Run a free Missouri criminal record search now; check any and every MO county to see if a loved one is in jail, find out if someone has a criminal history, gain insight on employment eligibility, or if there are sexual predators nearby.
As stated in Mo. Rev. Stat. § 610.010.6, Missouri public records, which include criminal and arrest information, are defined as any document that is produced by a government agency, whether electronic or written.1 Therefore, these Missouri records are mostly available to the public and can be accessed directly from government sites.
However, accessing these records can prove tiresome since there are varying agencies to sort through depending on the county or jurisdiction, and each its own process. This article helps streamline this process by outlining the exact agencies, steps, forms, and other details, making the process more efficient.
Whether someone is looking for information on arrests, criminal history, parole, probation, warrants, background checks, state or federal prisoners, or the sex offender registry, this how-to guide serves as an all encompassing resource for Missouri arrest records and criminal history.
Public Availability of Criminal & Arrest Records in Missouri
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) mandates that public records including Missouri arrest records remain a public domain; this means that any person has the right to access federal agency records barring exemptions such as trade secrets and certain exclusion such as when there is an ongoing criminal investigation.2
In addition to the FOIA, the state of Missouri has a law that was passed in 1973 dubbed the Missouri Sunshine Law which was signed in the spirit of the FOIA and mirrors it—it mandates public government agencies to provide copies of criminal and arrest records to anyone who requests them without needing to have a reason to access such said records.3
While the state of Missouri is one of the best states in the union for ease of accessing records, there are some records that are exempt for public access such as juvenile records that have been sealed and/or expunged by the court.
In addition, there are certain background laws from federal entities such as Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that prohibits discrimination and statutes that limit the information in criminal records that can be released.4
Criminal Records vs Arrest Records in Missouri: What’s the Difference?
Missouri criminal records and arrest records are collectively known as rap sheets and are prepared by both state and local law enforcement agencies, courts and detention centers.
Criminal records will contain information detailing a person’s history of interaction with the law such as conviction records and arrest searches—these contain active arrest information such as date of arrests.
In essence, they will help requesters figure out how to find out if someone was arrested and the reason they were arrested. Below is a breakdown of information that shows up in each:
Missouri Criminal Records:
- Last and First Name
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Age
- Sex
- Race
- Addresses (Former & Present)
- Conviction Date
- Release Information
- Mugshots (Photograph)
- Former Arrest Records
- Disposition Information
Missouri Arrest Records:
- Full Names
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Age
- Sex
- Race
- Booking (Arrest) Date
- Arresting Agency (country sheriffs, state police and police departments)
- Details of Arrest (DUI, drugs/marijuana, sex offender information)
- Mugshots (Photograph)
- Probation Data
- Warrant Data
- Bond Type & Amount
How To See if Someone Was Arrested in Missouri (Find MO Arrest Records & Jail Inmates for Free)
Researching recent arrests in the state of Missouri is a relatively straightforward process and typically free of charge.
Perhaps individuals may be looking for loved ones who are missing or are simply trying to locate someone—requesters can contact local police departments, sheriff’s offices and local city jails to obtain this information.
This can be done online by clicking the links below which lead to each county sheriff’s office inmate lookup tool which also contains phone numbers which can allow those fishing for information to do it online, in person, or via phone.
Check County Sheriffs’ Offices for Arrest Reports & Mugshots (MO)
County jails maintain websites that publish rosters of arrestees that allow interested persons to find recent and current arrests by looking up inmates by full names.
Requesters may also visit or call local sheriff’s offices or police departments when determining how to find out what someone was arrested for by performing an inmate search of Missouri arrest records.
Individuals who are placed into custody will have their photographs (mugshots) taken, and some states will allow the public to view this information—some states have however restricted this information due to scammers using these images. The state does nevertheless allow the public access to mugshot databases that are part of Missouri criminal records.
There are a number of sheriff’s offices and local police departments that maintain inmate rosters that display arrest reports such as Johnson County’s Sheriff’s Office Inmate Roster.
The table below gives contact information to perform a query for county arrest records for all 114 counties in the state, contact information and whether mug shots are viewable. This table is an efficient tool for interested individuals who are looking to know how to find out if someone is in jail in their respective county.
Links to the county will direct someone to the roster that the sheriff’s office maintains to find out who’s in jail. Some counties in this online directory and people finder may not have an inmate roster, in which case the link only points the sheriff’s contact page and will have an (*).
How To Find Recent Arrests in Municipal & City Jails Throughout Missouri
Sometimes before proceeding to county jails, individuals can commence their search for Missouri arrest records in local city jails by either physically visiting them or visiting their websites if they do maintain an online presence.
This type of search will typically occur in big cities such as St. Louis which maintains a Search Inmate Locator that can be used to determine daily arrests in the city.
To find a local police department’s inmate roster, use a search engine to search “[Name of City] Missouri arrest search.” For example, if someone may have been arrested in St. Louis, someone would search for “St. Louis Missouri arrest search.”
How Do You Contact Someone in a Missouri Jail & Bail Them Out?
Before contacting an inmate, they first must be located—a determination needs to be made where they are located; that is if they are in a local city jail, a county jail, state or federal prison. In addition to the aforementioned methods, more ways to accomplish this are delved in below.
Contacting an Inmate: Both the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) and Missouri county jails allow inmates to be contacted via email and mail. Links to each Missouri county sheriff’s office are seen in the table above and further details can be access through their web pages and contact details.
Loved ones who wish to send letters and photos are allowed to do so but should realize that all incoming mail is open and inspected. JPay is the contractor that provides email services to inmates. Mail that is sent to offenders should include:
- Department of corrections (DOC) number
- Full names of the offender
- Address of facility holding the inmate
- Return address of the sender
Bailing Out an Inmate Independently: Bailing out an inmate can either be done through paying the full amount to the court or eliciting the services of a bail bonds Missouri agent. Individuals who are able to pay the full amount can determine if the inmate is being held for either state or city charges by contacting:
- Justice Center: (314)-621-5848 for charges filed by city
- Security Institution (Medium Security): (314)-389-4790 for state charges filed by the state.
They can then determine the bond amount by calling either (314)-622-3231 or (314)-641-8214 respectively by using the full names and date of birth (DOB). It’s important to check the hours and locations of each facility.
Using a Bonds Agent: Bail bondsmen will generally write a surety bond to the court that guarantees the defendant will appear in court. In exchange, the defendant or someone representing the defendant will pay a 10% fee to the bondsman. Most bondsmen usually require half the amount paid up front and the remainder in installments.
Attorneys may help get bond amounts reduced to help defendants save money. It is therefore a good idea to enlist the help of one.
How To Look Up Criminal Records in Missouri (Steps for Finding MO Criminal History Information)
Finding criminal records in Missouri can be completed through the following agencies:
-
- Through the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) which will be delved into below.
- Using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system to access appellate court records and searching federal offenses.
By accessing the various county court portals that allow individuals to retrieve criminal records which is discussed in the next section.
Searchers may also visit the courthouse which have public access terminals.
Both court records and information about ongoing cases can be accessed. This service is free to use except in the case of the requester wanting a copy in which case they pay a nominal fee of $0.30 per copy.
Access Missouri Criminal Records via the County Courts
In addition to obtaining Missouri criminal records from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the courts also provide data on criminal records drawn from court proceedings due to the state’s Sunshine Act which permits access to a public records repository.
It should be noted that not all court records can be accessed. There are some records that have been sealed and expunged by the courts as a result of Mo.Rev.Stat. § 211.321 such as juvenile records that are exempted from access due to the statutes except by court orders.7
The Missouri court system comprises 3 appellate courts and 46 judicial circuits—each county has a court with the Missouri Supreme Court being the highest court in the state overseeing the lower courts. It usually handles the major cases in the state and is also the last resort court (arbitrating the lower court’s decisions).
The Missouri Court of Appeals handles appeals from the decisions handed by the lower courts, and is just below the Supreme Court in hierarchy.
Table below summarizes how to access criminal records that are not recent and are located in the county courthouse records.
County circuit courts in the state of Missouri all use Case.net to search for court records in the respective courts—the links below point to the county court houses which typically have links to Casenet.8 Links that have an (*) do not have a Case.net link but interested individuals can still retrieve records for these counties using Case.net.
| County Criminal Record Search | County Courthouse Address | Phone Number |
| Adair County | 2815 North Baltimore Kirksville, MO 63501 |
(660)665-2552 |
| Andrew County | 411 Jules Street Saint Joseph, MO 64501 |
(816)324-3921 |
| Atchison County* | 400 S Washington St Rock Port, MO 64482 |
(660)744-6214 |
| Audrain County* | 101 N Jefferson St. Mexico, MO, 65265 |
(573)473-5841 |
| Barry County | 102 West St., Ste. 1 Cassville, MO 65625 |
(417)847-3133 |
| Barton County* | 1004 Gulf St., Rm. 204 Lamar, Missouri 64759 |
(417)682-2444 |
| Bates County* | 1 N Delaware St Butler, MO 64730 |
(660)679-5171 |
| Benton County* | 316 Van Buren St Warsaw, MO 65355 |
(660)438-7712 |
| Bollinger County* | 204 High St # 5 Marble Hill, MO 63764 |
(573)238-1900 |
| Boone County* | 705 E Walnut St Columbia, MO 65201 |
(573)886-4000 |
| Buchanan County | 411 Jules St. Saint Joseph, MO 64501 |
(816)271-1462 |
| Butler County* | 100 N Main Street Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 |
(573)686-8082 |
| Caldwell County | 49 E Main St. Kingston, MO 64650 |
(816)586-2771 |
| Callaway County* | 10 E 5th St. Fulton, MO 65251 |
(573)642-0780 |
| Camden County | 1 Court Circle, Suite 8 Camdenton, MO 65020 |
(573)346-4440 |
| Cape Girardeau County* | 203 N High, Ste. 129 Jackson, MO 63755 |
(573)243-1755 |
| Carroll County* | 8 S Main Street Carrolton, MO 64633 |
(660)542-0615 |
| Carter County* | 105 Main Street Van Buren, MO 63965 |
(573)323-4513 |
| Cass County* | 2501 W Mechanic St Harrisonville, MO 64701 |
(816)380-8227 |
| Cedar County* | 113 South St. Stockton, MO 65785 |
(417)276-6700 |
| Chariton County | 306 S Cherry St Keytesville, MO 65261 |
(660)288-3602 |
| Christian County* | 110 W. Elm, Rm. 202 Ozark, MO 65721 |
(417)582-5120 |
| Clark County* | 111 East Court St., Ste. 21 Kahoka, MO 63445 |
(660)727-3292 |
| Clay County* | 11 South Water Street Liberty, MO 64068 |
(816)407-3900 |
| Clinton County | 207 N Main St. Plattsburg, MO 64477 |
(816)539-3731 |
| Cole County* | 301 E High St Jefferson City, MO 65101 |
(573)634-9150 |
| Cooper County* | 200 Main St. 31 Boonville, MO 65233 |
(660)882-5604 |
| Crawford County* | 111 3rd St. Steelville, MO 65565 |
(573)775-2149 |
| Dade County* | 300 W. Water St. Greenfield, MO 65661 |
(417)637-2271 |
| Dallas County* | 108 S Maple St. Buffalo, MO 65622 |
(417)345-6822 |
| Daviess County* | 102 N Main St. 6 Gallatin, MO 64640 |
(660)663-3300 |
| DeKalb County* | 109 W Main St. Maysville, MO 64469 |
(816)449-2602 |
| Dent County | 112 E. Fifth St. Salem, MO 65560 |
(573)729-3931 |
| Douglas County* | 203 E Lincoln Ave. Ava, MO 65608 |
(417)683-4713 |
| Dunklin County* | 1175 Floyd Street Kennett, MO 63857 |
(573)888-2456 |
| Franklin County* | 401 East Main St., Rm. 100A Union, MO 63084 |
(636)583-7365 |
| Gasconade County* | 119 E 1st St. Hermann, MO 65041 |
(573)486-2632 |
| Gentry County* | 200 W Clay St Albany, MO 64402 |
(660)726-3525 |
| Greene County | 1010 N Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802 |
(417)868-4000 |
| Grundy County* | 700 Main St Courthouse Trenton, MO 64683 |
(660)359-4040 |
| Harrison County* | 1500 Central St Bethany, MO 64424 |
(660)425-6425 |
| Henry County* | 100 W Franklin St. 3 Clinton, MO 64735 |
(660)885-7200 |
| Hickory County* | 100 West Polk St. Hermitage , MO 65668 |
(417)745-6421 |
| Holt County* | 102 W Nodaway St Oregon, MO 64473 |
(660)446-3301 |
| Howard County * | 1 Courthouse Sq #8 Fayette, MO 65248 |
(660)248-2194 |
| Howell County* | 106 Courthouse West Plains, MO 65775 |
(417)256-3741 |
| Iron County* | 123 N Main St B Ironton, MO 63650 |
(573)546-2511 |
| Jackson County | 415 E 12TH STREET Kansas City, MO 64106 |
(816)881-3934 |
| Jasper County* | 601 Pearl Ave #300 Joplin, MO 64801 |
(417)625-4310 |
| Jefferson County | 300 Main St Hillsboro, MO 63050 |
(636)797-5555 |
| Johnson County* | 101 W Market St Warrensburg, MO 64093 |
(660)422-7413 |
| Knox County* | 107 N 4th Edina, MO 63537 |
(660)397-2688 |
| Laclede County* | 200 N Adams Ave Lebanon, MO 65536 |
(417)532-5471 |
| Lafayette County* | 116 S 10th St Lexington, MO 64067 |
(660)259-6101 |
| Lawrence County | 240 North Main St, Suite 110 Mt Vernon, MO 65712 |
(417)466-2471 |
| Lewis County* | 100 E Lafayette St Monticello, MO 63457 |
(573)767-5352 |
| Lincoln County* | 45 Business Park Dr. Troy, MO 63379 |
(636)528-6300 |
| Linn County* | 108 N High St Linneus, MO 64653 |
(660)895-5419 |
| Livingston County* | 700 Webster St Chillicothe, MO 64601 |
(660)646-8000 |
| Macon County | 101 E Washington Macon, MO 63552 |
(660)385-4631 |
| Madison County* | 1 Court Square Fredericktown, MO 63645 |
(573)783-2176 |
| Maries County* | 211 4th St #2 Vienna, MO 65582 |
(573)422-3303 |
| Marion County | 906 Broadway # 201, Hannibal, MO 63401 |
(573)221-0198 |
| McDonald County | 602 Main St, Pineville, MO 64856 |
(417)223-7512 |
| Mercer County* | 802 E Main St, Princeton, MO 64673 |
(660)748-4335 |
| Miller County* | 2001 MO-52, Tuscumbia, MO 65082 |
(573)369-1980 |
| Mississippi County* | 200 N Main St, Charleston, MO 63834 |
(573)683-2146 |
| Moniteau County* | 200 E Main St, California, MO 65018 |
(573)796-4661 |
| Monroe County* | 300 North Main St # 201, Paris, MO 65275 |
(877)433-3061 |
| Montgomery County * | 211 E 3rd St, Montgomery City, MO 63361 |
(573)564-3341 |
| Morgan County* | 211 E Newton St # 4, Versailles, MO 65084 |
(573)378-4413 |
| New Madrid County* | 450 Main St, New Madrid, MO 63869 |
(573)748-2228 |
| Newton County | 123 E Main St, Neosho, MO 64850 |
(417)451-8210 |
| Nodaway County | 305 N Main St, Maryville, MO 64468 |
(660)582-4221 |
| Oregon County* | 1 Court Sq, Alton, MO 65606 |
(417)778-7460 |
| Osage County | 106 E Main St, Linn, MO 65051 |
(573)897-2497 |
| Ozark County | 1 Court Sq, Gainesville, MO 65655 |
(417)679-4232 |
| Pemiscot County* | 610 Ward Ave, Caruthersville, MO 63830 |
(573)333-2204 |
| Perry County | 15 W St Maries St #2, Perryville, MO 63775 |
(573)547-6581 |
| Pettis County* | 415 S Ohio Ave, Sedalia, MO 65301 |
(660)826-5000 |
| Phelps County | 200 N Main St, Rolla, MO 65401 |
(573)458-6000 |
| Pike County | 115 W Main St #4, Bowling Green, MO 63334 |
(573)324-2412 |
| Platte County | 328 Main St., Suite 5-CH Platte City, MO 64079 |
(816)858-2232 |
| Polk County* | 102 E Broadway St, Bolivar, MO 65613 |
(417)326-4912 |
| Pulaski County* | 301 U.S. Rt. 66, Waynesville, MO 65583 |
(573)774-4701 |
| Putnam County* | 1601 Main St #101, Unionville, MO 63565 |
(660)947-2117 |
| Ralls County* | 311 S Main St, New London, MO 63459 |
(573)985-5641 |
| Randolph County* | 372 State Hwy JJ Suite 2b, Huntsville, MO 65259 |
(844)277-6555 |
| Ray County* | 100 W Main St, Richmond, MO 64085 |
(816)776-4502 |
| Reynolds County* | 2319 Green St, Centerville, MO 63633 |
(573)648-2494 |
| Ripley County* | 100 Court House Square, Doniphan, MO 63935 |
(573)996-5500 |
| Saline County | 19 E Arrow St #205, Marshall, MO 65340 |
(660)886-2300 |
| Schuyler County* | 110 E Washington St, Lancaster, MO 63548 |
(660)956-9187 |
| Scotland County* | 117 S Market St, Memphis, MO 63555 |
(660)465-8605 |
| Scott County* | 131 S Winchester St, Benton, MO 63736 |
(573)545-3549 |
| Shannon County* | 18529 Main St, Eminence, MO 65466 |
(573)226-3414 |
| Shelby County * | 100 E Main St, Shelbyville, MO 63469 |
(573)633-2151 |
| St. Charles County | 300 N 2nd St, St Charles, MO 63301 |
(636)949-3080 |
| St. Clair County | 655 2nd St, Osceola, MO 64776 |
(417)646-2315 |
| St. Francois County* | 1 N Washington St # 102, Farmington, MO 63640 |
(573)756-5755 |
| St. Louis County | 41 South Central, Clayton, MO 63105 |
(314)615-5000 |
| St. Louis city County | 105 S Central Ave, Clayton, MO 63105 |
(314)615-8029 |
| Ste. Genevieve County | 55 3rd St #23, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670 |
(573)883-2705 |
| Stoddard County* | 401 S Prairie St, Bloomfield, MO 63825 |
(573)568-3339 |
| Stone County | 110 S Maple St Ste F, Galena, MO 65656 |
(417)357-6114 |
| Sullivan County | 109 N Main St #20, Milan, MO 63556 |
(660)265-3303 |
| Taney County | 266 Main St, Forsyth, MO 65653 |
(417)546-7200 |
| Texas County* | 519 N Grand Ave #202, Houston, MO 654 |
(417)967-3742 |
| Vernon County* | 100 W Cherry St, Nevada, MO 64772 |
(417)448-2520 |
| Warren County | 104 W Booneslick Rd, Warrenton, MO 63383 |
(636)456-3363 |
| Washington County* | 102 N Missouri St, Potosi, MO 63664 |
(573)438-6111 |
| Wayne County | 109 Walnut St, Greenville, MO 63944 |
(573)224-3014 |
| Webster County* | 101 S Crittenden St, Marshfield, MO 65706 |
(417)859-2006 |
| Worth County* | 23 W 3rd St, Grant City, MO 64456 |
(660)564-2210 |
| Wright County* | 125 Court Square, 2nd Floor Hartville, MO 65667 |
(417)741-7121 |
Run a Statewide Criminal Record Search Through the Missouri Courts System
The state of Missouri has a statewide criminal records system that tracks court records from the different court systems in the state known as Case.net and cases can be searched using case numbers and / last names.
How To Get Copies of Criminal Records Through Missouri’s Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS)
There are several methods that someone can use to retrieve copies of criminal records although copies are primarily retrieved from the main custodian of criminal history in Missouri — the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS).9
This can also be performed by sifting through individual counties and looking for records in the courts. The MACHS site allows a user to search for a criminal:
- Using fingerprints
- Using full names of the arrestee
Fingerprint-Based: The fingerprint search is considered a positive match and supplies information such as criminal history, charges that may have been dismissed and any SIS (suspended imposed sentence) after probation.
- To find criminals using fingerprints, interested individuals will need to register at the MACHS Fingerprint Search Portal. This site allows only those who have a registration number with their employer and/or licensing agency to perform this check.
- Those looking to perform a self-search for personal review will need to contact the office at (573)-526-6153 and hit option 3 to receive further instructions.
- The requester will need to schedule an appointment with IDEMIA (fingerprint services vendor) to capture the prints at a cost of $8.50. The total cost for the check will be $28.50 ($20 for a state only check). The federal check will incur an additional $13.25 to make a grand total of $41.75 per applicant. Payments can be made through a check or money order to the “State of Missouri – Criminal Record System Fund.” Notarized responses will incur an additional $2 fee.
- The processing time for mail in requests is typically 4-6 weeks while online requests are completed within 7-10 business days; the results are mailed to the requester.
- Individuals looking for FBI Record Checks or Missouri Family Care Registry Checks may visit Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) and Family Care Safety Registry respectively.
Mail in requests should be sent to:
Missouri State Highway Patrol
CJIS Division, P.O. Box 9500
Jefferson City, MO 65102-9500
Named-Based: The named based search is considered a possible match and includes only open records and returns information such as convictions, arrest information less than 30 days from the arrest date ideal for those wanting to know how to find recent arrests.
It also contains SIS after probation is completed and charges that have been filed by a prosecutor and awaiting final disposition from the courts.
- Interested individuals can complete this request by mail which requires the completion of a Request for Criminal Record Check Form and charges are $15.
- They can also complete the requests online by visiting Missouri Automated Criminal History Site and payments can be made via credit card for $15.
Applicants residing outside the state will need to contact their local law enforcement agency.
How Do I Find Out if Someone Is on Probation or Parole in Missouri?
Missouri offers several ways for individuals to find out if someone is on probation or parole. This includes the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC) Offender Search Tool and through the Division of Probation and Parole.
The Online Offender Search Tool allows users to search for information under supervision of the DOC. It provides offender information such as their full name, date of birth, assigned location (including probation and parole districts), assigned officer and other offense information.
However, the search tool online shows general information about the offender, thus, for a more comprehensive search, the Division of Probation & Parole can be contacted to verify if someone is either on probation or parole.13
Parole is a term that refers to offenders who have now been released from the correctional system after having served time in prison. Probation on the other hand typically refers to a release from jail.
To illustrate just how many people are on probation and parole, the following image shows the combined total of probationers and parolees in Missouri, along with their ethnicities. Furthermore, these totals are also compared to the number of individuals on community supervision (including probation and parole) in other states across the United States.
When contacting the division to look up parole information on anyone in Missouri or perform a MO probationer search, interested individuals must furnish the following data:
- Offender’s full names
- Offender’s inmate number, if known
- Offender’s DOB and SSN (Social Security Number), if known
Requesters may contact the division either by phone at (573)751-8488 or via email at probation.parole@doc.mo.gov.
How Do You Seal or Expunge Criminal Records in the State of Missouri?
Under Missouri’s expungement law, individuals with certain criminal records may elect to have their offenses sealed and expunged through the courts.14
Expungement is the deletion of criminal records of an arrest or charge that occurred while records that are sealed are not accessible except by court order, but they still exist physically and legally.
Individuals can only apply to have their records expunged when:
- Fines have been paid off
- Completion of probation and/or parole
- Having a three year clean date for eligibility for a felony offense expungement
- Having a one year wait for misdemeanor offense
To initiate the process to seal and/or expunge a criminal record in the state, requesters should:
- File a petition at the court in the county where the offender was found guilty and charged by downloading the expungement petition. The cost for this is $250, however the cost can be waived by the judge if the petitioner can prove they are unable to bear the cost.
- The petition will name defendants of any entities or individuals that are holding these records of offenses and violations who are then served.
- Defendants will then have 30 days to file any objections they may have to the expungement petition.
- The court will then hold a hearing within 60 days of any objections made by the defendant or 30 days after defendants have been served with no objections.
- Once the court approves the petition, the petitioner can now maintain that they have not been convicted of a crime. However, certain applications still necessitate disclosing these records such as when applying for a license, certificate and permit issued by the state for the individual’s profession.
- If the expungement is denied, the petitioner could re-file within a year or appeal the decision of denial.
Note: More than one expungement can be granted provided the number does not exceed 1 felony offense, 2 misdemeanors or ordinance violations that have led to imprisonment.
It should be stated however, that there are certain offenses that are not eligible for expungement such as:
- Class A felonies
- Offenses that require registration of a sex offender
- Felonies where death is the element of the offense
- Crimes that involve domestic assault and/or kidnapping
Petitioners are generally advised to retain the services of legal counsel when completing this process, although it is possible for individuals to perform a self-petition.
How Do I Find Someone in Federal or State Prisons in Missouri?
Locating a loved one or someone who may be presumed missing in the state of Missouri is a fairly straightforward process and is free as well for both federal and state prisons.
Requesters looking to locate prison records and inmates will need to visit Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) for state inmates and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for federal inmates.
Federal Prison Search
Missouri has one federal prison located in the state that is maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The BOP maintains a database of inmates that have been incarcerated or released after 1982 in federal prisons throughout the union.
BOP has a Federal Prison Inmate Locator on its website which is free to use, and the requester searches either using name or inmate number.16
Missouri State Prison Search
The Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) is the repository of criminal records and felony registry in the state, and manages 21 state prisons in Missouri.
The best way to locate a state prison inmate would be to utilize the Search Offender Tool located on the MDOC website which captures Department of Corrections (DOC ID) or full names of the offender.17
The service is free to the public to access and no account is required to register.
How To Run a Missouri Warrant Search (Figure Out if You or Someone Else Is Wanted in MO)
Warrant information in the state of Missouri is public information and the first place requesters can find this information would be through the court system using Case.net.
Using Case.net:
- To establish whether or not, you or someone else has an active warrant out for their arrest, proceed to Case.net to view the warrant list.
- Under ‘litigant name search’, type the last name of the person of interest.
- Once found, click on the case number
- Proceed to the ‘docket entries’ tab to find warrants.
Interested individuals may also contact the sheriff’s office or local law enforcement agencies who may have warrant departments. As an example, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office has a list of active warrants.
More insight into state and county-level warrant searches on anybody wanted in Missouri can be reviewed to make for an efficient and effective lookup.
A Review of Missouri Background Checks
In summary, the Missouri State Highway Patrol performs background checks via name-based and fingerprint-based searches through the Missouri Automated Criminal History System (MACHS).
Their fingerprint checks are used for firearms, employment, licensing and more. While their name searches may also be used by the general public.
There are several agencies in Missouri require background checks for certain professions such as caregivers to seniors and children and medical doctors. This is to ensure that these vulnerable elements of society to which these professionals are charged with custody do not succumb to negative misconduct where it be sexual or professional.
The table found below gives an overview of the agencies that require these checks, a link to the agencies’ submission process, and the professions that are to submit to these checks:
| Missouri Agency That Requires Background Check | Reasons for Background Check |
| Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education |
|
| Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services |
|
| Missouri Department of Social Services |
|
| Missouri Division of Professional Registration |
|
| Missouri Board of Pharmacy
|
|
| Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts |
|
How To Find Sexual Predators in Missouri via the Sex Offender Registry
Sex offenders are individuals that have been tried and convicted of a sex offense and to ensure the well-being of its citizens, Missouri passed MO Rev Stat. § 589.400 – 589.425, which mandates the Missouri State Highway Patrol to provide a public database of sex offenders in the state and for sex offenders to register.20
The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) maintains the Missouri sex offender registry which provides a platform for the public to locate sex offenders within their community.21
It also allows users to sign up for email notifications to receive alerts when an offender moves into a community using two criteria: offender or address. Individuals may also contact local law enforcement agencies to ascertain this information.
- To find out if there is a sex offender living in a community for free, interested individuals should simply proceed to MSHP’s Missouri sex offender registry and use the offender’s bio data such as full names or DOB if known.
- However, the tool can also be used to retrieve sex offender data from a set distance from a known location which is accomplished by inputting an address.
It should be stated that in addition to this state registry, the federal government does also maintain a national database for sex offenders known as the National Sex Offender Registry which is furnished by the U.S Department of Justice.22 It uses similar search parameters.
Missouri Laws Surrounding the Use of Criminal & Arrest Records
The State of Missouri makes public records a matter of public domain due to its Sunshine laws that are in the spirit of the Freedom for Information Act (FOIA). However, there are certain laws in the state that may limit the accessing of certain criminal and arrest records, or within certain time frames.
In addition to Missouri laws, members of the public in the state are protected by federal laws such as the anti-discrimination laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) which prohibits looking at non-convictions that are more than seven years old.
Juvenile records that involve misdemeanor offenses are generally sealed and kept private due to statute Mo.Rev.Stat. § 211.321.The exceptions to this are court cases where juveniles have been convicted of a felony or are in extreme court proceedings, like murder.
Not all crimes can be expunged and sealed as per Mo.Rev.Stat. §610.140.2 which include felonies that result in murder.24 Individuals that have sealed and expunged records are mandated in certain instances to disclose their criminal records that have been expunged and sealed in accordance with Mo.Rev.Stat. §610.140.9—these include when applying for license and permits pertaining to their profession.
Missouri does not have a ban the box law in place—however, certain cities in the state have passed the law including St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia. Ban the box is a law pertaining to criminal background checks which prohibits employers from requesting potential employee’s criminal background and history until after a conditional offer of employment.
In this way, job applicants are first judged by their qualifications minus the stigma of a criminal past.
It is acceptable to perform personal criminal background checks without someone’s consent but if they are being done for professional purposes such as employment, property management, licensing etc. then they must abide by federal and local laws.
To summarize the information above, Missouri criminal records can primarily be found through the County Courts or the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) hosted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol — other resources such as the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Corrections and Sex Offender Registry may provide results as well.
On the other hand, Missouri arrest records of various counties and cities can be obtained through arrest logs hosted by the County Sheriff’s office and local police departments.
References
1Statutes, M. R. (2004, August 28). Title XXXIX CONDUCT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. Retrieved 2023, from <https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=610.010>
2State, U. D. (2023). The Freedom of Information Act. Retrieved 2023, from <https://foia.state.gov/learn/foia.aspx>
3General, M. A. (2023). SUNSHINE LAW. Retrieved 2023, from <https://ago.mo.gov/missouri-law/sunshine-law>
4Commission, U. E. (2023). Overview. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.eeoc.gov/overview>
5nmate Roster – Current Inmates Booking Date Descending – Johnson County Sheriff MO.” Johnson County SHERIFF’S OFFICE. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://jocomosheriff.org/roster.php>
6Locate a St. Louis City Inmate.” City of St. Louis. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/corrections/stl-city-find-an-inmate.cfm>
7Assembly, M. G. (2021, January 1). Title XII PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE. Retrieved 2023, from <https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=211.321>
8Government, M. C. (2023, February 22). Welcome to Case.net. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/welcome.do>
9Site, M. A. (2023). Welcome to the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS). Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.machs.mo.gov/MACHSFP/home.html>
10Missouri Automated Criminal History Site. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://www.machs.mo.gov/MACHSFP/form.html>
11SHP-158, Request for Criminal Record Check.” Missouri State Highway Patrol. Accessed 30 April 2023. <http://mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/CRID/documents/SHP-158T.pdf>
12MACHS: Missouri Automated Criminal History Site.” Machs.mo.gov. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://machs.mo.gov/MocchWebInterface/home.html>
13Corrections, M. D. (2023). Probation and Parole. Retrieved 2023, from <https://doc.mo.gov/divisions/probation-parole>
14Statutes, M. R. (2021, August 28). Title XXXIX CONDUCT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. Retrieved 2023, from <https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=610.140&bid=33573&hl=>
15Petition for Expungement of Arrest Records (CR145).” Missouri Courts. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=647>
16Prisons, F. B. (2023). Find an inmate. Retrieved 2023, from <https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/searchOffenderAction.do>
17Corrections, M. D. (2023). Offender Search. Retrieved 2023, from <https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/searchOffenderAction.do>
18Missouri Courts. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/nameSearch.do?newSearch=Y>
19Active Warrants. Boone County Sign On. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://report.boonecountymo.org/mrcjava/servlet/RMS01_MP.I00040s>
20Statutes, M. R. (2017, January 1). Title XXXVIII CRIMES AND PUNISHMENT; PEACE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS. Retrieved 2023, from <https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=589.425#:~:text=2.-,A%20person%20commits%20the%20crime%20of%20failing%20to%20register%20as,register%20as%20a%20sex%20offender>
21Missouri State Highway Patrol. (2024). Sex Offender Registry. Retrieved May 03, 2024, from <https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/CJ38/searchRegistry.jsp>
22Justice, U. D. (2023). National Sex Offender Public Website. Retrieved 2023, from <https://www.nsopw.gov/>
23Search Missouri Sex Offender Registry. Missouri State Highway Patrol. Accessed 30 April 2023. <https://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/CJ38/searchRegistry.jsp>
24Statutes, M. R. (2019, August 28). Title XXXIX CONDUCT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. Retrieved 2023, from <https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=610.140&bid=47676&hl>