Making the most of Missouri public records will require you to have a guide or referral. You can conduct Internet searches of many government agencies for free but you will spend a lot of time looking at irrelevant links and websites if you have no idea where to start.

You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual or property for which you are seeking Missouri public court records. For example, if you are seeking information on an individual, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of MO court records:

1. Missouri public criminal records that include files on registered sex offenders, past convictions or information on current inmates in a particular prison. These records can help you perform a Missouri background check on prospective employees.
2. Missouri vital records such as census records, consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.
3. Real estate records like property appraisals, ownership and taxes. These types of records can be useful when buying or selling a home.
   

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Find Missouri court records from local government agencies

City and county clerks in Missouri can frequently provide a great deal of current information on individuals when you know their name and addresses.

I recommend: The Missouri State Government has a list of the counties in Missouri along with links to each county’s website when available. The Missouri Secretary of State can display the contact information and direct link for each county clerk if available.

Learn more about the laws regarding Missouri criminal records

The records that are publicly available vary widely by state. You will want to have at least a general idea of what information you can expect to find before conducting your search.

I recommend: The Missouri Secretary of State has a Records Services Department that has extensive information on obtaining public records from the state. The Missouri Attorney General provides a summary of that state’s Sunshine Law.

Perform a specific Missouri public court records

Many cities and counties in Missouri maintain a variety of records on individuals and properties that are freely available to the general public.

I recommend: The Greene County Clerk has several online searches for public information such as property, real estate and tax liens. Scott County has links to property searches, marriage licenses and other public information for this county.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Exhaust free sources of information before you consider paying for divorce records. Missouri sites that charge a fee may only provide information you could obtain elsewhere for free. Fortunately, libraries frequently subscribe to services that you would normally need to pay a fee to access. You should also bear in mind that many Missouri divorce records are simply not available online.

The Missouri Sunshine Law is the state’s version of the federal Freedom of Information Act, and its purpose is to ensure that public documents, including Missouri court records, are open to the public. The law does provide that the records' custodian (usually the court clerk if they are Missouri public court records) can charge a reasonable fee for copying and research time. However, some jurisdictions allow you to view a Missouri court record free on the Internet.

Missouri business owners and human resource departments may want access to Missouri criminal records or Missouri divorce records. Missouri has a vital statistics office. However, you need the names of both spouses to get marriage and divorce information. The easiest and fastest way to obtain Missouri court records on an individual is through an online provider. Many of these tout free Missouri court records, but that is not the case.

Consider the following:

1. Some online providers of Missouri public records charge different rates depending on how often and how long you use their service.
2. Missouri public records are not always updated or correct with online providers.
3. Weigh the cost of your personnel department doing the research against the cost of paying for Missouri court records to an online provider.

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Try a free Missouri public court records search first

Before you pay for a background check, try free channels first.

I recommend: A website called Case.net, which is a government site, has information on court cases. The problem is not all counties are online, so those records would not be available.

Check any information received through an online source with the court

If you must pay for an online background search, know that some online providers may not have updated information or they could get names mixed up without a social security number and date of birth.

I recommend: For contact information on courts that have Missouri divorce records, Missouri criminal records or other public information, visit Geneology.com.

Learn what public information is covered under Missouri's Sunshine Law

Business owners such as developers may be interested in public records for a municipality to determine if building in that location is viable.

I recommend: The Missouri Attorney General oversees the state’s Sunshine Law. This site has forms you can download to request records covered under the law.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The companies that provide Internet searches are inexpensive when you consider how fast they can conjure up information. The problem is that many websites say they offer free Missouri public records when most really do not. And you still can't be certain that the information is 100% accurate without checking through the appropriate court if you use a non-governmental online search. Always contact the court named in that situation.

Missouri public records laws and regulations provide access to government records like budget reports and meeting minutes. They also allow public access to records on individuals, such as Missouri divorce records and Missouri public criminal records.

Missouri public records laws can be classified by the type of public records that they affect. These include the three following categories:

1. Laws on MO court records that address the way in which these records can be accessed. These laws control issues such as the requirement for providing a reason for the information, specifying fees that an agency may charge and stating the length of time that the state is allowed to respond to a request for information.
2. Laws that specify an individual's information that may be considered public. These laws affect the way in which individuals may access their own information and how they may allow access by another party.
3. Laws that control the government records that the public may access. These laws may be intended to keep individuals informed on government decisions or allow journalists to report on government activity.
   

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Examine the laws that control access to Missouri public records

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for Missouri is a law that typically guides access to Missouri court records and is usually handled by the attorney general's office. Missouri criminal records may also be obtained from municipal and county courts.

I recommend: The Missouri Secretary of State provides information on the laws for retrieving archived public records in Missouri. The Missouri Attorney General provides the Revised Statutes of Missouri that apply to the release of public records in Missouri.

Study the laws that affect Missouri public records on individuals

Public records laws control access to vital records such as Missouri bankruptcy records, Missouri arrest records and divorce records in Missouri. Some of these records may only be accessible to a designated individual or a party.

I recommend: The City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds has the regulations for obtaining vital records in that city. The Morgan County Health Center provides the specific regulations that control the disclosure of vital records.

Review the Missouri public records laws that affect government records

Government records laws allow access to records such as real estate sales, budget reports and meeting minutes. Some government entities may specialize in one particular type of record, while others may provide access to many different types of government records.

I recommend: The City of Jefferson provides its policy for disclosing government records under Missouri's Sunshine Law. The Missouri Bar describes the laws that allow records, such as meeting minutes, to be publicly disclosed.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Missouri public records law is generally guided by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This federal legislation was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. The FOIA was amended by the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments in 1996, which controls the electronic access the public has to these records.

Understand Missouri public records basics to maximize results when you search through public records for specific information. Whether you work with genealogy, or if you are an employer checking for criminal records on a potential employee, understanding public records basics helps you find information efficiently.

Find ways to sort through Missouri public court records and obtain copies of records for your own files. Use your knowledge of Missouri public records basics to help you in the following areas:

1. Sort through Missouri divorce records and marriage records and obtain your own copies;

2. Use your knowledge of Missouri public records basics to obtain documents such as birth and death certificates;

3. Find Missouri criminal records on a specified individual or for group listings across the state.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get free Missouri court records on documents such as marriage and divorce records

When getting marriage and divorce records, Missouri resource providers often ask for a bit of information from the inquirer. Individuals often ask for this type of information for genealogical research or to determine whether a specific person obtained a divorce after marriage.

I recommend: The State of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website offers information for those interested in obtaining copies of divorce and marriage vital records. It offers a downloadable application for those who want to request records by mail. Go to vitalrec.com to obtain copies of marriage licenses and divorce records in the state of Missouri. The site offers links for those interested in finding records by name or by date.

Peruse Missouri court records and other resources for information on individual births or deaths

Missouri public records frequently list the births and deaths within the state. This information is helpful for people trying to locate relatives or for researchers trying to establish whether an individual lived in a certain time and place.

I recommend: The Missouri Office of the Secretary of State offers a site where one goes to get the detailed information on births and deaths. It offers information by date and by county, even offering information on stillbirths and on births and deaths before the year 1910. The Encyclopedia of Genealogy offers birth and death records for individuals in 87 counties in Missouri. The database covers information such as names, sex, date of birth, nationality, race, ages of parents, residency, father's and mother's name, physician, marital status, undertaker and place of burial.

Browse through Missouri public criminal records to determine the background of an individual

An employer might want to look at a potential employee's Missouri criminal record to make sure the employee doesn't have an unsavory background. Criminal records also show registered sex offenders across the state.

I recommend: The Public Record Center.com website offers information on obtaining Missouri state court records for free. It links to county resources involving criminal record checks. The Missouri State Highway Patrol offers information on the sex offender registry for Missouri. It lets researchers find information on registered sex offenders according to name or location.