FRONTLINEPRIVACY

Privacy in Wisconsin for first responders

What state law protects, what still leaks, and what we sweep beyond it.

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Safe at Home

Wisconsin maintains a state-level program that lets eligible officers, judges, and other protected workers use a substitute address for public records.

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Public-records carve-outs

  • Wis. Stat. §757.07 (2023 Wisconsin Act 235) — judicial officers and qualifying family members can demand removal of personal information from public records and online publishers. Civil action for actual damages, costs, fees, and punitive damages on intentional violation.
  • Wis. Stat. §19.36(11) and §19.36(14) — public records exemptions covering judicial officers and certain other public officials, subject to a balancing test.
  • Wis. Stat. §59.43(1r) — register of deeds must shield specifically identified property records on written request from a judicial officer.
  • Wis. Stat. §8.10(7) — voter registration confidentiality for judicial officers.

Applicable laws

What protects you in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's strongest lever is for judges. 2023 Wisconsin Act 235, codified at Wis. Stat. §757.07, is a broker-removal statute — modeled after New Jersey's Daniel's Law (a state law that lets covered officers sue data brokers and publishers for failing to remove their home address). It covers current and former Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, circuit and municipal judges, court commissioners, and their qualifying family members. Judicial officers can demand removal of personal information from public records and from online publishers. Violators face actual damages, costs, attorney's fees, and punitive damages on intentional publication. You can sue them yourself.

The judicial protection is layered. Wis. Stat. §59.43(1r) requires the register of deeds to shield specifically identified property records on written request from a judge. Wis. Stat. §8.10(7) gives judicial officers voter-registration confidentiality. The framework is one of the more complete judicial protections in the country.

For other first responders, the protection is thinner. Wis. Stat. §19.36(11) and §19.36(14) cover personnel records and certain personal-identifier disclosures, but they apply through a balancing test that the records custodian runs case by case. Sworn officers, firefighters, and EMS don't get the categorical removal right that judges do. The state has a Safe at Home ACP under Wis. Stat. §165.68 for domestic violence, stalking, and trafficking victims — not officer-categorical.

What still leaks

  1. The judge-vs-everyone-else split. If you're a sworn officer, firefighter, or EMS, you don't have §757.07's removal right. Your protection depends on a balancing test the records custodian runs.
  2. County property records (non-judges). §59.43(1r) protects judges. Other officers don't have property-record shielding under state law.
  3. Out-of-state brokers. Spokeo, Whitepages, and the rest don't honor Wisconsin law. They source from national aggregators that don't care about §757.07.

Laws that work for you here

  • Wis. Stat. §757.07 (2023 Wisconsin Act 235) — judicial officer broker-removal statute. Demand removal from public records and online publishers. Sue for actual, punitive, and statutory damages.
  • Wis. Stat. §19.36(11) and §19.36(14) — public-records exemptions covering personnel records and certain identifiers. Subject to a balancing test.
  • Wis. Stat. §59.43(1r) — register of deeds shields specifically identified property records on written request from a judicial officer.
  • Wis. Stat. §8.10(7) — voter registration confidentiality for judicial officers.
  • Wis. Stat. §165.68 (Safe at Home) — substitute-address program for domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and trafficking victims. Not officer-categorical.

What we sweep that the state doesn't

Wisconsin's §757.07 is real leverage if you're a judge. For sworn officers, firefighters, and EMS, the state framework is thinner and the broker layer is where most exposure actually sits. We file opt-outs across 200+ people-search sites and re-check every two weeks because re-listings happen. Brokers don't run Wisconsin's balancing test. They publish first. We close that path.

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