What the St. Louis County Circuit Clerk Does
The Circuit Clerk is the records custodian for the 21st Judicial Circuit. The office accepts filings, maintains case files, issues certified copies, collects deposits and fees, and supports the judges and commissioners across the circuit's divisions. Missouri does not use a Texas-style district clerk structure; in St. Louis County, court records run through the Circuit Clerk, while recorded land documents and marriage records run through the separate Recorder of Deeds.
The clerk's official services include court forms, the schedule of deposits and fees, bulk-filer guidelines, useful links and a set of frequently asked questions. Online case search points to Missouri Case.net rather than a county-built database. A look at the official Circuit Clerk page shows the service menu.
The Circuit Clerk page links the fee schedule, forms and the bulk-filer guidelines that attorneys use for high-volume filing.
St. Louis County Circuit Clerk Contact
The office is in the Courts Building in downtown Clayton, open weekdays. Bring the case number when possible to speed up a counter request.
St. Louis County Circuit Clerk
105 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
314-615-8029
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Maps and Directions page recommends parking at the Shaw Park Drive Garage at 232 S. Meramec, one block south, where the Clayton MetroLink station sits. Plan extra time for security screening at the main entrance; weapons and sharp items are prohibited.
St. Louis County Circuit Clerk Fees
The 21st Judicial Circuit publishes a schedule of deposits and fees, effective January 1, 2022. The table below lists common items. Filing deposits differ from copy fees; a deposit funds a case, while a copy fee pays for a document.
| Item | Fee / Deposit |
|---|---|
| Certified copy, one page and seal | $1.50 |
| Additional photocopy page | $0.30 |
| Authenticated copy | $3.50 |
| Small claims filing | $20.50 |
| Certified mail per defendant | $10.00 |
| Associate Circuit Chapter 517 case | $53.50 |
| Sheriff fee per defendant | $36.00 |
| Garnishment filing | $10.00 |
| Mechanic's lien filing | $5.00 |
| Non-litigation certificate | $3.50 |
Expungement deposits also run through the clerk: $355.50 for conviction expungement under RSMo § 610.140, $105.50 for arrest expungement under RSMo § 610.123, and no deposit for mistaken-identity expungement under RSMo § 610.145.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is accepted as an official court record. Case.net printouts are not certified. The steps below cover a typical certified-copy request from the St. Louis County Circuit Clerk.
- Find the case number on Case.net using a name or case search.
- Note the document you need: judgment, decree, order or full case file.
- Visit the Circuit Clerk counter in Clayton, or contact the office about a mailed request.
- Pay the certified-copy fee: $1.50 for one page with seal, plus $0.30 per additional page.
- Request an authenticated copy at $3.50 if a higher level of certification is needed.
- Allow time to pull older paper files from the clerk's archive.
Note: Documents filed before July 1, 2023 are often paper-only and must be pulled at the courthouse rather than downloaded from Case.net.
Information a St. Louis County Records Request Needs
A clean request moves faster. The clerk uses these data points to locate a file. The table below lists what to have ready.
| Field | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Case number | The fastest way to find the exact file. |
| Party names | Locates a case when the number is unknown. |
| Filing year | Narrows the archive search for older cases. |
| Document type | Tells the clerk which record to certify. |
| Number of copies | Sets the total fee. |
| Requester contact | Needed for mailed copies and follow-up. |
For court files searched online first, the court records page covers the Case.net search fields, and the court dockets page covers the hearing calendar.
Forms and Filing Through the Clerk
The Circuit Clerk page links court forms and bulk-filer guidelines. The local court also posts probate forms separately for civil-commitment and trust filings. Self-represented filers can use the forms menu, while attorneys often file electronically through Missouri's eFiling system.
The clerk does not give legal advice. Staff can explain where to file, what the fee is and how to request a copy, but they cannot tell a filer what to put in a pleading. For legal help, the Missouri State Public Defender handles eligible criminal cases, and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri handles civil legal aid. For probate-specific filings, the probate records page covers the packets and the in-person filing rule.