Wis. Stat. § 19.35 — WI Code / Chapter 19 / Section 19.35
Access to records; fees.
Status: in_force

(1) Right to inspection.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect any record. Substantive common law principles construing the right to inspect, copy or receive copies of records shall remain in effect. The exemptions to the requirement of a governmental body to meet in open session under s. 19.85 are indicative of public policy, but may be used as grounds for denying public access to a record only if the authority or legal custodian under s. 19.33 makes a specific demonstration that there is a need to restrict public access at the time that the request to inspect or copy the record is made.

(am) In addition to any right under par. (a) , any requester who is an individual or person authorized by the individual has a right to inspect any personally identifiable information pertaining to the individual in a record containing personally identifiable information that is maintained by an authority and to make or receive a copy of any such information. The right to inspect or copy information in a record under this paragraph does not apply to any of the following:

1. Any record containing personally identifiable information that is collected or maintained in connection with a complaint, investigation or other circumstances that may lead to an enforcement action, administrative proceeding, arbitration proceeding or court proceeding, or any such record that is collected or maintained in connection with such an action or proceeding.

2. Any record containing personally identifiable information that, if disclosed, would do any of the following:

a. Endanger an individual’s life or safety.

b. Identify a confidential informant.

c. Endanger the security, including the security of the population or staff, of any state prison under s. 302.01 , jail, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (bg) , juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02 (10p) , secured residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02 (15g) , mental health institute, as defined in s. 51.01 (12) , center for the developmentally disabled, as defined in s. 51.01 (3) , or facility, specified under s. 980.065 , for the institutional care of sexually violent persons.

d. Compromise the rehabilitation of a person in the custody of the department of corrections or detained in a jail or facility identified in subd. 2. c.

2m. The actual address, as defined in s. 165.68 (1) (b) , of a participant in the program established in s. 165.68 .

3. Any record that is part of a records series, as defined in s. 19.62 (7) , that is not indexed, arranged or automated in a way that the record can be retrieved by the authority maintaining the records series by use of an individual’s name, address or other identifier.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect a record and to make or receive a copy of a record. If a requester appears personally to request a copy of a record that permits copying, the authority having custody of the record may, at its option, permit the requester to copy the record or provide the requester with a copy substantially as readable as the original.

(c) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to receive from an authority having custody of a record which is in the form of a comprehensible audio recording a copy of the recording substantially as audible as the original. The authority may instead provide a transcript of the recording to the requester if he or she requests.

(d) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to receive from an authority having custody of a record which is in the form of a video recording a copy of the recording substantially as good as the original.

(e) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to receive from an authority having custody of a record which is not in a readily comprehensible form a copy of the information contained in the record assembled and reduced to written form on paper.

(em) If an authority receives a request to inspect or copy a record that is in handwritten form or a record that is in the form of a voice recording which the authority is required to withhold or from which the authority is required to delete information under s. 19.36 (8) (b) because the handwriting or the recorded voice would identify an informant, the authority shall provide to the requester, upon his or her request, a transcript of the record or the information contained in the record if the record or information is otherwise subject to public inspection and copying under this subsection.

(f) Notwithstanding par. (b) and except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect any record not specified in pars. (c) to (e) the form of which does not permit copying. If a requester requests permission to photograph the record, the authority having custody of the record may permit the requester to photograph the record. If a requester requests that a photograph of the record be provided, the authority shall provide a good quality photograph of the record.

(g) Paragraphs (a) to (c) , (e) and (f) do not apply to a record which has been or will be promptly published with copies offered for sale or distribution.

(h) A request under pars. (a) to (f) is deemed sufficient if it reasonably describes the requested record or the information requested. However, a request for a record without a reasonable limitation as to subject matter or length of time represented by the record does not constitute a sufficient request. A request may be made orally, but a request must be in writing before an action to enforce the request is commenced under s. 19.37 .

(i) Except as authorized under this paragraph, no request under pars. (a) and (b) to (f) may be refused because the person making the request is unwilling to be identified or to state the purpose of the request. Except as authorized under this paragraph, no request under pars. (a) to (f) may be refused because the request is received by mail, unless prepayment of a fee is required under sub. (3) (f) . A requester may be required to show acceptable identification whenever the requested record is kept at a private residence or whenever security reasons or federal law or regulations so require.

(j) Notwithstanding pars. (a) to (f) , a requester shall comply with any regulations or restrictions upon access to or use of information which are specifically prescribed by law.

(k) Notwithstanding pars. (a) , (am) , (b) and (f) , a legal custodian may impose reasonable restrictions on the manner of access to an original record if the record is irreplaceable or easily damaged.

(L) Except as necessary to comply with pars. (c) to (e) or s. 19.36 (6) , this subsection does not require an authority to create a new record by extracting information from existing records and compiling the information in a new format.

(2) Facilities. The authority shall provide any person who is authorized to inspect or copy a record under sub. (1) (a) , (am) , (b) or (f) with facilities comparable to those used by its employees to inspect, copy and abstract the record during established office hours. An authority is not required by this subsection to purchase or lease photocopying, duplicating, photographic or other equipment or to provide a separate room for the inspection, copying or abstracting of records.

(3) Fees.

(a) An authority may impose a fee upon the requester of a copy of a record which may not exceed the actual, necessary and direct cost of reproduction and transcription of the record, unless a fee is otherwise specifically established or authorized to be established by law.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by law or as authorized to be prescribed by law an authority may impose a fee upon the requester of a copy of a record that does not exceed the actual, necessary and direct cost of photographing and photographic processing if the authority provides a photograph of a record, the form of which does not permit copying.

(c) Except as otherwise provided by law or as authorized to be prescribed by law, an authority may impose a fee upon a requester for locating a record, not exceeding the actual, necessary and direct cost of location, if the cost is $50 or more.

(d) An authority may impose a fee upon a requester for the actual, necessary and direct cost of mailing or shipping of any copy or photograph of a record which is mailed or shipped to the requester.

(e) An authority may provide copies of a record without charge or at a reduced charge where the authority determines that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest.

(f) An authority may require prepayment by a requester of any fee or fees imposed under this subsection if the total amount exceeds $5. If the requester is a prisoner, as defined in s. 301.01 (2) , or is a person confined in a federal correctional institution located in this state, and he or she has failed to pay any fee that was imposed by the authority for a request made previously by that requester, the authority may require prepayment both of the amount owed for the previous request and the amount owed for the current request.

(g) Notwithstanding par. (a) , if a record is produced or collected by a person who is not an authority pursuant to a contract entered into by that person with an authority, the authorized fees for obtaining a copy of the record may not exceed the actual, necessary, and direct cost of reproduction or transcription of the record incurred by the person who makes the reproduction or transcription, unless a fee is otherwise established or authorized to be established by law.

(h)

1. In this paragraph, “law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 19.36 (8) (a) 2.

2. Subject to subds. 3. to 7. , an authority that is a law enforcement agency may impose a fee upon a requester for the actual, necessary, and direct cost of redacting, whether by pixelization or other means, recorded audio or video content to the extent redaction is necessary to comply with applicable constitutional, statutory, or common law.

3. An authority may not impose the fee under subd. 2. with respect to a request for records containing audio or video content for which all of the following apply:

a. If the requester is an individual, the requester provides written certification to the authority that the requester will not use the audio or video content for financial gain, not including an award of damages in a civil action. Any individual providing a false certification under this subd. 3. a. shall be subject to a forfeiture of $10,000 for each violation.

b. During the calendar year in which the authority receives the request, the same requester has not made more than 10 requests to the authority for records containing audio or video content, including the current request but excluding any request subject to subd. 4. or 5.

4. An authority may not impose the fee under subd. 2. with respect to a request for records containing audio or video content if the requester is an individual directly involved in the event to which the requested records relate, that individual’s attorney or other authorized representative, or that individual’s parent or guardian if the individual is under the age of 18.

5. An authority may not impose the fee under subd. 2. with respect to a request for records containing audio or video content if the event to which the requested records relate is a shooting involving an officer of a law enforcement agency.

6. In calculating the fee imposed under subd. 2. , the rate for an actual, necessary, and direct charge for staff time spent redacting shall be based on the pay rate of the authority’s lowest paid employee capable of performing the task.

7. An authority may not impose the fee under subd. 2. with respect to a request for records containing audio or video content unless prior to fulfilling the request the authority provides to the requester in writing an estimate of the amount of the fee to be charged.

(4) Time for compliance and procedures.

(a) Each authority, upon request for any record, shall, as soon as practicable and without delay, either fill the request or notify the requester of the authority’s determination to deny the request in whole or in part and the reasons therefor.

(b) If a request is made orally, the authority may deny the request orally unless a demand for a written statement of the reasons denying the request is made by the requester within 5 business days of the oral denial. If an authority denies a written request in whole or in part, the requester shall receive from the authority a written statement of the reasons for denying the written request. Every written denial of a request by an authority shall inform the requester that if the request for the record was made in writing, then the determination is subject to review by mandamus under s. 19.37 (1) or upon application to the attorney general or a district attorney.

(c) If an authority receives a request under sub. (1) (a) or (am) from an individual or person authorized by the individual who identifies himself or herself and states that the purpose of the request is to inspect or copy a record containing personally identifiable information pertaining to the individual that is maintained by the authority, the authority shall deny or grant the request in accordance with the following procedure:

1. The authority shall first determine if the requester has a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (a) .

2. If the authority determines that the requester has a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (a) , the authority shall grant the request.

3. If the authority determines that the requester does not have a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (a) , the authority shall then determine if the requester has a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (am) and grant or deny the request accordingly.

(5) Record destruction. No authority may destroy any record at any time after the receipt of a request for inspection or copying of the record under sub. (1) until after the request is granted or until at least 60 days after the date that the request is denied or, if the requester is a committed or incarcerated person, until at least 90 days after the date that the request is denied. If an authority receives written notice that an action relating to a record has been commenced under s. 19.37 , the record may not be destroyed until after the order of the court in relation to such record is issued and the deadline for appealing that order has passed, or, if appealed, until after the order of the court hearing the appeal is issued. If the court orders the production of any record and the order is not appealed, the record may not be destroyed until after the request for inspection or copying is granted.

(6) Elective official responsibilities. No elective official is responsible for the record of any other elective official unless he or she has possession of the record of that other official.

(7) Local information technology authority responsibility for law enforcement records.

(a) In this subsection:

1. “Law enforcement agency” has the meaning given s. 165.83 (1) (b) .

2. “Law enforcement record” means a record that is created or received by a law enforcement agency and that relates to an investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency or a request for a law enforcement agency to provide law enforcement services.

3. “Local information technology authority” means a local public office or local governmental unit whose primary function is information storage, information technology processing, or other information technology usage.

(b) For purposes of requests for access to records under sub. (1) , a local information technology authority that has custody of a law enforcement record for the primary purpose of information storage, information technology processing, or other information technology usage is not the legal custodian of the record. For such purposes, the legal custodian of a law enforcement record is the authority for which the record is stored, processed, or otherwise used.

(c) A local information technology authority that receives a request under sub. (1) for access to information in a law enforcement record shall deny any portion of the request that relates to information in a local law enforcement record.

History: 1981 c. 335 , 391 ; 1991 a. 39 , 1991 a. 269 ss. 34am , 40am ; 1993 a. 93 ; 1995 a. 77 , 158 ; 1997 a. 94 , 133 ; 1999 a. 9 ; 2001 a. 16 ; 2005 a. 344 ; 2009 a. 259 , 370 ; 2013 a. 171 ; 2015 a. 356 ; 2023 a. 253 .