Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds: Search & Office

Google Map and Driving Directions

The Recorder’s Office is inside the Jefferson County Administration Center in Hillsboro.

If you need same-day recording, arrive before the county’s 4:30 PM document-processing cutoff.

Official Recorder of Deeds Office

Official Recorder Staff Directory

Jefferson County provides multiple land-record search options. The best choice depends on the age of the document and how often you need to search.

Step-by-Step Deed Search

1. Open the official county search links.

   The Recorder’s Services page links to both modern and historical land-record systems.

   Open Jefferson County Land Records Services

   After opening: use the “Search Land Records” links and choose the correct recording period.
2. Choose the search system.

   Select Tapestry for an occasional modern search, Laredo for regular subscription research, or RecordHub for older records.

3. Search by recorded party.

   Use the grantor or grantee name shown in the deed or other transaction paperwork.

   Try earlier owners when researching a property’s chain of title.

4. Use document references when available.

   A recording date, book/page or instrument reference can help narrow the search.

5. Verify the matching document.

   Check the recorded names, document type, date and legal description before ordering a copy.

6. Purchase or request the copy.

   Use the portal’s available document-copy options or contact the Recorder for a regular or certified copy.

Online Search Costs

The Recorder’s published FAQ lists $8.95 per Tapestry search, plus $1 per page for copies.

Laredo uses subscription plans and requires a signed user agreement with the Recorder’s Office.

Portal charges may change. Confirm the current amount before submitting payment.

Official Recorder FAQ: Search Costs and Historical Access

When you know only a property address, start with the Jefferson County Assessor instead of paying for a deed search immediately.

The county’s free GIS Property Viewer supports searches by owner, parcel ID, street address and map location.

1. Open the official GIS page.

   Jefferson County GIS Data and Maps

   Choose Property Viewer or Property Record Search.

2. Search the property.

   Enter the street address, owner name or parcel number.

3. Review parcel details.

   Note the owner name, parcel identification and available property information.

4. Search the Recorder.

   Use the identified owner name and any available deed references in the land-record search.

Jefferson County Assessor Contact

Missouri has specific formatting requirements for recorded real-estate documents.

The Jefferson County Recorder cannot draft deeds or choose a legal form for you. Its office also does not notarize the documents it records.

1. Prepare the correct deed.

   Confirm the grantor and grantee, legal description, required signatures and deed type.

   Consult a Missouri attorney if the transfer involves inheritance, trusts, divorce or ownership disputes.

2. Check the legal description.

   Missouri law requires a sufficient legal property description. A street address alone is not an acceptable substitute.

3. Meet document formatting rules.

   Standard documents use 8½ × 11-inch paper, legible print and a 3-inch top margin on the first page.

   Other margins generally must be at least three-fourths of an inch.

4. Complete the first-page information.

   Include the document title, date, grantor names and marital status, grantees, legal description and required references.

   Include the required grantee mailing address for applicable conveyances.

5. Obtain proper notarization.

   Have the document acknowledged by a qualified notary before filing.

   The Recorder’s Office does not notarize its own recording submissions.

6. Check Planning and Zoning requirements.

   Jefferson County identifies special review for certain unincorporated properties under 10 acres and partial subdivision lots.

   Determine whether a Planning and Zoning transfer exemption is needed before recording.

7. Pay fees and submit the document.

   Deliver the document with payment to the Recorder’s Office and provide a return address or envelope.

   Keep the recording details and returned instrument.

Official Jefferson County Document Recording Requirements

Jefferson County’s linked recording-fee PDF still shows an older schedule of $24 for the first page and $3 per additional page.

Missouri Senate Bill 938 increased a statewide recorder fee by $2 effective August 28, 2026.

Applying that increase to the older posted Jefferson County schedule gives an expected standard first-page charge of $26. Confirm the final amount directly with the office.

Illustrative Recording Fees

These examples are based on the older local schedule plus the verified $2 statewide increase, not a newly published Jefferson County quote.

Special instruments, plats, surveys, extra references and return postage may cost more.

Jefferson County Published Recording Fee PDF

Missouri SB 938 — Effective August 28, 2026

If your original deed is lost, the Recorder can provide a copy of the recorded document.

The county explains that a certified copy carries the Recorder’s official certification and can be used when formal proof is required.

Option 1: Request a Copy in Person

Visit the Recorder’s Office at 729 Maple Street in Hillsboro.

The published copy fee is $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page.

Certification adds $1 per document.

Option 2: Request a Copy by Phone

Call 636-797-5414 and ask about a credit or debit card copy request.

The county FAQ lists an additional $1 card-processing convenience fee plus applicable postage.

Option 3: Search Online

Use the official land-record search links to locate the document.

Check the portal’s copy fees before purchasing. Portal prices can differ from direct county copy fees.

Official Recorder FAQ: Lost Deeds and Copy Requests

Jefferson County accepts eligible recording documents with payment and return information.

Documents must comply with the county’s recording requirements before they can be accepted.

Mailing Checklist

• Prepared and properly notarized original document.
• Complete legal description and first-page information.
• Correct recording fee.
• Any Planning and Zoning review required for the conveyance.
• Return address and suitable self-addressed envelope.
• Contact information in case the Recorder identifies a problem.

The county accepts cash or checks payable to the Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds for recording.

Do not mail cash. Call the office for current mail-payment and return-postage requirements.

Jefferson County’s Recorder links to Property Fraud Alert, a notification service intended to help property owners monitor new recorded documents.

Property-fraud monitoring can help identify an unfamiliar deed, lien or other instrument indexed under a monitored name.

1. Open the county Recorder’s Services page.

   Official Jefferson County Recorder Services

2. Choose Property Fraud Alert.

   Follow the county’s listed registration link to the alert provider.

3. Register your monitoring information.

   Enter the name and notification details requested by the service.

4. Review unexpected notices.

   Verify a suspicious document with the Recorder and obtain the actual recorded instrument.

Avoid Expensive Deed-Copy Mailers

Property owners may receive private solicitations offering copies of their recorded deeds for substantial fees.

Compare any such offer with Jefferson County’s much lower official copy fees before paying.

Marriage Licenses

The Jefferson County Recorder also issues marriage licenses and maintains related records.

Marriage-license service hours are listed as 8 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays.

Official Marriage License Applications and Services

Military Discharge Documents

The Recorder records qualifying military separation documents, commonly known as DD214 forms.

Military records have different access and privacy considerations from ordinary real-estate records.

Subdivision Plats and Surveys

Recorded subdivision plats and surveys are maintained by the Recorder when submitted according to county requirements.

Survey and plat document fees and formats differ from ordinary deed recording.

Mortgage Releases and Deeds of Trust

The office records deeds of trust and releases affecting real-estate financing.

If a home loan has been paid off, search for a recorded release or satisfaction rather than expecting a new ownership deed.

Veteran Discount Program

The Recorder’s official Services page also links to the Honor Rewards veterans discount program.

This program is separate from land-record filing and certified-copy requests.

• Only have an address? Use Jefferson County Assessor GIS before paying for land-record search.
• Search is not free? Tapestry is pay-per-search, while Laredo and historical access use subscriptions.
• Very old deed? Use the separate COTT historical records route.
• Wrong owner name? Search earlier owners and alternative spelling.
• Need a certified copy? Request certification directly from the Recorder.
• Recording after 4:30 PM? The county holds the document for the next business day’s processing.
• Document rejected? Check acknowledgment, legal description, margins and first-page details.
• Unincorporated property transfer? Check Planning and Zoning requirements before recording.
• Old fee PDF? Confirm the current first-page fee after Missouri’s August 2026 fee change.
• Need legal advice? Contact a Missouri attorney or title professional.

The guide above covers Jefferson County, Missouri, whose Recorder of Deeds is located in Hillsboro.

Jefferson County, Pennsylvania also has a Recorder of Deeds function, but it operates through its Register & Recorder in Brookville.

Always confirm the county and state where the property is located before ordering a deed or submitting a document.

This is an independent informational guide. County-appraisal-district.org is not the official Jefferson County government website and is not affiliated with the Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds.

A recorded deed is not a complete legal title opinion. Recorded documents may not reveal every outstanding lien, easement, ownership dispute or title defect.

Consult a qualified Missouri attorney or title professional for deed preparation, legal transfers, inheritance matters and title disputes.

Public property records should not be used for employment screening, tenant screening, credit eligibility, insurance underwriting or other purposes regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Recording fees, office hours and search-service prices may change. Verify current details with the appropriate government office before filing or paying.