St. Louis County, Missouri • Recorder of Deeds guide • reviewed September 30, 2026
St. Louis County MO Recorder: Deeds, Land Records, Search Steps, Fees & Office Guide
The St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds records and preserves deeds, deeds of trust, releases, liens, plats and other documents affecting real estate in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Use the Recorder when you need the actual recorded document, a certified deed copy, a recording reference or help recording a document.
If you only know a street address, start with the County Assessor. Find the owner name and locator number first, then move to the Recorder’s land-record system.
Start here
St. Louis County Recorder Quick Facts
Recorder records show legal instruments. Assessor records show parcel, owner-display, assessment and property characteristics.
Critical local distinction
St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis Use Different Recorders
A mailing address that says “St. Louis, MO” does not automatically mean the property is inside the independent City of St. Louis.
County property records use the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds in Clayton. Property inside the City of St. Louis uses the city’s separate Recorder of Deeds.
St. Louis County property
County Recorder of Deeds
41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
Phone: 314-615-7100
City of St. Louis property
City Recorder Land Records
1200 Market Street
City Hall, Room 126
St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: 314-622-3260
Confirm the jurisdiction first. Searching the County database for a City property—or the City database for a County property—can produce no result even when the deed exists.
Office role decoder
Recorder vs. Assessor vs. Collector: Which Office Do You Need?
Recorder of Deeds
- Deeds and deeds of trust
- Mortgage releases
- Liens and recorded notices
- Easements and restrictions
- Subdivision plats
- Certified deed copies
- Document recording
County Assessor
- Property address search
- Locator number
- Assessment value
- Property characteristics
- Parcel ownership display
- Assessment appeals
Collector of Revenue
- Real estate tax bills
- Property-tax payments
- Payment status
- Delinquent taxes
- Tax-sale questions
- Receipts
I only know the address → start with the Assessor.
I need the actual deed → use the Recorder.
I need the property-tax balance → use the Collector.
I think the deed itself is legally wrong → contact a qualified real-estate attorney or title professional.
Recorded-document workflow
How to Search St. Louis County Deeds and Land Records
The fastest workflow depends on what information you already have.
A locator number helps connect parcel and Recorder research, but recorded-document searching is fundamentally based on recorded instruments and party names.
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1
Confirm St. Louis County jurisdiction
Make sure the property is in St. Louis County rather than the independent City of St. Louis.
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2
If you only know the address, find the parcel first
Use the County Assessor to collect the current owner display and locator number.
Open St. Louis County Real Estate SearchAfter opening: search the property address, open the correct parcel and save the locator number, owner name and legal-description clues before moving to the Recorder search. -
3
Open the Recorder’s deed-search page
The County page is the safest starting point because it routes users to its current supported remote-access options.
Open St. Louis County Deed SearchAfter opening: confirm you are on the County Recorder page, choose the current public or remote search option and review any search or image charges before continuing. -
4
Search the grantee for the purchase deed
The grantee is generally the person or entity receiving the property interest.
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5
Search the grantor to move backward
Once you find a deed, the grantor name can help trace the prior link in the ownership chain.
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6
Use document number or book/page when available
A recording reference is usually more precise than a broad name search.
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7
Match the legal description
Do not rely only on the street address. Compare subdivision, lot, block and other legal-description information.
No-result fixes
What to Try When the Deed Search Does Not Find the Record
Search the owner’s surname only: middle initials, suffixes and punctuation can create mismatches.
Try the previous owner: older records may be easier to trace backward from an earlier deed.
Search a trust or LLC name: the property may be recorded under an entity rather than an individual’s name.
Widen the date range: signing, closing and recording dates can be different.
Use book/page or document number: these are stronger identifiers when you already have them.
Do not depend only on the locator number: a locator reference is not necessarily present on every recorded instrument.
Recheck County vs. City: a St. Louis mailing address does not by itself identify the correct Recorder jurisdiction.
Understand the result
St. Louis County Deed Search Result Decoder
Grantor
The party giving or transferring the interest.
For a sale deed, this is commonly the seller.Grantee
The party receiving the property interest.
Useful when searching for a buyer’s acquisition deed.Recording date
The date the Recorder accepted the document into the official record.
This may differ from the signing or closing date.Document / instrument number
A specific Recorder reference for the recorded document.
Save it for copy requests and future searches.Book and page
An older or additional recording reference used to identify the document.
The deed-copy form accepts book/page or document-number information.Legal description
The formal description of the affected real estate.
Missouri law does not treat a street address alone as a legal description.Document type
Examples include warranty deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, release, lien or easement.
Do not assume every recorded document transfers ownership.Locator number
The County parcel identifier used across property systems.
Useful for matching records, but not a substitute for the document reference.Finding a deed online does not prove that title is clear, that every lien was released, or that no later document affects the property.
Document recording
How to Record a Deed or Other Document in St. Louis County
The Recorder’s job is to accept recordable documents, index them and preserve them in the public record.
Recorder staff should not be treated as your attorney. A document can meet recording-format rules without accomplishing the legal result you intended.
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1
Prepare the correct legal document
Confirm the deed or instrument actually matches the transaction you intend to complete.
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2
Check Missouri formatting
Standard documents generally need one-sided pages, dark print, sufficient margins and a readable legal description.
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3
Confirm signatures and acknowledgment
Real-estate instruments generally must satisfy applicable signature, acknowledgment and notarial requirements.
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4
Calculate the recording fee
Use the County’s live fee guidance rather than an old deed or third-party fee table.
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5
Submit through the accepted method
Use the County’s current in-person, mail or eRecording procedure that fits your document.
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6
Save the recording reference
Keep the recorded document number or book/page information with your closing and title records.
Missouri recording law
Standard Document Requirements That Commonly Cause Rejection
Missouri Revised Statutes §59.310 establishes statewide formatting rules that apply to county recorder filings.
Page: individual pages should generally be printed on one side only.
Paper: white or light-colored paper of at least 20-pound weight, without visible watermarks or inclusions.
Print: black or dark ink with type no smaller than 8 point.
Top margin: at least 3 inches of vertical space across the first page for Recorder certification.
Other margins: generally at least ¾ inch.
Signatures: dark ink with the corresponding printed, typed or stamped name underneath.
Information expected on the first page
If all required information will not fit on page one, Missouri law allows the first page to identify the page where the information appears.
Missouri’s statutory definition of legal description uses lot, block, plat, metes-and-bounds, section/township/range or similar property-description information. A street address alone is not accepted as the legal description.
Recording cost
St. Louis County Recorder Fees
Current County guidance lists $26 for the first page.
Each additional page under the County’s deed-recording FAQ.
Additional fee when the document does not meet Missouri standard formatting.
Electronic recording providers can charge fees in addition to Recorder charges.
Recording-fee examples
1-page standard document: $26 Recorder charge.
3-page standard document: $26 + $3 + $3 = $32.
3-page nonstandard document: $32 + $25 nonstandard charge = $57.
These examples illustrate the County’s currently published deed-fee rule. Special document types can have different charges.
Verify Current Deed Recording FeeThe County says overpayments under $10 do not warrant the administrative cost of a refund. Amounts over $10 are refunded by check.
Copies and certification
How to Get a Copy of a St. Louis County Deed
The County provides a Deed Copy Order Form for recorded deeds and related instruments.
Before ordering, collect the property address, owner name, approximate purchase date and the book/page or document number when available.
County deed-copy form lists $2 for the first page of each individual document.
Each additional page of the same document.
Additional charge to certify the document with the Recorder’s seal.
Mail-order postage listed on the County form
The County form says payment should be made to Recorder of Deeds. For an out-of-state request, it specifies a money order.
You can include a self-addressed stamped standard business envelope instead of adding the listed return-postage amount.
Open Deed Copy Order FormElectronic recording
St. Louis County eRecording
Missouri law permits qualifying real-estate documents to be recorded electronically when a Recorder supports electronic filing.
St. Louis County provides an eRecording path. This is especially useful for title companies, law firms, lenders and other frequent filers.
Recorder fee
The normal statutory and County recording charges still apply.
Vendor fee
The electronic recording provider may add its own service or transaction charge.
Local plat rules
Subdivision, Boundary and Condominium Plat Recording
St. Louis County publishes separate plat-recording guidance, making plat filings more complicated than an ordinary deed copy request.
The County says plats must be on Mylar. Dark shading or reversed Mylar can cause rejection.
Unincorporated property
County guidance can require Planning Department approval, surveyor certification, owner acknowledgment and deed-of-trust holder information.
Property inside a municipality
County guidance calls for the applicable ordinance number, City Clerk signature and impressed city seal, along with survey and owner documentation.
Surveyor certificate details
Visit or contact
St. Louis County Recorder Address, Phone, Email & Google Map
St. Louis County Department of Revenue — Recorder of Deeds
Address:
41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
Phone: 314-615-7100
Email: Recorder@stlouiscountymo.gov
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
The office is part of the St. Louis County Government Center complex in downtown Clayton.
Before you go
For research: bring the owner name, locator number, approximate recording date and any known document number or book/page.
For recording: bring the completed original instrument and verify the current fee before arriving.
For a copy: know whether you need an ordinary copy or a certified copy.
For title questions: the Recorder can provide records but cannot give a legal title opinion.
What a search can reveal
Documents Worth Checking Beyond the Purchase Deed
Shows a recorded transfer of an interest in real estate.
Can document a secured real-estate loan in Missouri.
May show that a previously recorded lien or deed of trust was released.
Can create or document rights to use part of the property.
Can identify lots, boundaries, easements and subdivision information.
Private recorded restrictions may govern use or association responsibilities.
Recorded federal or state tax-lien documents may appear in Recorder records.
Later documents can clarify or correct information connected with an earlier record.
Finding the acquisition deed is only one step. A later deed, release, assignment, easement, lien or correction may materially change what the earlier document appears to show.
Avoid wasted searches
Common St. Louis County Recorder Mistakes
Searching the City database: St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis are separate recording jurisdictions.
Starting with Recorder when you only know an address: the Assessor is usually the better first step for parcel identification.
Stopping at the first matching name: common surnames, trusts and business entities can create false matches.
Using only a street address: deed identification should be checked against legal-description and recording information.
Confusing locator and document numbers: they serve different purposes in County systems.
Ignoring a later release or correction: the newest related instrument may be more important than the first deed you find.
Using an old fee schedule: verify recording and copy costs before mailing payment.
Assuming recording proves good title: recordation does not replace a professional title examination.
Decision path
What Should You Do Next?
Search the County Assessor first. Save the owner name and locator number, then move to the Recorder.
Open the County deed-search page and search the owner as a grantee to locate the acquisition deed.
Identify the document first, then use the Recorder’s Deed Copy Order Form and request certification if the receiving agency requires it.
Check Missouri formatting, legal-description and signature requirements before calculating the Recorder fee.
Use the Collector of Revenue rather than the Recorder.
Use Recorder documents as evidence, but contact a Missouri real-estate attorney or title professional for legal analysis.
Legal and records caution
Independent Information and FCRA / Title Notice
This page is independent informational content. It is not the official website of St. Louis County, the Recorder of Deeds, the Assessor, the Collector of Revenue or the State of Missouri.
This guide is not legal advice, a title search, a title opinion or a guarantee that a property is free of liens or ownership disputes.
Deeds, trusts, beneficiary deeds, correction deeds, easements and other instruments can affect substantial legal rights. Obtain qualified legal or title advice when the transaction or ownership issue is significant.
Recorder and property records should be used for property, title, tax and public-record research only.
Do not use public property records for employment screening, tenant screening, credit eligibility, insurance underwriting or other decisions regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This website is not a Consumer Reporting Agency.
Fast answers
St. Louis County Recorder FAQs
Where is the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds?
The Recorder of Deeds is at 41 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. The published main phone number is 314-615-7100.
What are the St. Louis County Recorder’s office hours?
County materials publish Monday through Friday hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Verify current hours before making a special trip.
How do I search for a deed in St. Louis County?
If you only know an address, first use the County Assessor to identify the owner and locator number. Then use the Recorder’s deed-search page to find the recorded instrument.
Is the City of St. Louis Recorder the same as the St. Louis County Recorder?
No. St. Louis County uses the Recorder of Deeds in Clayton. Property inside the independent City of St. Louis uses the City’s Recorder and land-record system.
How much does St. Louis County charge to record a deed?
The County’s current deed-fee guidance lists $26 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. A $25 nonstandard-document fee can apply when Missouri formatting standards are not met.
How much is a copy of a St. Louis County deed?
The County deed-copy form lists $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page of the same document. Certification adds $1, and mail postage may also apply.
Can I use a property street address as the legal description on a deed?
No. Missouri law defines legal descriptions using information such as lot, block, plat, metes-and-bounds or section/township/range details. A street address alone is not a legal description.
Does St. Louis County accept eRecording?
Yes. St. Louis County provides electronic recording options. The eRecording vendor may charge an additional service fee beyond Recorder charges.
Can the Recorder tell me whether I have clear title?
No. Recorder records show filed instruments, but the Recorder does not provide a legal title opinion. A title company or qualified attorney can evaluate title issues.
Where do I check St. Louis County property value or tax bills?
Use the County Assessor for parcel and assessment information. Use the Collector of Revenue for property-tax bills and payments. Those functions are separate from the Recorder of Deeds.
Primary references