| Circuit Clerk | Clay County Circuit Clerk (7th Judicial Circuit) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | James S. Rooney Justice Center, 11 South Water Street, Liberty, MO 64068 (family and juvenile matters: R. Kenneth Elliott Children's Justice Center, 351 East Kansas, Liberty, MO 64068) |
| Phone | (816) 407-3900 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | 2006 |
| 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 |
Clay County, on the north side of the Kansas City metro, is the 7th Judicial Circuit on its own, and a single Circuit Clerk's office in Liberty keeps the record for every division: civil, criminal, probate, traffic, child support, and the accounting department that collects fines and costs. The office works out of two buildings a few blocks apart — the James S. Rooney Justice Center at 11 South Water Street, where the adult civil, criminal, probate, and traffic files are, and the R. Kenneth Elliott Children's Justice Center at 351 East Kansas, which houses the family court and juvenile operations.
Clay County was an early Case.net adopter: the circuit's own site notes that its public case information has been available through Missouri Case.net since April 7, 2006, and the clerk points every public search there rather than running a county-run lookup. Before Case.net, the circuit built its own in-house records system, and the clerk still describes older indexes that begin in 1978 for civil cases, 1977 for probate, and 1995 for criminal and traffic cases — but that system is reserved for agency users with passwords, not the general public.
The practical consequence is a two-track process. Anything filed or pending in recent years can be checked from home on Case.net, while older files, and any case that is not on Case.net at all, have to be requested from the clerk directly — and the office asks that those requests go in by fax with the case number and identifiers, warning that they are processed in the order received and can take some time.
Search Clay County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Clay County Circuit Clerk (7th Judicial Circuit)
- Cost
- Free case search on Case.net; copy fees are not published online — ask the clerk
- Coverage
- All divisions of the 7th Judicial Circuit — civil, criminal, probate, traffic, child support, and family/juvenile matters — for Clay County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Public case information has been on Case.net since April 7, 2006. For records from before July 1, 2023 that are not available online, the clerk asks for requests by fax to (816) 407-3899 with the case number and party identifiers. Closed records are released only to the subject of the case, the parties, or the attorney of record.
Other courts
7th Judicial Circuit — Public Access to Records
- Cost
- Free (Case.net); the legacy in-house system is for password-holding agencies only
- Coverage
- Explains that public case information moved to Case.net in 2006 and lists the date ranges of the circuit's older in-house indexes (civil from 1978, probate from 1977, criminal and traffic from 1995)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Probate, Traffic
The legacy Public Access Records system described on this page is limited to agency users with passwords; members of the public should use Case.net or contact the clerk.
What is available online
Clay County circuit cases have been searchable on the statewide Case.net system since April 7, 2006, and Case.net is the only public online search for the county. The circuit's older in-house index (civil cases from 1978, probate from 1977, criminal and traffic from 1995) still exists but is open only to agency users with passwords, so a member of the public who needs an older case has to ask the clerk. Case.net shows docket entries and parties, not scanned documents, so copies of filings still come from the clerk's office.
Which clerk has your record
In Missouri, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Missouri page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts (46 judicial circuits) | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits of any amount | Circuit Clerk of the circuit (called the Circuit Clerk in every Missouri circuit) |
| Municipal Courts (Municipal Divisions) | City and county ordinance violations; Minor traffic tickets issued within city limits | Municipal court clerk for that city, or the circuit clerk where the municipal division is part of the circuit court |
Request records in person or by mail
Clay County clerk offices
James S. Rooney Justice Center, 11 South Water Street, Liberty, MO 64068 (family and juvenile matters: R. Kenneth Elliott Children's Justice Center, 351 East Kansas, Liberty, MO 64068)
Phone: (816) 407-3900
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Case search. Search Clay County cases on Case.net by name or case number. Filter to the 7th Judicial Circuit (Clay County) if a common name returns too many results statewide.
In person. Visit the Circuit Clerk's office in the James S. Rooney Justice Center, 11 South Water Street, Liberty, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring the case number if you have it, or the party names and an approximate filing year. Family and juvenile matters are handled at the R. Kenneth Elliott Children's Justice Center at 351 East Kansas, and juvenile files are confidential by statute.
By fax. For records that are not available online — the clerk specifically mentions cases from before July 1, 2023 — send a request by fax to (816) 407-3899 with the case number and the identifiers of the parties. The office processes these requests in the order received and notes that turnaround can be lengthy, so allow time and confirm the copy fee before payment; the clerk does not publish a per-page fee on its website.
Closed and sealed cases. Only the subject of a closed case, the parties to it, or the attorney of record may obtain access, and the clerk will ask for identification. Expunged and juvenile records are not released through routine requests at all.
Fines and costs. The clerk's accounting department collects fines and court costs; many traffic and minor cases can be paid online through Case.net's Pay by Web feature once the case appears there.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Missouri |
|---|---|
| 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 and restricted records
Missouri court records are presumed open, but several categories are closed to the public by statute or court rule:
The Missouri guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a Clay County, Missouri court case online?
Use Case.net, the statewide system. The 7th Judicial Circuit's website says its public case information has been on Case.net since April 7, 2006 and does not run a separate county search.
Where is the Clay County Circuit Clerk's office?
In the James S. Rooney Justice Center at 11 South Water Street in Liberty, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Family court and juvenile matters are at the R. Kenneth Elliott Children's Justice Center at 351 East Kansas, also in Liberty.
How do I get an older Clay County case that is not on Case.net?
Fax a request to the Circuit Clerk at (816) 407-3899 with the case number and party identifiers. The office processes requests in the order received and warns that it can take time; call (816) 407-3900 first to confirm the current copy fee.
Can anyone see a closed case file in Clay County?
No. The clerk releases closed records only to the subject of the case, the parties, or the attorney of record, and expunged and juvenile records are confidential under Missouri law.
Sources
- 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri (Clay County) — Circuit Clerk — https://www.circuit7.net/circuitclerk
- 7th Judicial Circuit Court — Circuit Clerk Contact Us — https://www.circuit7.net/circuitclerk/ContactUs
- 7th Judicial Circuit Court — Public Access to Records — https://www.circuit7.net/general/public-access.aspx
- 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri — home — https://www.circuit7.net/
- 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/
See also: all Missouri counties.