Access Franklin County Circuit Clerk

Franklin County Circuit Clerk

Franklin County's primary court clerk is the Circuit Clerk. The office is led by Connie Ward and serves Franklin County Circuit Court in the 20th Judicial Circuit. Missouri does not use a county-level district clerk for general trial-court records, so court users should look for the Circuit Clerk when they need civil case files, criminal case files, divorce decree copies, probate copies, certified court documents, e-filing information, or case-related payment and cost information.

The official Franklin County Circuit Clerk page describes the office as providing services to the public for filing lawsuits, processing civil lawsuits, processing criminal lawsuits, collecting fines and court costs, preserving records, and performing services related to cases filed in Franklin County Circuit Court.

Franklin County Circuit Clerk Duties

The Circuit Clerk is the local court-record custodian for cases filed in Franklin County Circuit Court. The office does not perform the same work as the County Clerk or Recorder of Deeds. For court records, the Circuit Clerk is the key records office. For county Sunshine requests, elections, notary, and liquor-license functions, the County Clerk is the listed point of contact. For marriage licenses and recorded land instruments, the Recorder of Deeds is the correct office.

• Processes civil lawsuits and related court filings.
• Processes criminal lawsuits and criminal court records.
• Collects fines, court costs, and case-related payments.
• Preserves records for Franklin County Circuit Court cases.
• Handles copy requests and certification for court documents.
• Routes confidential-record requests through required identification or judge approval when needed.

Request Franklin County Certified Copies

Certified court copies are used when an agency, court, employer screening process outside FCRA use, benefits office, title issue, name change, appeal, or legal filing requires a clerk-authenticated court document. Franklin County's Circuit Clerk page says requestors are notified of estimated fees and payment must be received before requests are processed. A requester should identify the case before asking for copies because the form requires the case number and document details.

1. Search Missouri Case.net or use prior paperwork to identify the Franklin County case number.
2. Decide which document is needed, such as a judgment, decree, order, docket entry, sentence, letters, or filed motion.
3. Use the Circuit Clerk records request form and mark whether the copies must be certified.
4. Choose mail delivery or hold-for-pickup and provide full contact information for the fee estimate.
5. Pay the estimated copy and certification charges before the clerk processes the request.
6. For confidential cases, be ready to provide photo identification or file an application for judge-approved inspection.

Franklin County Record Request Fields

The local record request form is the fallback when Case.net does not supply the needed document, when a person needs certification, or when confidential access has to be reviewed. The form asks for enough contact and case detail to locate the file, estimate fees, and return or hold the copies.

The Circuit Clerk records-request source is the official county page for the form fields, copy fees, department phone numbers, and confidential-record cautions. The same local request process supports court records, divorce decrees, probate copies, criminal case copies, and other Franklin County Circuit Court documents.

Franklin County Circuit Clerk Fees

Franklin County publishes court copy fees on the Circuit Clerk page. The fee table is narrow but important: plain copies are charged by page, and certification adds a separate fee. The page also says payment is required before processing. Accepted payment methods are cash, check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Debit and credit card payments include a convenience fee.

Note: A multi-document case request can cost more than expected because the per-page fee applies before certification is added.

Franklin County Confidential Records

The Circuit Clerk page warns that copies from confidential cases may require a photo ID. It also states that an application to inspect confidential court records may need to be filed and approved by a judge before confidential documents can be copied. That warning applies to the request process even when a public docket entry exists. Some case types, sealed filings, juvenile records, protected domestic material, guardianship documents, and redacted personal identifiers are not released through ordinary public access.

Missouri public access rules, Case.net, and the local clerk process work together. Case.net may show public case data and eligible public documents, but the Circuit Clerk remains the local office for copies, certification, and confidential-record handling. A requester should avoid assuming that all docketed documents are remotely viewable or immediately available at the counter.

Franklin County E-Filing Court

Franklin County Circuit Court is an e-filing court. The Circuit Clerk page points users to Missouri Supreme Court approved forms at courts.mo.gov and to Missouri remote public access resources. E-filing affects how attorneys and registered users file documents, but it does not remove the need for the Circuit Clerk when a member of the public needs certified copies or clerk-reviewed access. A public user may search Case.net first, then use the local records request form for the official copy or certification.

The Circuit Clerk page also includes courtroom audio-visual rules. The court provides outlets for laptops, DVD/VCR hookup, a projector and screen, and electrical outlets, but attorneys and parties must bring cables, a laptop, a DVD/VCR, a television, and other needed equipment. Scarlett Borgmann, court manager, may be contacted at the listed court-manager phone to test equipment at least three days before court.

Circuit Clerk County Clerk Recorder

Franklin County has several offices that sound similar but keep different records. The Circuit Clerk keeps court case records. The County Clerk, Tim Baker, handles county functions such as elections, Sunshine requests, notary, and liquor-license functions. The Recorder of Deeds, Lisa A. Smart, handles marriage licenses, recorded marriage returns, land records, plats, liens, and military discharge recordings. The county Sunshine request page routes county administrative record requests to the County Clerk, while court judicial records follow the court and Circuit Clerk access process.

The Franklin County Sunshine Request page identifies the County Clerk as the contact for county Sunshine requests.

That county-records route is separate from Circuit Clerk court records and certified court copies.

The Franklin County Clerk page lists the County Clerk's election, notary, Sunshine request, and liquor-license functions.

Using the right Franklin County office prevents a court-copy request from being sent to a county administrative records office.