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Missouri public records: who holds what

In Missouri, deeds are recorded by the Recorder of Deeds, birth and death certificates come from the DHSS Bureau of Vital Records and requests for other government records fall under the Missouri Sunshine Law. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Missouri
  2. Public records law in Missouri
  3. Property and tax records in Missouri
  4. Divorce records in Missouri
  5. Probate records and wills in Missouri
  6. How Missouri organizes its records
  7. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  8. Counties in Missouri
  9. Warnings from official sources
  10. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  11. Official directories
  12. Sources

Who holds what in Missouri

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsRecorder of Deeds of the county (or City of St. Louis) where the land lies. In 16 counties the circuit clerk is ex officio recorder of deeds (combined office): Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Maries, Mercer, Moniteau, Ozark, Pulaski, Ralls, Shannon (Official Manual 2025-2026). In the City of St. Louis the office is "Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar".1Not to exceed $2 first page and $1 each additional page (counties); City of St. Louis: $3 first page, $2 each additional page.2
Property recordsCounty Assessor (elected) determines market and assessed value - real property valued as of January 1 of odd-numbered years, personal property each January 1; Collector of Revenue (elected) collects taxes, due by December 31. In counties with township organization, an elected county collector-treasurer collects instead. City of St. Louis assessor is appointed.3—
Court recordsUnified state court system. Case.net databases are organized by Supreme Court, Eastern/Southern/Western appellate districts and individual circuit courts; probate is a division of the circuit court (RSMo 474.510); the circuit clerk in each county keeps circuit court records. Records access governed by Missouri Court Operating Rule 2.4—
Marriage recordsCounty Recorder of Deeds issues marriage licenses and keeps the original marriage certificate; DHSS Bureau of Vital Records keeps a central marriage index since July 1, 1948 and issues only a Certified Statement Relating to Marriage.5Recorder: $2 per certified copy of a marriage license/application (59.310.6(7); City of St. Louis $5 under 59.313) plus $7 state add-on (451.151.2)6
Divorce recordsCircuit Clerk of the county where the dissolution decree was granted (certified copy of decree).7—
Birth certificatesDHSS Bureau of Vital Records (state registrar), births 1910-present (some delayed certificates earlier); local public health agencies (115 locations) issue short-form births 1920-present. Pre-1910 records (1883-1893 county registrations) are at the State Archives.7$15 per certified copy (state or local); VitalChek online/phone adds its own processing fee (amount not stated on DHSS page). Each fee covers a 5-year search.8
Death certificatesDHSS Bureau of Vital Records (1910-present); local public health agencies (1980-present, short form); death certificates over 50 years old are transferred to the Missouri State Archives (no certified copies there).9$14 first certified copy, $11 each additional copy ordered at the same time (state or local registrar).8
Probate and willsProbate division of the circuit court (clerk) in each county.10—

Public records law in Missouri

Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo Chapter 610 (sections 610.010-610.035)) Read the law11

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
The public; no specific request format required. AG encourages written requests.12
Response time
Act on each request as soon as possible, no later than the end of the third business day after the custodian receives it; may exceed three days for reasonable cause with a detailed explanation and the earliest date/time records will be available (RSMo 610.023.3). Written statement of grounds for a denial must be provided on request by end of the third business day.12
Copy fees
Paper copies up to 9x14 in.: max 10 cents/page; duplicating time not to exceed average hourly clerical pay; research time at actual cost; estimate available on request; fee waiver/reduction allowed in public interest; prepayment may be required; request deemed withdrawn if fees unpaid within 90 days (150 days if fees exceed $1,000) (RSMo 610.026, as amended eff. Aug 28, 2025).13
If a request is refused
No administrative appeal body; any aggrieved person, taxpayer, citizen, the Attorney General or prosecuting attorney may sue in circuit court of the county where the body has its principal place of business; civil penalties up to $1,000 (knowing) or $5,000 (purposeful) plus fees; suit within one year (max two years). Complaints may also be submitted to the Attorney General.14
What is exempt
RSMo 610.021 lists categories a body MAY close (litigation/attorney communications, real estate transactions, personnel actions, nonjudicial health proceedings, scholastic records, test materials, welfare cases, labor negotiations, and many more); exemptions are strictly construed. Arrest/case records close on nolle pros, dismissal, acquittal or completed SIS (610.105).15
Official guide
Missouri Attorney General Sunshine Law page, FAQs, sample request language and Sunshine Law book (PDF).16

How to write a public records request

Property and tax records in Missouri

Who does what
County Assessor (elected) determines market and assessed value - real property valued as of January 1 of odd-numbered years, personal property each January 1; Collector of Revenue (elected) collects taxes, due by December 31. In counties with township organization, an elected county collector-treasurer collects instead. City of St. Louis assessor is appointed.3
Appealing a value
Appeal first to the county Board of Equalization: written appeal filed with the county clerk before the second Monday in July. Then to the State Tax Commission by September 30 of the assessment year or within 30 days of the BOE decision, whichever is later (online, email or mail). Entities/trusts/estates must be represented by an attorney. Taxes may be paid under protest with a written statement to the County Collector by December 31.17

How this works in other states: property and tax records by state.

Divorce records in Missouri

Who holds it
Circuit Clerk of the county where the dissolution decree was granted (certified copy of decree).7
State verification
Certified Statement Relating to Divorce from DHSS (names, date, county) - $15; reporting began July 1, 1948.7
Which court
Circuit court (dissolution of marriage); case index searchable on Case.net.4

How this works in other states: divorce records by state.

Probate records and wills in Missouri

Who holds it
Probate division of the circuit court (clerk) in each county.10
Will deposit
Living testators may deposit a sealed will with any probate division for safekeeping; the clerk issues a certificate of deposit.10
Deadline
A will must be presented for probate within 1 year after death if no letters granted (or within 6 months after first publication of notice of letters); otherwise forever barred.18

How this works in other states: probate records and wills by state.

How Missouri organizes its records

  • Combined circuit clerk / recorder offices: in 16 counties the circuit clerk is ex officio recorder of deeds (Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Maries, Mercer, Moniteau, Ozark, Pulaski, Ralls, Shannon; Official Manual 2025-2026).1
  • City of St. Louis is an independent city (not within a county) with its own recorder fee statute (RSMo 59.313) and a combined "Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar".19
  • Township-organization counties: no separately elected collector of revenue; voters elect a county collector-treasurer (RSMo 54.010). Official Manual lists 18 "Collector/Treasurer" offices.20
  • Marriage licenses are issued by the county recorder of deeds (not a county clerk or court).5
  • Death records over 50 years old move to the State Archives and are open on request; DHSS certifies only.9

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Missouri State Highway Patrol, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division - central repository.21
Online portal
Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) - name-search portal and fingerprint portal (machs.mo.gov).21
Fee
Name-based (open records only): $16 per request (+ convenience fee online). Fingerprint-based: $20 state fee ($14 for CCW permits / foster care), plus IDEMIA $12 vendor fee; notarized results +$5. Statutory caps: name-based max $20, fingerprint $20 (RSMo 43.530).21
Who may order
Any member of the public may get a name-based check (open records: convictions, arrests under 30 days, pending charges, SIS during probation). Fingerprint checks return closed records only to qualified entities or the record subject.21

Sex offender registry

Official registry
mshp.dps.missouri.gov/… (Missouri State Highway Patrol Sex Offender Registry); toll-free 1-888-767-6747.22
Restrictions
User must agree to disclaimer; illegal to use information to commit a crime; some registrants (kidnapping, felonious restraint, child abuse) may not be listed online; the website supplements registries kept by local registering officials (offenders register with the registration official of their county of residence, RSMo 589.400).22
Download
The entire registry can be downloaded as a compressed Excel file after accepting the disclaimer.22

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Missouri Department of Corrections Offender Web Search (web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb) - active offenders incl. probationers and parolees; no discharged offenders.23

Voter records

Public or restricted
Restricted public: election authorities/SOS may release only voter ID number, name, year of birth, address, township/ward, precinct (and party/districts fields); voted-in-election lists for a fee; not for commercial use; no internet publication required. Protected addresses closable by court order.24
Who holds it
Local election authority (county clerk or board of election commissioners) and Secretary of State (statewide Missouri voter registration system).24
Check your registration
voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov/portal (Check Your Voter Registration / Find a Polling Place).25

Business names (DBA)

DBA at the state
Secretary of State: fictitious name registration $7 (creation, renewal, correction or amendment); cancellation free.26
Index
SOS Business Entity Search (bsd.sos.mo.gov/…).27

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
Secretary of State UCC Division is the central filing office; online search/filing at bsd.sos.mo.gov. Fees: paper UCC-1/UCC-3 $17 + $1/page attachments; online filings $10 + convenience fee; UCC-11 search $27 + $1/page copies.27
Fixture filings
Fixture filings (and filings for as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut) go to the office where a mortgage on the real property is recorded - the county Recorder of Deeds; all other UCC financing statements go to the Secretary of State.28
Federal tax liens
County Recorder of Deeds (or the circuit clerk as ex officio recorder) of the county where the property is located.29

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) - state spatial data clearinghouse (vector data, aerial photography, LiDAR); open data portal data-msdis.opendata.arcgis.com. Operated by the University of Missouri, funded by the State Office of Geospatial Information.30

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Missouri State Archives (Secretary of State), Jefferson City: research room and online databases incl. pre-1910 birth & death records, death certificates 1910-1975, land records, naturalization records, census records and tax lists, county and municipal records, judicial records, Missouri State Penitentiary, coroner's inquests, soldiers' records (Missouri Digital Heritage).31
Land grants
French and Spanish land grants and U.S. land office records (through the 1860s) in the Land Records collection / database.32
Vital record indexes
Death certificates 1910-1975 (free images); pre-1910 birth & death records database; birth records only through DHSS.33
Copy fees
Digital copies: $3.00 minimum (first five pages), then $0.25/page. Photocopies: $1.00 minimum; additional microfilm copies 25 cents/page, paper 10 cents/page. Deed copies: $1.00 first deed in a volume, $0.50 each additional deed in same volume. Staff do limited research at no cost.31

Counties in Missouri

5 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 115 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.34

Warnings from official sources

  • Unofficial online vital-record ordering sites (Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records)35

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Missouri office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 38 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. RSMo 59.005 Recorder of deeds definitionsMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  2. RSMo 59.310 Recorder documents and feesMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  3. How Property Tax Bills are CalculatedMissouri State Tax Commission
  4. Case.net General HelpMissouri Courts (Office of State Courts Administrator)
  5. RSMo 451.040 Marriage license requiredMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  6. RSMo 451.151 Additional fee for marriage license or certified copiesMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  7. Order a Copy of a Vital RecordMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records
  8. RSMo 193.265 Fees for vital records certificationMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  9. Missouri Vital Records (Research Room)Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State
  10. RSMo 474.510 Deposit of will in court in testator's lifetimeMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  11. RSMo 610.011 Liberal construction of law to be public policyMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  12. RSMo 610.023 Records custodian, access, response timeMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  13. RSMo 610.026 Fees for copying public recordsMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  14. RSMo 610.027 Violations, remedies, enforcementMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  15. RSMo 610.021 Closed meetings and closed records authorizedMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  16. Missouri Sunshine LawMissouri Attorney General's Office
  17. RSMo 137.385 Appeal from assessment to county board of equalizationMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  18. RSMo 473.050 Wills, presentment for probate, time limitedMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  19. RSMo 59.313 Recorder's fees (St. Louis City)Missouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  20. RSMo 54.010 County treasurer / collector-treasurer electionMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  21. CJIS Division Information Page - Criminal Record ChecksMissouri State Highway Patrol, Criminal Justice Information Services Division
  22. Missouri Sex Offender Registry pageMissouri State Highway Patrol, Criminal Justice Information Services Division
  23. Offender Web SearchMissouri Department of Corrections
  24. RSMo 115.157 Voter registration system, records releaseMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  25. Elections & VotingMissouri Secretary of State
  26. Schedule of Fees and Charges (Business Services)Missouri Secretary of State
  27. Uniform Commercial CodeMissouri Secretary of State
  28. RSMo 400.9-501 UCC filing officeMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  29. RSMo 14.010 Notices of federal tax liens, filingMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)
  30. Missouri Spatial Data Information ServiceMSDIS, University of Missouri (funded by State of Missouri Office of Geospatial Information)
  31. Missouri State Archives - Research (resources page)Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State
  32. Land Records collection (Missouri Digital Heritage)Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State
  33. Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1975Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State
  34. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  35. Consumer Alert - Ordering a Vital Record OnlineMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records
  36. Official Manual 2025-2026, Chapter 8: Missouri County OfficialsMissouri Secretary of State
  37. Vital RecordsMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records
  38. Assessor DirectoryMissouri State Tax Commission