Public Records
The Wisconsin public records law authorizes requesters to inspect or obtain copies of “records” maintained by government “authorities.” The identity of the requester or the reason why the requester wants particular records generally does not matter for purposes of the public records law. Records are presumed to be open to inspection and copying, but there are some exceptions. Requirements of the public records law apply to records that exist at the time a public records request is made. The public records law does not require authorities to provide requested information if no responsive record exists, and generally does not require authorities to create new records in order to fulfill public records requests. Costs associated with locating records and copy fees may be charged.
