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How to get a copy of a deed in Missouri

Who holds it: Recorder 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".1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. Related records in Missouri
  3. How Missouri handles it
  4. Deeds in Missouri counties with a full guide
  5. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  6. Sources

Copy fee

Not to exceed $2 first page and $1 each additional page (counties); City of St. Louis: $3 first page, $2 each additional page.2

How to search

Contact or search the county recorder of deeds (index by grantor/grantee).1

Fees

Certified copy fee
$1 for every certificate and seal (counties); $2 in the City of St. Louis - in addition to copy fees.2
Recording fee
Statutory components (counties): $5 first page + $3 each additional page (59.310.6(1)); plus $6 user fee on every instrument (59.319.1, as amended effective Aug 28, 2026); plus $3 additional fee on deeds/instruments concerning land or chattels (59.319.2, Missouri housing trust fund); plus $5 additional fee on those instruments (59.800). Non-conforming documents: additional $25 (59.310.3). City of St. Louis: $10 first page + $5 each additional page (59.313).2
Liens: 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.3
Liens: federal tax liens
County Recorder of Deeds (or the circuit clerk as ex officio recorder) of the county where the property is located.4
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.5
Older records: land grants
French and Spanish land grants and U.S. land office records (through the 1860s) in the Land Records collection / database.6

How Missouri handles it

  • 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".7
  • Marriage licenses are issued by the county recorder of deeds (not a county clerk or court).8

Deeds in Missouri counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Greene CountyRecorder of Deeds10Search9$1.00 per page; plats $5.0011
Jackson CountyJackson County Recorder of Deeds13Search12$2 first page, $1 each additional page (document copies)14
St. Charles CountyRecorder of Deeds17Search1516Fee charged$2.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page; large-format printed page $5.00; self-service research room $1.00 per page18
St. Louis CityRecorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar20Search19Free search$3 first page + $2 each additional page (uncertified); +$2 for certification21
St. Louis CountySt. Louis County Department of Revenue, Recorder of Deeds24Search2223Missouri statute caps county recorder copy fees at $2 first page and $1 each additional page25

For any other county, see the county list on the Missouri guide.

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.

Rules in other states: deeds and land records in every state. Everything else in Missouri: Missouri public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. 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)checked November 4, 2026
  2. RSMo 59.310 Recorder documents and feesMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  3. RSMo 400.9-501 UCC filing officeMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  4. RSMo 14.010 Notices of federal tax liens, filingMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  5. Missouri Spatial Data Information ServiceMSDIS, University of Missouri (funded by State of Missouri Office of Geospatial Information)checked November 4, 2026
  6. Land Records collection (Missouri Digital Heritage)Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of Statechecked November 4, 2026
  7. RSMo 59.313 Recorder's fees (St. Louis City)Missouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  8. RSMo 451.040 Marriage license requiredMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  9. Real Estate SearchGreene County, Missourichecked November 7, 2026
  10. Recorder's OfficeGreene County, Missourichecked November 7, 2026
  11. Fee ScheduleGreene County, Missourichecked November 7, 2026
  12. Searching Public RecordsJackson County, Missourichecked November 4, 2026
  13. Recorder of DeedsJackson County, Missourichecked November 4, 2026
  14. Recording FeesJackson County, Missourichecked November 4, 2026
  15. Land RecordsSt. Charles Countychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Land Records | St Charles County, MO - Official WebsiteSt. Charles County, MOchecked November 8, 2026
  17. Recorder of DeedsSt. Charles Countychecked November 4, 2026
  18. Recorder of Deeds Fee ScheduleSt. Charles County Recorder of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  19. St. Louis City, MO: Recorder of Deeds: Land RecordsRecorder of Deeds, City of St. Louischecked November 8, 2026
  20. St. Louis City, MO: Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records RegistrarCity of St. Louis (stlouis-mo.gov)checked November 8, 2026
  21. St. Louis City, MO: Recorder of Deeds: ArchivesRecorder of Deeds, City of St. Louischecked November 8, 2026
  22. Deed SearchSt. Louis County Department of Revenuechecked November 4, 2026
  23. Deed Search - St. Louis County WebsiteSt. Louis County, MOchecked November 8, 2026
  24. Recorder of DeedsSt. Louis County Department of Revenuechecked November 4, 2026
  25. RSMo 59.310Missouri Revisor of Statuteschecked November 4, 2026