Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside company that supplies that tool. The provider processes the query and produces its result. Columbia County Criminal History does not keep a local log of the search terms entered there.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained long enough to answer and maintain the related correspondence. It remains within the operating team unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Routine server records may capture technical details when a page loads:
- Page-view times and visit duration
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- Internet Protocol address
- Pages viewed during the visit
- Referring website, when one is supplied
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small device files used to understand traffic patterns, including popular pages and common exit points. Analytics vendors can aggregate that activity. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although blocking them may change how some features work.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a search request to the selected outside provider
- Maintaining site speed, reliability, and security
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Measuring which resources visitors use
- Selecting advertising that may be relevant
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Columbia County Criminal History does not build, hold, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes routing information for the sheriff, circuit courts, Wisconsin DOJ Crime Information Bureau, and Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry. Visitor data is not assembled into a third-party dossier or consumer report, and this site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the embedded search tools. Information submitted to one is governed by that company's privacy policy, retention rules, and sharing practices. Those terms are outside this site's control, so review them before running a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to sheriff pages, court systems, Wisconsin agencies, legal resources, or commercial tools. Once another website opens, its own policy controls the visit. Check that policy before providing personal information.
Advertising companies may use their systems to measure activity across websites and choose targeted ads. This site does not control that tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal information is not sold. It may be disclosed only through the service relationships or legal process described here:
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Outside search services receiving a submitted query
- Advertising networks serving page ads
- Government or law-enforcement authorities acting under valid legal process
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable technical and organizational safeguards protect collected information. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, so these measures cannot eliminate every risk of unauthorized access or loss.
Users Under 18
This resource is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. When a minor's information is identified, a deletion request may be made through the stated contact channel.
Your Data Rights
Applicable law may provide rights over personal data. Wisconsin's Public Records Law governs access to government records, while Wis. Stat. § 165.83 and § 165.84 govern state criminal-history functions and reporting. Those public systems are separate from this private site's data. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request access to personal information held here
- Ask that inaccurate information be corrected
- Seek deletion when the law permits it
- Object to or opt out of eligible processing
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as technology, services, or legal duties change. A revised version will be posted here with its new effective date.
Effective date: August 11, 2026