Common Questions About St. Louis City Court Records
How do I search St. Louis City court records?
Use Missouri Case.net, the free public portal at courts.mo.gov. For the city, select "City of St. Louis - 22nd Judicial Circuit" in the court dropdown. You can search by case number, by litigant name, or by filing date. For city traffic or ordinance matters, narrow by Location "St. Louis City Municipal" and Case Type "Traffic/Municipal." The portal covers the steps in plain order. The full walkthrough sits on the St. Louis City court records page.
Is Municourt.net still used for municipal cases?
No. The official Municipal Court page says Municourt.net is no longer available for St. Louis City Municipal Court cases. Use Case.net instead. Many cases filed before 2024 were imported into Case.net. If a citation filed before January 2, 2024 cannot be found, visit the Customer Service window at 1520 Market Street with a photo ID, or call 314-622-3231. The traffic court records page explains the municipal search path.
Why can't I find my traffic ticket right away?
There is processing time after a citation is issued before it shows in Case.net. Wait a few days and check again. If the matter is older, closed, or filed before the full migration to Case.net, call 314-622-3231 or visit the Municipal Court window at 1520 Market Street, Suite 1120. The traffic citation number sits in the upper right corner of the ticket. See traffic court records for more.
Where is the Circuit Clerk?
The Circuit Clerk is at 10 North Tucker Boulevard, in the Clyde S. Cahill Courts Building downtown. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The clerk keeps court files, accepts filings, handles copies and fines, logs docket entries, and takes protection-order petitions. The current clerk is Thomas Kloeppinger. Fees and copy steps are on the Circuit Clerk page.
Where do I get divorce records?
Divorce records are court records, so they sit with the Circuit Clerk, not the Recorder's Marriage Department. The Recorder's page says divorce copies are available on the 3rd floor of the Civil Courts Building. Search the case in Case.net first if you know a party name or the case number, then request the certified decree from the clerk. The marriage and divorce records page sorts out which office holds what.
Where do I apply for a marriage license?
Apply through the Recorder of Deeds Marriage Department at 1200 Market Street, City Hall Room 128. Both applicants must appear together with valid ID. The fee is $60, paid by cash or Visa or MasterCard, no checks. You may fill out the online request first, but issuance still requires the in-person visit. Full steps and the fee breakdown are on the Recorder of Deeds page.
How long is a St. Louis City marriage license valid?
The license must be used for a ceremony within 29 days after it is picked up. The ceremony must take place in Missouri. A qualified clergy member in good standing with a Missouri congregation, or a judge of a court of record, must officiate. Two witnesses must sign the license, and the officiant returns it to the Recorder within 15 days. More marriage rules sit on the marriage and divorce records page.
How do I find someone in the City Justice Center?
Use the St. Louis inmate locator linked from the city site. You need the exact first and last name for a targeted search, because the system returns exact matches only and does not list similar names. You can search active inmates or people released in the past 72 hours. Search by no name to list everyone. The inmate records page walks through the locator.
Why is someone not showing in the inmate locator?
The city lists several reasons. The person may be held on the first floor in police custody, may be at a substation awaiting transport, may have been released, or the name searched may not match the arrest paperwork. If you believe the person is in police custody, call SLMPD Prisoner Processing at 314-241-8339. For people no longer in custody, see released inmates.
How do I post bond?
First find out whether the person is held on city or state charges. For city charges, call 314-622-3231. For state charges, call 314-641-8214. Give the first name, last name, and date of birth to learn the bond amount. Where you post depends on custody time and charge type, and payment is in person and cash only. Warrant and bond detail sits on the warrant records page.
Where do I request probate records?
For current probate case information, mail the Probate Division at 10 North Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63101, or fax 314-622-4498. Historical probate files run through the Historical Probate Case Index. Request source documents by email to CT22.probateresourceroom@courts.mo.gov or by the webform at the bottom of the index page. The index covers decedent estates from 1890 and guardianships from 1815. See probate records.
Are juvenile court records public?
Generally no, not like adult civil and criminal records. Missouri law under RSMo § 211.321 restricts juvenile court records, so many juvenile matters do not appear in ordinary public Case.net searches. Parties, attorneys, agencies, or people with court authorization may have access depending on the law and any court order. The court records page covers what is restricted and why.
Can criminal records be expunged in Missouri?
Some can. RSMo § 610.140 lets qualifying Missouri criminal records be expunged by petition. The St. Louis fee order lists an expungement filing fee of $395.50 plus service. Eligibility turns on the offense type, the waiting period, payment of fines and restitution, pending cases, and statutory exclusions. A granted order closes the named records. The arrest records page covers sealing and expungement.
Is Case.net an official certified record?
No. Case.net is the official public search portal, but the information online is a public service, not a certified court copy. For a certified copy that courts and agencies accept, contact the Circuit Clerk or the relevant court division. Online public documents also carry a watermark. For copy steps and fees, see the Circuit Clerk page.
Where are federal court records?
Federal records are not in Missouri Case.net. Use PACER for federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate cases. St. Louis City is in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, both at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse. The Circuit Court page explains how state and federal courts differ.
Does Municipal Court handle felonies or divorces?
No. The Municipal Court page says it does not handle civil cases, divorces, evictions, orders of protection, jury trials, state misdemeanors, or felonies. Those are heard in the Circuit Court for the 22nd Judicial Circuit. The Municipal Division covers city ordinance and traffic matters only. The Circuit Court page lays out which division hears what.
Where do I file a protection order?
Victims of domestic abuse in St. Louis file petitions for orders of protection at the Circuit Clerk's Office. Use the Circuit Court forms and ask the clerk's staff for help with the window and the packet. The clerk cannot give legal advice on the petition. Protection-order files may be public in part but can hide a victim's address and safety details. See the Circuit Clerk page.
What broader records can I request from the city?
Missouri's Sunshine Law, Chapter 610, opens most records held by city agencies like the Recorder, the Sheriff, and the Corrections Division. Court records follow their own path under Court Operating Rule 2. You file a Sunshine request with the agency's custodian, and copy fees apply under RSMo § 610.026. The public records page covers the request steps and timelines.
Finding a Lawyer in St. Louis City
The clerk and court staff cannot give legal advice. If you need help with a St. Louis City court case, a lawyer is the right step. The Missouri Bar runs a lawyer referral service and posts public legal resources for people across the state.
Start with The Missouri Bar, which lists referral options and plain-language guides on common legal topics.
The Missouri Bar site points to referral help and basic guides, a good first stop before you handle St. Louis City court records or a case on your own.
Free and Low-Cost Legal Aid
Not everyone can pay for a lawyer. Two St. Louis groups help people with civil legal problems, municipal court debt, housing, and related needs. Both serve city residents at no cost or low cost, based on income and case type.
One option is ArchCity Defenders, which focuses on civil rights, municipal court debt, housing, and criminal-legal advocacy.
ArchCity Defenders often helps people tangled in municipal court fines and warrants, which ties back to St. Louis City court records.
Another is Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, which handles civil legal aid for housing, consumer, family, and public-benefits matters.
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri offers free civil legal help to eligible residents dealing with court and benefits issues.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see the Circuit Clerk or the Recorder of Deeds. For broader access rules, see public records. For records by topic, browse court records, arrest records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, or probate records. For the trial court itself, see the Circuit Court.