Under Wisconsin law, citizens may request access to public documents from the City of Janesville. Public records are defined as “any material on which written, drawn, printed, spoken, visual, or electromagnetic information or electronically generated or stored data is recorded or preserved, regardless of physical form or characteristics, which has been created or is being kept by an authority” (Wisconsin Statute 19.32).

City of Janesville Records                                          (excluding Janesville Police Department records)

Records exempt from Wisconsin Open Records Law include (but are not limited to):

• Draft notes and other preparatory material
• Personally identifiable information that would pose a threat to the individual identified
• Trade secrets
• Personal information of employees
• Security information
• Financial identifying information

Frequently Requested Records:
Many frequently requested records have been made available through this website. Please click the links below to access the following records:

• Property records and property tax bills
• City Council, Board, Commission and Committee meeting agendas, minutes and videos
• City Council Contact Information
• City of Janesville Budget and Financial Documents
• City of Janesville Ordinances
• Frequently Requested Maps
• Voter and Election Information

Submitting an Open Records Request

City of Janesville public records may be requested in three ways:

1. By submitting this online request form;
2. By submitting a written request to the City Clerk-Treasurer’s Office (P.O. Box 5005, Janesville, WI 53547-5005); or
3. By submitting an oral request to the City Clerk-Treasurer’s Office by phone at (608) 755-3070 or in person (18 N. Jackson St., Lobby Floor).

Please note that paper copies of records cost $0.25 per page as established by City Ordinance. The City will charge the actual costs for mailing and the actual costs for providing copies by CDs, DVDs, or other electronic media. The City will also charge actual labor costs to search, find and collate records if this exceeds $50. Any requests with estimated costs exceeding $50 will require pre-payment to the City Clerk-Treasurer.

When submitting a request, citizens may also indicate they wish to physically inspect records instead of requesting copies. No document reproduction costs will be charged for records that are physically inspected; however, the City will charge actual labor costs to search, find and collate records if this exceeds $50.

Janesville Police Department Records

Janesville Police Department General Order 24.01 regarding release of police documents states in part: "The general public will have the right to inspect or receive copies of face sheets and narratives of cases involving ordinance violations. The general public will not have access to cases involving criminal prosecution until disposed of in court, or with approval of the District Attorney".

Exceptions to release
The following reports will not be released to the media or general public without first having received an order from the court directing its release and the name of the mandated reporter stricken from the record:

• Aggravated Assault To Child By Caregiver 
• Assault To Child By Caregiver 
• Child Neglect 
• Emergency Detention 
• Intoxicated Person 
• Sexual Assault To Child 
• Runaway 
• Juvenile Capias

Traffic accident reports are generally available after 3 days of the incident and are subject to redaction of any Department of Transportation records (dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, etc.) without the completion of an accompanying DDPA request form, which must be signed by the requestor. This is available at the police department and can be emailed per request.

Please allow up to ten days for requests to be filled.

Submitting a JPD Records Request

 Open records requests are submitted directly to the police department in two ways:

1. By submitting a copy of this form to the Janesville Police Department at goddingl@ci.janesville.wi.us or P.O. Box 5005, Janesville, WI 53547-5005; or 
2. By submitting an oral request to the Janesville Police Department by phone at (608) 755-3100 or in person at 100 N. Jackson St., Janesville, WI 53548.