Register of Deeds advises citizens to beware of internet services
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St. Croix County Register of Deeds, Beth Pabst cautions citizens to beware of internet businesses that want to assist you in obtaining copies of your vital records, such as a certified copy of your birth certificate. Several companies exist on the internet that offer to assist individuals in getting these records, but they do so for a much larger fee than is necessary. Often times these companies use names that appear to be government agencies.
Use of these unapproved services can put your identity and your credit card information at risk. These companies require that you share much of your personally identifiable information and your credit card information.
The Wisconsin rate for obtaining a birth, marriage or death certificate is $20 for one certified copy and $3 for each additional certified copy. These internet companies offer to assist you through a secure online ordering service and often charge fees in excess of $103. This is quite a profit since these companies merely go on the county website and submit a request by using the county approved internet application service that charges the certificate fee of $20 plus a $7 processing fee and a Fed Ex shipping fee. The only county approved Internet service at this time is VitalChek.
Although this practice is legal, it is certainly unethical to lead customers to believe that they are ordering directly from the state and that customers must pay this large sum to get copies of their records, when it the actual fee is just a few dollars. “The citizens of our community do not need to use these services to obtain their records,” Pabst said. “Your records are available immediately at the Register of Deeds Office in St. Croix County at just a fraction of the cost.”
Pabst reminds residents that your identity and vital records need to be protected and should only be obtained directly from the county or by going to the county website and selecting the approved internet access link from the Register of Deeds Department Vital Records page.
If you would like a copy of a vital record please just stop by the Register of Deeds Office in Hudson or mail us a request form and we will be glad to help you. Forms are available at the county website www.sccwi.us/rod . If you would like additional information please call our office at 715-386-3652.
