Access St. Louis Court Records
St. Louis court records are managed through the 22nd Judicial Circuit, which covers the independent City of St. Louis. Unlike most Missouri cities, St. Louis is not part of any county. It operates its own circuit court system with full jurisdiction over civil, criminal, family, probate, and juvenile matters. The city also runs a municipal court division for ordinance violations. You can search St. Louis court records online through Case.net, Missouri's free public access portal. The system lets you look up cases by name, number, or date and view docket entries, parties, and judgments without charge.
St. Louis Quick Facts
St. Louis 22nd Circuit Court Records
The 22nd Judicial Circuit is unique in Missouri. It serves only the City of St. Louis, which separated from St. Louis County back in 1876. That means the city has its own circuit court, its own clerk, and its own court system entirely independent of the surrounding county.
The circuit court handles a wide range of cases. Criminal cases from felonies to misdemeanors go through this court. Civil matters like lawsuits, debt collection, and contract disputes land here too. The family division deals with divorce filings, custody battles, and protection orders. Probate takes care of estates, wills, guardianships, and conservatorships. The juvenile division handles cases involving minors, though those records are restricted under Section 211.321 RSMo. Each division has its own judges and staff, but they all share the same record-keeping system. The Circuit Clerk maintains all official files and provides public access during business hours. Under Section 610.023 RSMo, the clerk must respond to records requests within three business days.
Do not confuse St. Louis City courts with St. Louis County courts. They are separate systems. If a case was filed in the county, it goes through the 21st Circuit instead.
How to Search St. Louis Court Records Online
Start with Case.net. It is free. Type in a person's name or a case number and the system pulls up matching results from St. Louis courts. You can see docket entries, hearing dates, parties involved, charges, and dispositions. The "Track This Case" feature lets you sign up for alerts when something changes in a case.
Not all St. Louis court records appear on Case.net. Sealed records stay hidden. Expunged records are removed under Section 610.140 RSMo. Juvenile cases, adoptions, and mental health proceedings are not in the public system either. For records that do not show up online, you can visit the Circuit Clerk at the courthouse. Staff will look up cases and provide copies. Certified copies cost more than plain ones, so ask about the fee before you request them.
The 22nd Circuit Court forms page has local forms and instructions for people handling their own cases in St. Louis. This is a helpful starting point if you need to file something or respond to a court action without a lawyer.
The image above shows the St. Louis court forms page, which has resources for both attorneys and people representing themselves.
St. Louis Municipal Court Information
The St. Louis Municipal Courts handle city ordinance violations. This includes traffic tickets, code violations, and minor offenses charged under municipal law rather than state law. The Municipal Division is part of the 22nd Circuit but operates separately from the main circuit court divisions.
If you got a ticket or a citation within St. Louis city limits, your case goes to municipal court. Check your paperwork for the court date and location. Missing a court date in St. Louis can result in a bench warrant. You can often resolve minor matters by paying fines online or by phone. For contested cases, you will need to appear in person or have a lawyer show up for you. Municipal court records also appear on Case.net in most instances.
Note: St. Louis Municipal Court is separate from the main circuit court and handles only city-level violations.
Court Record Fees in St. Louis
Missouri's Sunshine Law caps copy fees. Under Section 610.026 RSMo, standard paper copies of public records cannot exceed ten cents per page. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee.
When you request records from the St. Louis Circuit Clerk, the cost depends on what you need. A plain copy of a court document is cheap. A certified copy with the court seal costs more but is often necessary for legal proceedings, background checks, or official purposes. Staff time for research may also be billed if your request is complex. For the latest fee amounts, call the clerk office directly. You can also send written requests by mail with payment included. The Missouri Court Forms page has information on standard forms you may need when making requests.
Legal Resources for St. Louis Court Cases
Legal Services of Missouri provides free civil legal help to qualifying St. Louis residents. They cover family law, housing, public benefits, and consumer issues. If your income is low and you have a court case, reach out to them first.
The Missouri Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service for St. Louis. You describe your legal issue and they connect you with an attorney who practices in that area. Missouri Legal Help has free self-help guides and interactive tools for people handling cases on their own in St. Louis. The Missouri State Archives keeps historical court records from St. Louis going back to the 1800s, which can be useful for genealogy or historical research.
The Eastern District Court of Appeals sits in St. Louis at One Post Office Square, 815 Olive Street. If a St. Louis circuit court decision gets appealed, it goes to this court. Appeals court opinions are published online through the Missouri Judiciary website.
Nearby Cities with Court Records
Several cities in the St. Louis metro area have their own court records pages. While St. Louis City has its own circuit, these nearby cities fall under different circuits.