| Statewide case search | Case.net |
|---|---|
| Criminal history check | Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) — Name Search Portal |
| Appellate opinions | Case.net (Supreme Court of Missouri and Missouri Court of Appeals) |
| Federal cases | PACER (2 districts) |
| Plain copy fee | Set by local court rule in each circuit (COR 21.01(a)(22)); $1.00 per copied page in probate proceedings statewide. Circuits publish $0.25–$1.00 per page (e.g., St. Charles $0.25; Jasper $1.00; Boone $1.00 first page, $0.10 each additional) |
| Certified copy fee | $1.50 per seal on a certified or authenticated copy in probate proceedings statewide (COR 21.01(a)(18)); for other case types, set locally — commonly $1.00–$1.50 per certification on top of the copy fee |
| Who keeps trial records | Clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri; Clerk of the relevant Court of Appeals district |
Missouri keeps its trial-court records with the circuit clerk in each of the state's 46 judicial circuits, one of which is the City of St. Louis (a court system of its own, separate from St. Louis County). Circuit courts hear everything from felonies to divorces to small claims, organized internally into civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, and municipal divisions, but the circuit clerk's office is the record keeper for the circuit as a whole.
Unlike many states, Missouri has one statewide case-search system that actually covers nearly every court: Case.net, run by the Office of State Courts Administrator, shows docket entries, parties, and charges for circuit court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court cases across the state, all from one search box. It is not a document repository — Case.net shows what happened in a case, not scanned filings — and a small number of case types (juvenile, some family cases, sealed cases) are excluded from public view by rule.
The most common mistake is assuming Case.net is the whole record. For certified copies, sealed-file access, or documents older than the online index, you still have to contact the circuit clerk in the county where the case was filed. And because "St. Louis" refers to two separate governments — the independent City of St. Louis and the surrounding St. Louis County — searchers regularly contact the wrong clerk's office for either one.
How Missouri courts are organized
Which court heard a case decides who keeps the file. Use this table to pick the right clerk before you search, and see the guides to criminal, civil, family, and probate records for what each court's file contains.
| Court | Handles | Who holds the records |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Missouri |
| Clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri Located in Jefferson City; case records are searchable on Case.net along with trial-court cases. |
| Missouri Court of Appeals (Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts) |
| Clerk of the relevant Court of Appeals district Which district hears an appeal depends on the circuit where the case was tried — Eastern District (St. Louis), Western District (Kansas City), Southern District (Springfield). |
| Circuit Courts (46 judicial circuits) |
| Circuit Clerk of the circuit (called the Circuit Clerk in every Missouri circuit) Circuits are organized by division (associate, family, juvenile, probate, municipal) but one circuit clerk's office keeps the records for the whole circuit. Some circuits cover a single large county; others combine several rural counties. |
| Municipal Courts (Municipal Divisions) |
| Municipal court clerk for that city, or the circuit clerk where the municipal division is part of the circuit court Not covered by Case.net in every jurisdiction; contact the city or the municipal division directly. |
Search Missouri court records online
Statewide case search
Case.net
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Docket entries, parties, and charges for the Supreme Court of Missouri, the Missouri Court of Appeals, and all 46 circuit courts (with associate, family, juvenile, probate, and most municipal divisions)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Appeals, Traffic
Case.net shows case information, not scanned documents; it is a service, not the official record. Some case types (juvenile, closed, and sealed cases) are excluded by court rule, so a blank result does not always mean no case exists. A free account is only needed for email/SMS case tracking or eFiling, not for basic searches.
Criminal history (convictions)
Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) — Name Search Portal
- Cost
- $15.00 per name searched, plus a payment-processing fee
- Coverage
- Convictions, arrests within the last 30 days, pending charges, suspended imposition of sentence during probation, and sex offender registry information reported to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Criminal Justice Information Services Division
- Records
- Criminal
Name-based; requires at least two matching identifiers (name plus date of birth or Social Security number) to return a match. A separate MACHS fingerprint portal exists for fingerprint-based checks required by employers or licensing boards.
Appellate courts
Case.net (Supreme Court of Missouri and Missouri Court of Appeals)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Opinions, dockets, and case information for the Supreme Court of Missouri and the three districts of the Missouri Court of Appeals
- Records
- Appeals
Appellate case dockets and party information are searchable on Case.net; this page links to opinions and each district's monthly argument dockets separately.
Federal court records in Missouri
Federal cases (bankruptcy, federal crimes, lawsuits under federal law) are not in state portals. They live in PACER, organized by district. Missouri has 2 federal judicial districts.
| District | Main courthouse | Court website |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern District of Missouri | St. Louis | www.moed.uscourts.gov |
| Western District of Missouri | Kansas City | www.mow.uscourts.gov |
Read our PACER guide for registration, the per-page fee, and the quarterly fee waiver.
Missouri county court records
Trial-court records are kept by the clerk in the county where the case was filed. These are the largest counties in Missouri; each guide covers the circuit clerk and other court offices, their addresses, and what is searchable online.
- St. Louis County court records County seat: Clayton Online search Free
- Jackson County court records County seat: Kansas City Online search Free
- St. Charles County court records County seat: St. Charles Online search Free
- St. Louis City court records Seat seat: St. Louis Online search Free
- Greene County court records County seat: Springfield Online search Free
- Clay County court records County seat: Liberty Online search Free
- Jefferson County court records County seat: Hillsboro Online search Free
- Boone County court records County seat: Columbia Online search Free
- Jasper County court records County seat: Carthage Online search Free
- Cass County court records County seat: Harrisonville Online search Free
Request records in person or by mail
In person. Go to the circuit clerk's office for the circuit where the case was filed. Bring the case number if you have it, or the party names and an approximate filing year. Most circuit clerks have a public terminal for searching the index, and copies are paid at the counter (cash, check, or card depending on the office).
By mail or email. Write to the circuit clerk with the case number, the parties' names and filing year if you don't have a number, exactly which documents you need, whether you need plain or certified copies, and a check or money order for the fee (or a request for a fee quote). Several circuits, including St. Charles County's 11th Circuit, also accept copy requests by email or fax; check the clerk's page for the circuit before mailing anything.
Online. Case.net shows docket entries and party information for free, statewide, but it does not provide document images in most circuits. Where a circuit has electronic filing, registered users may be able to view certain documents; otherwise, plan on requesting copies from the clerk.
Records older than the online index. Circuit clerks vary widely in how far back their computerized index goes — some circuits' Case.net coverage starts in the 1990s, others later. Older paper files are usually still held by the clerk or in county archives, and locating them may take longer and cost a search fee.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by local court rule in each circuit (COR 21.01(a)(22)); $1.00 per copied page in probate proceedings statewide. Circuits publish $0.25–$1.00 per page (e.g., St. Charles $0.25; Jasper $1.00; Boone $1.00 first page, $0.10 each additional) |
| Certified copy | $1.50 per seal on a certified or authenticated copy in probate proceedings statewide (COR 21.01(a)(18)); for other case types, set locally — commonly $1.00–$1.50 per certification on top of the copy fee |
Missouri court costs are set by the Supreme Court of Missouri under RSMo 488.012 through Court Operating Rule 21.01. That rule fixes copy fees only for probate proceedings ($1 per copied page and $1.50 per seal for a certified or authenticated copy) and otherwise leaves "reasonable fees for postage and per copied page as provided by local court rule," so plain and certified copy fees for civil, criminal, and family cases differ by circuit. Published examples: St. Charles County $0.25 per page plus $1.50 per certification; Jasper County $1.00 per page plus $1.50 for certification and seal; Boone County $1.00 for the first page and $0.10 each additional page plus $1.00 for a certified copy. Confirm the current fee with the circuit clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed, expunged, and restricted records
Missouri court records are presumed open, but several categories are closed to the public by statute or court rule:
- Expunged records. Under RSMo 610.140, eligible people may petition the court that handled the case to expunge certain arrests and convictions after a waiting period (generally one year for misdemeanors, three years for felonies, with many offenses excluded and lifetime limits on how many can be expunged). Expungement restores the person's civil rights to their pre-arrest status and closes the record to routine searches, including Case.net and MACHS.
- Closed arrest records. Under RSMo 610.105, when charges are not filed or are dismissed, the official records of the case become closed once the case is finally terminated, with narrow exceptions for certain agencies.
- Juvenile records. Under RSMo 211.321, juvenile court records and social records are confidential and open only by court order or in limited circumstances (for example, after certain felony-level adjudications).
- Adoption, mental-health, and certain family records. These categories are restricted by statute and do not appear in Case.net or general clerk searches.
- Sealed case files. A judge may seal an individual case file; viewing a sealed file generally requires proof of identity and status as a party, shown to the clerk in person.
Missouri's open-records law (Chapter 610, the Sunshine Law) governs executive-branch records; access to court case records is instead governed by Missouri Supreme Court operating rules and the statutes above, and requests go to the circuit clerk, not through a Sunshine Law request.
To remove your own record from public view, read how to expunge or seal a criminal record.
Frequently asked questions
Are Missouri court records public?
Yes. Missouri court records are presumed open unless a statute or court rule closes them. The main exceptions are expunged records, closed arrest records where charges were never filed or were dismissed, juvenile records, and individual files a judge has sealed.
Is there a free statewide search for Missouri court records?
Case.net, run by the Office of State Courts Administrator, is free and covers the Supreme Court of Missouri, the Court of Appeals, and all 46 circuit courts from one search box. It shows docket entries and parties, not scanned documents, and a few case types are excluded by rule.
How do I find out if someone has a criminal record in Missouri?
Use the MACHS Name Search Portal, run by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, for a statewide name-based criminal history check ($15 per name). For pending cases or case-level detail, also search Case.net and the circuit clerk in the counties where the person has lived.
Which clerk has my Missouri divorce record?
The circuit clerk in the circuit where the divorce was filed. Family cases are heard in the circuit court's family division, but the circuit clerk keeps the file for the whole circuit, not a separate family-court clerk.
How do I get a certified copy of a Missouri court record?
Request it from the circuit clerk of the court that heard the case, in person, by mail, or in many circuits by email or fax. Certified copies cost more than plain copies and carry the clerk's seal; call or check the clerk's website first to confirm the current fee.
Is St. Louis City the same as St. Louis County for court records?
No. The City of St. Louis is an independent city with its own circuit court (the 22nd Judicial Circuit) and its own circuit clerk, entirely separate from St. Louis County's 21st Judicial Circuit. Searching the wrong one is a common mistake.
Sources
- Missouri Courts — Case.net — https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/welcome.do
- Missouri Courts — Circuit Court overview — https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=321
- Missouri Courts — Appellate Court Opinions/Decisions — https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=1944
- MACHS Name Search Portal (Missouri State Highway Patrol) — https://www.machs.mo.gov/MocchWebInterface/
- RSMo 488.012 — Court costs; fee schedule authority — https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=488.012
- Missouri Court Operating Rule 21 — Court Costs, Fees, Miscellaneous Charges, and Surcharges — https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=200636&up=1040
- RSMo 610.140 — Expungement of criminal records — https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=610.140
- RSMo 610.105 — Closing of arrest records when charges not filed or dismissed — https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=610.105
- RSMo 211.321 — Juvenile court records, confidentiality — https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=211.321
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri — https://www.moed.uscourts.gov/
- United States District Court, Western District of Missouri — https://www.mow.uscourts.gov/