Search Franklin County Court Records Online
Most Franklin County court records begin with Missouri Case.net, the statewide public case search used by Missouri courts. Franklin County Circuit Court is an e-filing court, and the Franklin County Circuit Clerk page links users to Case.net and Missouri Remote Public Access for public case status, docket entries, hearing dates, and eligible online payments. Case.net can show the case number, court, parties, filing date, public docket entries, financial data, public documents, and upcoming hearings when those fields are available.
Case.net is not the only access channel. The Franklin County Circuit Clerk remains the local court-record custodian for certified copies, copy fee estimates, older or non-downloadable documents, and confidential records that require photo ID or judge approval. The clerk's office is also the fallback when a public portal result does not include the document itself. Municipal traffic citations may also route through the Franklin County Municipal Court instructions, with older tickets handled differently than newer tickets.
- Start with Case.net and search by case number when known. It is the most precise way to avoid people with similar names.
- If the case number is unknown, use litigant name search. Try full first and last names, prior names, initials, and spelling variants.
- Filter to Franklin County or the 20th Judicial Circuit where the search screen permits. The circuit also includes Gasconade and Osage counties.
- Open the case result and review the case header, docket entries, hearings, financial section, and public document links.
- Use Track This Case when available for notices about hearing or docket changes.
- For a certified copy or a document not available online, submit the Circuit Clerk request form with the case number, document name, filing date, delivery choice, and certification choice.
Franklin County Court Records Search Fields
Case.net is built around several search modes. The Franklin County research captured the common fields used for public searches and the local notes that matter when a case may be in the 20th Judicial Circuit rather than only under a county label. Use the narrowest reliable field first, then broaden the search only if no record appears.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search for cases by Case Number | Tab or search mode | Optional if using name | Best when the exact court case or citation number is known. |
| Litigant Name Search | Tab or search mode | Optional if using number | Use full names, prior names, and spelling variants when needed. |
| Filing Date / Date Search | Date or search mode | Optional | Useful for narrowing a common name or known filing period. |
| Court/County | Dropdown | Often optional by mode | Select Franklin County, municipal division, or circuit scope when available. |
| Case Type | Dropdown | Optional | Civil, criminal, probate, traffic, family, and municipal options vary by screen. |
| Track This Case | Action link | No | Used for notices where the case supports reminders or updates. |
| Pay By Web / Plead and Pay | Action link | No | Available only for eligible fines, costs, traffic, or municipal matters. |
The Missouri Bar remote public access resource is one source tied to public document access and redaction practice in Missouri.
That redaction context matters because public online access can expand while protected identifiers and confidential case types remain outside ordinary public view.
Types of Franklin County Court Records
Franklin County court records are not one single file type. Civil records include lawsuits, torts, contracts, property disputes, employment claims, name changes, garnishments, judgments, landlord-tenant matters, small claims, and administrative appeals. Criminal court records include felony, misdemeanor, DWI, drug, theft, assault, domestic violence, burglary, forgery, fraud, and related prosecutions. Family records include divorce, paternity, custody, support, parenting-plan changes, and protection orders.
Probate Division records cover estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, minor settlements, and fiduciary matters. Traffic and municipal records cover citations, ordinance violations, planning and zoning code violations, health code matters, and building code matters. Marriage licenses and land records are not court-case files, because those are handled by the Recorder of Deeds. County administrative records use the County Clerk Sunshine request channel, while judicial case files use court access rules and the Circuit Clerk.
- Civil records show lawsuits, judgments, garnishments, small claims, and landlord-tenant cases.
- Criminal records show charges, pleas, hearings, dispositions, sentencing, probation, bond, and warrant indicators when public.
- Family records show divorce and custody case activity, with protected child or financial details often limited.
- Probate records show estate, guardianship, fiduciary, inventory, claim, and closing activity where public.
- Traffic and municipal records show citations, court dates, pleas, fines, payment status, and mandatory appearance flags.
What Franklin County Court Records Show
A public Franklin County court record often starts with a header, then adds parties, docket entries, hearing data, financial details, and document links. A docket is the chronological list of filed events and court actions. A disposition is the current or final outcome. A certified copy is a clerk-authenticated copy for official use. These terms are simple, but they decide whether a search result is just a status check or a usable legal record.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Header | Case number, court, county, case type, filing date, public status, and disposition where available. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, attorney names, and role labels when public. |
| Docket Entries | Filings, motions, hearings, continuances, judgments, orders, sentencing entries, and compliance entries. |
| Hearings | Date, time, courtroom or division, event type, judge, and schedule changes when posted. |
| Financial | Fines, costs, restitution, bond, payment plans, and payment status when public. |
| Criminal Fields | Charge description, level, plea, sentence, probation, and warrant or failure-to-appear indicators. |
| Documents | Public documents may be remotely available, but sealed or confidential documents are excluded. |
| Redactions | Protected identifiers are masked before public display under Missouri court rules. |
Franklin County Court Records Access Rules
Missouri public access is shaped by court rules and open-record statutes. RSMo 610.011 states Missouri's public policy that public governmental records are open unless a law provides otherwise. RSMo 610.023 covers public-record request procedures for Missouri public governmental bodies. Judicial records also follow Missouri court access rules, which is why some court records appear through Case.net while other documents still require a local clerk request.
The image below comes from the Missouri statute source for RSMo 610.011.
Sunshine Law policy helps frame public access, but court files still have separate limits for sealed, juvenile, confidential, and redacted material.
For county administrative records, the County Clerk is the Sunshine request contact. For Franklin County court records, the Circuit Clerk is the practical access point for copies and certification. Plain copies from the Circuit Clerk are listed at $1.00 per page, with an additional $1.50 for certification. Payment must be received before requests are processed, and the clerk may require photo ID before copies are released in confidential cases.
Note: Online access is useful for search and status checks, but certified copies must come from the official court custodian.
Restricted Franklin County Court Records
Not all Franklin County court records are open public lookup records. Juvenile matters are restricted under RSMo 211.321. Sealed and expunged criminal records are closed after a court order. Adoption records, many mental-health proceedings, records that identify minors, and filings with protected personal identifiers are limited or redacted. The Circuit Clerk page states that confidential-case copies may require photo ID and an application to inspect confidential records may need judge approval.
Expungement is a separate court process under RSMo 610.140. A person petitions in the Missouri court where the person was charged or found guilty. The petition must list identifying information, offenses to be expunged, approximate dates, county or municipality, case number, and court name. Waiting periods, exclusions, prosecutor notice, and later disclosure duties all matter. Some intoxication-related traffic offenses and CDL-related motor vehicle violations are excluded from expungement.
For request-procedure context, the image below is sourced from RSMo 610.023.
That procedure is useful for county records generally, but confidential judicial files still depend on court approval and the Circuit Clerk's record process.
Franklin County Court Record Copies
Use the Circuit Clerk when the goal is a court-record copy rather than a search result. The request form asks for today's date, requester name, agency if applicable, phone number, mailing address, certification choice, delivery choice, case description, case number, document requested, and date of filing. The form supports mailed copies or held-for-pickup copies. If the case is confidential, the clerk may require more proof or court approval before release.
Franklin County Circuit Clerk
401 East Main St., Room 100A
Union, MO 63084
(636) 583-7391
Criminal Department: 636-583-7365
Civil Department: 636-583-7366