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WoodCoWI Vital Statistics Internet Resources

Guidelines for obtaining vital record information from the Wood County (WI) Courthouse

Do you need a civil record of a birth, marriage or death record-that is, the official record filed by the government?

In Wisconsin, one of two locations for these records is the Register of Deeds office in the courthouse of the county where the event occurred. The Wood County, Wisconsin Courthouse is located at 400 Market Street in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

According to Register of Deeds Rene' L. Krause, persons who want to know if a certain event has been recorded there can call their office at (715) 421-8450, and find out over the phone whether a person is shown in an index for recorded births, marriages or deaths.

If that person is listed in an index, a hard copy of that record can be obtained by mail. Use the standard form for obtaining official copies of vital records published in various publications including Tom Kemp's International Vital Records Handbook, or available on the World Wide Web site of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services at:

Send your request with payment to:
Register of Deeds
P. O. Box 8095
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495

The rates given with these standard forms also apply to requests to the Register of Deeds office. Cash, checks, and money orders are acceptable forms of payment. Make a money order or check payable to: "Wood County Register of Deeds." If you do not reside in Wood County and you pay by check for a request by mail, your request will be held for two weeks to ensure check clearance.

You may also visit the Register of Deeds office in person to research vital records. ID and registration is required, and access to some records requires staff assistance, but all available records can be viewed. Some records, like stillbirths and illegitimate births, are not open to the public. Guidelines for responsible research promulgated by the National Genealogical Society and supported by local genealogical societies are posted and enforced. Please note that out-of-county checks are not accepted as payment for in-person transactions at the Register of Deeds office.

Drafted by Don Litzer, McMillan Memorial Library Head of Adult Services,
and Rene' L. Krause, Wood County Register of Deeds, January 31, 2001