How to Get a Certified Copy of Your Divorce Decree in Wisconsin

Every post-divorce update — Social Security, the DMV, your retirement plan, the county Register of Deeds — starts the same way: hand over a certified copy of the divorce decree. Some agencies will not accept a photocopy or an uncertified CCAP printout. You need the Clerk of Circuit Court's official certification or seal on the document, and you will need more than one.

Where to Order Certified Copies

Your certified copies come from the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was filed. You can request them in person at the clerk's office or by mailing a written request. Some counties also accept requests by email.

The standard fee is $5.00 per certification plus $1.25 per page. A typical Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Judgment of Divorce runs several pages, so expect to pay roughly $10 to $15 per certified copy depending on the length of your specific judgment.

The Wisconsin Vital Records Office also maintains divorce records, but their document is a Divorce Certificate (a summary abstract) — not a full certified copy of the judgment. Some agencies accept the certificate, but many (including retirement plan administrators and the county Register of Deeds) require the full certified judgment with the court's seal.

How Many Do You Need?

Order at least three to four certified copies. Here is where a certified copy may be required:

• Social Security Administration: One certified copy to file Form SS-5 for a name change. SSA returns it after verification.
• Wisconsin DMV: One certified copy for your new driver's license (Form MV3001).
• Retirement plan administrators: Each QDRO or WRS Domestic Relations Order filing requires an original or certified copy. The Department of Employee Trust Funds explicitly rejects photocopies.
• County Register of Deeds: Real estate transfers require a certified copy to accompany the quitclaim deed.
• U.S. Passport: The State Department requires a certified copy with Form DS-82 or DS-5504 for a name-change renewal.

Some agencies return the certified copy after review; others keep it. If you have multiple retirement accounts to divide or multiple real estate parcels to transfer, you may need five or six copies.

Can You Get More Later?

Yes. You can order additional certified copies from the Clerk of Circuit Court at any time. There is no deadline or expiration on requests. The fee per copy stays the same.

If you lost your only copy and need one quickly, call the clerk's office in the county where your divorce was filed. Ask whether in-person pickup or expedited processing is available.

CCAP Records vs. Certified Copies

Wisconsin's public court records system (CCAP) allows anyone to look up case details online, but a CCAP printout is informational — it is not certified and does not carry the clerk's seal. Use a certified copy when an agency or financial institution requires proof of divorce, and check with the recipient about whether it accepts another record.

Keeping your certified copies organized and accessible saves time at every step of the post-divorce process. The Wisconsin After-Divorce Checklist includes a document tracker that maps which agencies need originals, which return them, and how to plan your updates to minimize the number of copies you need.

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