Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. We do not keep or record those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
When you email us, we retain the message as needed to respond. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our servers receive routine technical information when a visitor loads a page, including:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring website, when one is reported
- Pages opened and the time spent on them
- Device category and operating system
- Browser type and version
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand site traffic, including which pages receive visits and where sessions end. A browser can be set to reject cookies. Blocking them may change how some website functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a search request to the selected partner service
- Finding and correcting site errors
- Maintaining reliable and responsive pages
- Assessing which content visitors use and where improvements are needed
- Displaying advertisements that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Washington County Criminal History does not keep, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal-record information. Its reference material identifies how to seek Washington County records from the Sheriff's Office, the circuit court, Wisconsin DOJ's Crime Information Bureau, and the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry. This site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor information is not compiled into consumer reports or third-party criminal files.
Third-Party Search Partners
Independent companies operate the search boxes that appear on this site. Their privacy policies govern the information submitted through those tools. Each partner sets its own rules for keeping and sharing data, beyond our control. Read the applicable policy before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin court portals, state agencies, legal-aid resources, or outside search providers. Once you follow an external link, the destination's privacy terms apply. Review them before providing personal information.
Some advertising providers may use their own systems to follow activity across websites and select targeted advertisements.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may be available to:
- Government or law-enforcement bodies responding to a valid legal order
- Advertising networks serving ads on the website
- Analytics providers measuring use and performance
- Search partners processing queries submitted through their tools
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for data under our control. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, however, so we cannot promise that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from a person under 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will delete it promptly.
Your Data Rights
Rights may vary based on where you live. Wisconsin's Public Records Law, Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31-19.39, governs access to records held by government authorities, and Wis. Stat. § 165.83 governs the Crime Information Bureau's criminal-identification framework. Those laws do not convert this private site into a government records custodian. For information held directly by us, you may:
- Object to certain forms of processing
- Request deletion of your information
- Ask us to correct inaccurate data
- Request a copy of personal information we hold about you
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. Any revision will be posted here with its current effective date, so visitors should review the page periodically for changes.
Effective date: August 11, 2026