About Our Birth Records
Pre-1907 Vital Records Collection
The Society has approximately 1 million state-level birth records and 27,000 delayed birth records through September 30, 1907. They are a part of our Pre-1907 Vital Record Collection.
Wisconsin law required counties to register birth events with state officials starting in 1852, but the law was not strictly enforced until roughly 1880. Most records date from 1880 or later.
It is possible that some records only exist at the county level and are not in our state-level collection. We do not have birth records after September 30, 1907.
How Birth Records are Organized
Online
Birth index records are online as a part of our Pre-1907 Vital Records Collection, which is accessible from any computer. The index provides the information necessary to locate a specific microfilm reel containing the ancestor's full birth record. The full record will include details not found in the index. Search for your ancestor by name or year of the event on the Research Your Family History page.
Browse the index of all Pre-1907 birth records
Then use filters on the left hand side of the results page to refine your search.
Physical
The Society's Library has microfilm of full birth records organized by county and date of registration; not by name or date of the event.
Purchasing Copies
You can buy vital records through the Wisconsin Historical Society. On the individual record, click the orange "Buy" button and proceed through the Online Store purchasing process.
Due to Wisconsin state law, we can only issue uncertified copies of the records.
Each record costs $15. Orders are usually mailed or emailed within two weeks of receipt. Wisconsin Historical Society Members receive a 10-percent discount. Learn how to become a member.
How to Cite
For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model.
- Wisconsin Genealogy Index Citation
- Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Genealogy Index: Birth Record Entry for Racine County, Reel 0248, Record 002578; viewed online at //www.wisconsinhistory.org/ on [insert today's date here]
- Birth Record Citation
- John Alvin Doe birth record, Jackson County, Wisconsin, Reel 38, Record 43, Wisconsin Historical Society Library Archives
Locating Birth Records After 1907
Contact one of the following agencies:
Wisconsin Vital Records Office
Department of Health Services
P.O. Box 309
Madison, Wisconsin 53701-0309
or
Register of Deeds at the appropriate county courthouse. View a list of addresses (PDF, 125 KB).
Learn More
Researching your family history
See more articles about researching your family history.
Have Questions?
Contact our Library and Archives staff by email.