Search St. Louis Criminal History

St. Louis criminal history records are handled by several agencies across the city. As an independent city, St. Louis does not sit inside any county. Criminal cases go through the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department manages police records. The Circuit Attorney's Office prosecutes felonies while the Municipal Court handles city ordinance cases. This page explains how to search criminal history in St. Louis, including fees, office locations, and the rules that govern access to these records.

St. Louis as an Independent City

St. Louis is one of the few independent cities in the United States. It does not belong to any county. Criminal cases in St. Louis go through the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, not through St. Louis County. The two are separate. If you are looking for records from the county, that is a different court system entirely.

The Circuit Court Clerk's office is at 10 N. Tucker Blvd., 1st Floor, St. Louis, MO 63101. Phone: 314-622-4433. Case records can be searched on Missouri CaseNet for free.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Records

The SLMPD Records Service Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is where you go for police reports, incident records, and arrest data. The process is simple. You can submit your request online through the SLMPD Public Records portal, then pick it up when they let you know it is ready.

Payment methods are limited. They take cash, money orders, and business checks. No personal checks. No debit or credit cards. Copy fees are $0.10 per page. There is also a $15 per hour charge for time spent locating reports, prorated to the actual time used. Most simple requests cost less than $5.

You need a state-issued photo ID or valid passport to pick up records. If you are requesting on behalf of someone else who was involved in the incident, you need a notarized release from that person. An incident request form is required for all requests.

Note that SLMPD has permanently closed its public fingerprinting service. If you need fingerprints for a criminal history check, use a private service like IdentoGO by Idemia.

Sunshine Law Requests for St. Louis Records

Under Missouri's Sunshine Law (Chapter 610 RSMo), most police records are open to the public. Media and public records requests can be sent through the Sunshine/Records Request Portal or by email at sunshinelawrequest@slmpd.org.

Mailing address for requests: Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, Attention: Public Information, 1915 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103. Include your name, phone number, street address, and a detailed description of what you want.

The SLMPD operates from three area patrol stations covering six districts. South Patrol Division at 3157 Sublette covers the First and Second Districts. Central Patrol at 919 North Jefferson handles the Third and Fourth. North Patrol at 4014 Union covers the Fifth and Sixth Districts. Records from any district funnel through the central records system.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney and Criminal Prosecution

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office prosecutes state-level crimes in the city. Gabriel E. Gore serves as the current Circuit Attorney after winning the November 2024 election. The office has about 150 staff members including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and support staff.

The office handles thousands of cases each year. These include homicide, violent crime, sex crimes, family violence, financial crimes, drug offenses, weapons offenses, and property crimes. If you are a victim of crime in St. Louis, call 314-622-4373 for free victim services.

The Warrant Office within the Circuit Attorney's Office reviews police reports, issues search warrants, and files criminal charges. Case lookups can be done at the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court Clerk's office. Special units focus on different crime types, and a Diversion program lets some people avoid traditional prosecution.

When the Circuit Attorney decides not to file charges, the person is released. For felony charges, bond hearings set conditions and dollar amounts. A Grand Jury reviews felony charges for probable cause as an independent check on the process.

St. Louis Municipal Court

Most misdemeanors and city ordinance cases in St. Louis go through the Municipal Court, not the Circuit Attorney's Office. The phone number is 314-622-4821. The Circuit Attorney mainly handles felonies.

If you want to look up a municipal court case, check CaseNet first. Many municipal cases show up there. You can also call the court clerk for help finding a specific case. Expungement petitions for St. Louis cases are filed directly with the Missouri Courts under Section 610.140 RSMo.

How to Search Criminal History in St. Louis

The fastest free option is CaseNet. Go to courts.mo.gov/casenet and search by name or case number. Filter to the City of St. Louis. This shows docket entries, charges, parties, and case outcomes.

For a full criminal history check, use the MACHS portal. Under Section 43.503 RSMo, all law enforcement in Missouri must send arrest data to the Highway Patrol's central database. A name search costs $15. Fingerprint checks are about $43 total.

• CaseNet: free, no account needed
• MACHS name search: $15
• MACHS fingerprint search: about $43
• SLMPD report copies: $0.10 per page plus research time
• Circuit Court copies: $2 first page, $0.25 each after

In-person requests at the court go to 10 N. Tucker Blvd. Bring a valid photo ID. The Missouri Sunshine Law requires a response within three business days. If a request is denied, you get a written reason citing the law.

Nearby Cities

Several other Missouri cities near St. Louis have their own criminal history records and court systems.

St. Louis County Resources

While St. Louis city is independent, the surrounding St. Louis County has its own separate criminal history records and court system. Visit that page for county-level information.