate for probate, insurance, or benefit claims with deadlines.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Wisconsin

A certified copy is the official document you need for legal matters such as settling an estate, claiming life insurance, transferring property, or closing financial accounts. It carries the registrar's seal and signature.

Wisconsin also divides the death certificate itself into two forms, and picking the wrong one is the common mistake. For a death after August 31, 2013, Wis. Stat. 69.21(1)(b)5. limits a copy to the fact-of-death information in s. 69.18(1m)(a) unless you specifically request the extended fact-of-death information in s. 69.18(1m)(b). DHS describes the fact of death certificate as demographic information that does not contain the manner or cause of death, and the extended fact of death certificate as also carrying location, manner and cause of death, and the final burial place. Insurance benefit claims usually use the extended type, so ask for it by name on your application if you are filing one.

An uncertified copy, sometimes called an informational copy, is printed on plain paper and stamped uncertified. It is for personal information or genealogy only and cannot be used to prove identity or for any legal purpose.

If your goal is a legal or financial transaction, always request the certified copy. If you only need the facts of the record, the uncertified copy is the lower-stakes option.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

You can order extra copies at the same time as your first request for $3 each, which is the most economical approach. Estates often need several certified copies at once for banks, insurers, and government agencies.

To get additional or replacement copies later, submit a new application with the appropriate fee. The first copy on any new order is charged at $20, with each additional copy on that order at $3.

Whether you order from the state office or a county register of deeds, the eligibility rules and fees are the same. Keep at least one certified copy in a safe place so you do not have to reorder.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and processing times can change. Confirm current details with the Wisconsin Vital Records Office or your county register of deeds before ordering.

Sources

This page draws on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Vital Records Office, Wisconsin Statutes 69.20 and 69.21, and the CDC National Center for Health Statistics.

For the parent overview, see Wisconsin Death Records. For other states, see Death Records by State.