Crawford County Court Records

From the initiation of legal proceedings in Crawford County to their conclusion, the local courts generate, file, and maintain related documents. Collectively known as Crawford County court records, these documents include motions, judgments, dockets, affidavits, and other materials from civil and criminal cases.

As a subset of the Missouri court records, Crawford County court records exist in paper, digital, audio, or video formats and are useful for judicial transparency, public education, and legal research. Journalists, researchers, students, and other members of the public often rely on these documents to analyze court decisions, observe the progress of a case, conduct background checks, and more.

The Crawford County Circuit Clerk's Office is the primary custodian of the county's court records. However, individuals may also find certain Crawford County court records archived at the Missouri State Archives for historical reference.

Are Court Records Public in Crawford County?

Yes. Missouri's Court Operating Rule 2 declares that Crawford County court records are open to the public. This means any interested individual can request access to Crawford court records through any approved means.

However, not all court records are available to the public. Missouri courts can seal certain records because of privacy concerns or statutory provisions. For example, juvenile records, adoption records, mental health proceedings, and sensitive personal information are generally restricted from public access.

Crawford County Court Records Search

Crawford County court records searches are available through the following avenues:

• The Crawford County Circuit Court Clerk's Office
• The clerk of the municipal court that heard the matter
• Missouri's Automated Case Management System, Case.net
• Third-party repositories

Crawford County Courts

The Crawford County Circuit Court, the state-level trial court, is located within the 42nd Judicial Circuit and maintains three divisions for easy legal administration. The county also has municipal courts that focus on city ordinance violations.

Crawford County courts can be found at the following locations:

Crawford County Circuit Court, Divisions 1 and 2
302 West Main Street
Steelville, Missouri 65565
Phone: (573) 775-2866
Fax: (573) 775-2452

Crawford County Circuit Court, Division 3
111 3rd Street
Steelville, Missouri 65565
Phone: (573) 775-2149
Fax: (573) 775-4010

Bourbon, Leasburg, and Steelville Municipal Divisions
Crawford County Courthouse
302 West Main Street
Steelville, Missouri 65565
Phone: (573) 775-2866
Fax: (573) 775-2452

Cuba Municipal Division
602 South Franklin
P.O. Box 292
Cuba, Missouri 65453
Phone: (573) 885-0854
Fax: (573) 885-1449

Crawford County Criminal and Civil Records

The Consolidated Circuit Court of Crawford County is the primary custodian of the county's court records. Consequently, interested individuals are advised to contact the circuit court clerk's office during regular business hours for records. Alternatively, one may access Missouri Case.net, the state judiciary's online case management and public access portal to search and view publicly available court case information, such as docket entries.

Individuals should note the following when requesting Crawford County criminal and civil records:

• Court staff are trained to assist in-person requesters with locating and accessing case files.
• Requests for copies of records are better made in writing to reduce miscommunication, promote accountability, and leave a clear paper trail.
• Record requests should be specific and include all necessary details about the desired record to enable faster processing.

Crawford County Marriage Records

Crawford County marriage records are public documents that show that a marriage has occurred between two individuals. The Crawford County Recorder of Deeds is responsible for issuing marriage licenses, recording marriage certificates, and maintaining the associated records. Consequently, to obtain a Crawford County marriage certificate, interested individuals can visit the office during regular business hours at:

300 West Main Street
P.O. Box 236
Steelville, Missouri 65565
Phone: (573) 755-5048

Requesters may also email the Recorder of Deeds at crawfordrecorder@gmail.com to inquire about accessing marriage records or

Moreover, the office's Search Marriage Licenses page allows interested members of the public to obtain marriage license information online. Researchers will need to register with the service provider and input their login details to access the system. Users can input the required parameters and specify "Marriage license" from the "Instrument type" drop-down menu to facilitate a search on the system.

Crawford County Divorce Records

In Crawford County, divorce proceedings (officially termed dissolution of marriage) are heard in the Crawford County Circuit Court. Accordingly, divorce decrees and other case documents are maintained by the circuit court clerk's office, which also oversees their public dissemination.

Basic divorce case information is available onsite at the court clerk's office. Requesters can visit the office's physical location during regular work hours to ensure timely assistance and access. The Missouri Case.net platform also provides online public access to non-confidential divorce case information.

Meanwhile, certain documents resulting from a divorce may be filed with the Recorder of Deeds. These records can be retrieved online through the Recorder's Real Estate Records Search system by selecting "Dissolution of Marriage" from the instrument type drop-down menu on the search page.

Crawford County Birth Records

The easiest way for a requester to obtain a copy of a Crawford County birth certificate is to request it from the county's public health agency, the Crawford County Nursing Service, at the address below:

202 West Main Street
P.O. Box 367
Steelville, Missouri 65565-5169

Interested individuals can contact the agency at (573) 775-2555 to schedule an appointment before visiting.

The Department of Health and Senior Services also processes requests for Crawford County birth records in person, via mail, and through a government-authorized online service. However, requests for copies of documents via mail or in person involve a lengthy process that may also include downloading and sending a completed application form to the Crawford Nursing Service. Detailed information about this process is available on the department's Order a Copy of a Vital Record page.

Individuals should note, however, that birth records are considered part of the Crawford County vital records. This means that they are not available to the general public and can only be issued to the person named on the record and those who can prove a direct and tangible interest in the record.

Crawford County Death Records

Crawford County death records are official government documents that record the details of a person's demise within Crawford County. Like birth records, death records are not public documents and are only available to the deceased's family members, a family member's genealogist, or a professionally recognized genealogist.

The process for obtaining death records in Crawford County is similar to that used for requesting birth records, as outlined above.

Crawford County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Crawford County are handled by Division III of the Circuit Court of Crawford County. These cases pertain to the affairs of a deceased or legally incapacitated person and often include wills, estate administration, and guardianship proceedings.

Crawford County probate court records are obtainable using the same processes outlined for civil court records above.

Crawford County Property Records

The Crawford County Recorder of Deeds maintains and disseminates property records, such as deeds of trust, transfers, tax liens, easements, surveys, and subdivision plats to members of the public upon request. Interested parties can visit the Recorder of Deeds office or leverage the Real Estate Records Search tool on the office's website to access property information.

Individuals can also query the Crawford County Assessor's office for information pertaining to real estate valuation.

Crawford County Court Records Online

Researchers seeking alternative sources of court records can expand their search to third-party resources. Private aggregator websites such as Missouricourtrecords.us offer convenient access to Crawford County court records, eliminating the need to visit or query multiple record custodians. However, since third-party databases are not affiliated with the government, they cannot be used for official purposes and are not reliable for obtaining confidential information.