Christian County Arrest Records

In Christian County, one of the consequences of committing an offense or violating county ordinances is the possibility of being arrested. An arrest is the legal act of apprehending a suspect and placing them under the custody of a law enforcement agency. Law enforcement officers typically make arrests when an arrest warrant is issued for a suspect. Nonetheless, law enforcement officers can also arrest a person without an arrest warrant when they have reasonable grounds to believe the person has violated a law or ordinance per RSMo § 544.216 or § 544.218.

After an arrest and the suspect's subsequent booking at the county jail or the arresting agency or release, the arresting officer, in accordance with their agency’s procedures, usually prepares arrest records detailing the incident. The arrest record typically contains pertinent information, including the arrestee’s name, the alleged offense, and the arrest date and location. In addition to maintaining arrest records, most local law enforcement agencies also disseminate these records to other government entities that need them for their official functions. For instance, if an arrest results in a criminal case, the local court that handles the case usually receives the arrest record. Hence, arrest information may be included in some Christian County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Christian County?

Yes. Under Missouri Sunshine law, public governmental bodies are required to make their records available to the public unless otherwise provided by law. Records generated by Law enforcement agencies, including arrest records, are subject to the law. Hence, most arrest records are public in Christian County.

Nonetheless, RSMo § 610.021 and other relevant statutes exempt specific types of records from being public. For instance, records concerning the arrest of juvenile offenders are considered privileged records and are inaccessible to the general public. Furthermore, expunged arrest records are also unavailable to the public. Note that although public access to a record can be restricted, government agencies and other eligible individuals, such as the subject of the record, may be allowed access to the restricted record.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Inquirers can find the following information in public arrest records:

• The arrestee’s information:
  • full name
  • Age
  • City and state of residency.
• The arrestee’s physical description:
  • Height
  • Weight
  • Sex
  • Race
  • Hair and eye color
• Arrest information:
  • Mugshot
  • Arrest date, time, and county
  • Arresting agency’s details
  • The arresting officer’s name and badge number
• Charges information;
  • Offense and applicable statute
  • Court date, type, and name
  • Bond type and amount (if available)
• Booking information
  • Booking date and time
  • Holding facility

Christian County Arrest Statistics

According to arrest statistics provided in the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s 2023 Standard Summary Reports (SRS), 711 arrests were made in Christian County in 2023. Of this total, 647 were adult arrests, and 64 were juvenile arrests. Furthermore, driving under the influence (202) was the leading cause of arrest in the county that year. Other notable offenses included drug violation possession (125), drug abuse violation (133), and other assaults (123). Additionally, Nixa Police Department (245) and Ozark Police Department (267) recorded the most amount of arrests.

Find Christian County Arrest Records

In Christain County, local law enforcement agencies, such as the Christain County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments, are the primary custodians of arrest records. Therefore, record seekers can direct requests for Christain County arrest records to these agencies.

Depending on how each agency operates, requests for arrest records may be made in person, by mail, or online. Nonetheless, sufficient information that identifies the sought record, such as the arrestee’s full name and the arrest date and location, may be required to facilitate the request. In cases where the sought record is considered confidential or privileged, record seekers must provide a court order or proper form of identification to prove they are eligible to access the record.

A good way to start looking for an arrest record is to contact the police department with jurisdiction over the municipality where the arrest occurred. There is a good chance that the municipal police department made the arrest. For instance, record seekers can query the Nixa Police Department for arrests that occurred in the City of Nix. Nixa Police Department provides an online request form that record seekers can complete and submit to make an arrest record request. Alternatively, requesters can mail in requests or visit the Nixa Police Department Administrative Office during regular office hours (Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm) at:

715 W. Center Cir.
P.O. Box 395
Nixa, MO 65714
Phone: (417) 725-2510
Email: police@nixa.com

Subsequently, record seekers can extend their search to the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and other local police departments. Note that the County Sheriff’s Office charges a $3.00 processing fee for arrest report requests. The County Sheriff’s Office also provides an online request form record seekers can use to make requests for arrest records. The County Sheriff’s Office also accepts in-person requests during office hours (Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) at the agency's physical address and mail-in requests. Mail-in requesters should include a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient size to hold the records if they want the requested record to be mailed back to them once found. Record seekers can mail-in request and contact the County Sheriff’s Office at:

Christian County Sheriff's Office
110 W. Elm Street, Suite 70
Ozark, MO 65721
Phone: (417) 582-5330

Free Arrest Record Search in Christian County

In Christian County, interested persons can conduct an arrest record search through local law enforcement agencies, like the County Sheriff’s Office and Municipal Police Departments. Unfortunately, these agencies may charge requesters a fee to process arrest records requests or produce copies of records. For instance, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office charges a $3.00 fee for processing requests. On the other hand, municipal police may charge requesters a fee for reproducing copies of records. Nonetheless, some agencies may allow record seekers to inspect arrest records for free at their address.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest can remain on an individual record indefinitely unless it gets expunged. However, according to the Sheriff Records Retention Schedule and Police Clerks Records Retention Schedule established pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 109, the minimum retention period for arrest records is five (5) years.

Expunge Christian County Arrest Records

Interested persons can petition a court with appropriate jurisdiction over their case to have their arrest record expunged per RSMo § 610.122. The statute outlines the eligible requirement for arrest records to qualify for expungement. These include if the arrestee has no pending civil action related to the arrest or the records being sought for expungement and the following is true:

• The arrest was based on false information, provided the following conditions exist;
  • There is no probable cause to believe the arrestee committed the offense
  • The arrest did not result in a charge
  • The arrestee did not receive a suspended imposition of sentence for the offense
• The arrest was for a misdemeanor offense(s) under RSMo Chapter 303 or any moving violation per RSMo § 302.010, with the exception of any intoxication-related traffic offense defined under RSMo § 577.023. Additionally, all of the following must be true;
  • The offense or violation related to the arrest was dismissed, resulted in nolle prossed, or the accused was found not guilty.
  • The arrestee was not a commercial driver's license holder and was not operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the arrest.

Meanwhile, arrests for offenses outlined in RSMo § 610.140(3) are not eligible for expungement. These include but are not limited to:

• Class A felony offense
• An offense that requires registration as a sex offender
• A felony offense where death is an element of the offense
• A felony offense of assault, misdemeanor or felony domestic assault offense, or felony kidnapping offense
• An intoxication-related traffic or boating offense or offenses for operating an aircraft while intoxicated or with an excessive blood alcohol content

It is important to note that per RSMo § 610.140(13), an individual can not expunge more than two misdemeanors and one felony in their lifetime. Additionally, there are various waiting periods before a person can petition for record expungement, ranging from the date of arrest, conviction, final restitution payment, or the conclusion of their sentence, probation, or parole. Some applicable waiting periods include:

• Three (3) years for arrest or conviction for a misdemeanor offense
• Seven (7) years for arrest or conviction for a felony offense
• Ten (10) years for arrest or conviction for a first-time DWI (driving or boating) offense

If an individual has an eligible record, they can petition for expungement using the Petition for Expungement of Arrest Records form (CR 145) provided on the Missouri Courts Judicial Branch of Government website. The form should be appropriately completed and filed alongside any supporting documents with the Christian County Circuit Clerk's office. Depending on the type of expungement petition, petitioners may be charged a filing fee of up to $250. Those who can not afford the fee can apply for a fee waiver by completing and filing the Motion and Affidavit in Support of Request to Proceed as a Poor Person form with the County Circuit Clerk's office.

After the Petition for Expungement is filed at the County Circuit Court, the state is allowed 30 days to object to it. If the state objects, a hearing will be scheduled within 60 days of receiving the objection. Otherwise, the court will schedule a hearing within 30 days of filing the expungement petition. After the hearing, the presiding court will grant or deny the petition.

Christian County Arrest Warrants

A Christian County arrest warrant is an order issued by a court that directs peace officers to arrest a suspect and bring them before the court to answer for a crime they allegedly committed. A warrant may be issued when a complaint that contains sufficient probable cause to believe a crime has been committed is filed with a court. Per Missouri Supreme Court rules 22.05, an arrest warrant must contain:

• The name of the defendant to be arrested or a name or description that can be used to identify the defendant with reasonable certainty.
• A description of the offense
• Date and county of issuance
• Specify the condition(s) of release
• Signed by the issuing judicial officer or the Court Clerk at the court's direction.

Do Christian County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, An arrest warrant does not just go away. On the contrary, it remains active until the suspect gets apprehended, turns themselves in, or dies.