St. Louis County Circuit Clerk
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I obtain a copy of my divorce decree?
Where do I get a copy of a will?
How do I file a claim with the Small Claims Court?
Where do I pay a state traffic ticket?
I lost my state traffic ticket; what should I do?
Where do I file an Adult Abuse Case
(Order of Protection)?
What is a Certified Copy?
What is an Authenticated Copy?
How do I obtain a certified or authenticated copy of information in a court case file?
How do I obtain a copy of my divorce decree?
You may obtain a copy of your divorce decree by one of three ways. You may call, write or
come into the Circuit Clerk’s Office, 7900 Carondelet in Clayton, Monday through Friday,
8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.. Our phone number is 314-615-8015. You need the names of both parties
of the divorce, and the year the divorce was granted. The cost is $.30 per page for copies.
If you need it certified as a true copy from the court record, there is an additional
cost of $1.50 per certification.
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Where do I get a copy of a will?
Wills, as well as estates for deceased persons, guardianship and/or conservatorship for
adults and minors are filed in the Probate Division which is located on the 5th Floor of
the Courts Building at 7900 Carondelet, Clayton, Missouri. Our records are open to the
public with the exception of confidential matters. To ascertain if any record has been
filed in the Probate Division, you may check in person at the Probate Division’s file
counter or call our General Information telephone number at 314-615-2629. You will need
to know the name of the person for which you are requesting information. If this person is
deceased, it would be helpful to have an approximate date of death. If the court has any
records for the requested person, you may obtain a copy in person at the court or by
calling our Certified Copy Department at 314-615-2618. The cost is $1.00 per page for copies.
If you need it certified as a true copy from the record, there is an additional cost of $1.50
per document.
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How do I file a claim with the Small Claims Court?
You may file a Small Claims case in the St. Louis County Circuit Court, 7900 Carondelet in
Clayton, Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.. You may obtain a Small Claims Pamphlet
to assist you in filing a Small Claims case. The pamphlet describes the Small Claims Division,
who can sue in Small Claims, what you can sue for and advice on trying to settle a problem and
what you need to do before filing a claim. The pamphlet further explains how to prepare for
trial, file an appeal if you do not agree with the decision, and how to collect a small claims
judgment. For a pamphlet call our Small Claims Office at 314-615-2601 or 314-615-2592.
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Where do I pay a state traffic ticket?
You may pay a State Violation traffic ticket in the St. Louis County Circuit Court, 7900
Carondelet, Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. on the 5th floor at the Cashier
Window for the Circuit Clerk’s Office. To pay your court cost you will need a copy of the cost
bill that was given to you when you appeared in court. You may pay by cash, credit card
(Visa or MasterCard), check or money order made payable to the St. Louis County Circuit Clerk.
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I lost my state traffic ticket; what should I do?
If you lost your traffic ticket you should call the Criminal/Traffic Department at
314-615-4773 or 314-615-2649.
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Where do I file an Adult Abuse Case
(Order of Protection)?
Adult Abuse cases may be filed in the Circuit Clerk’s Office, 7900 Carondelet in Clayton, Monday
through Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. or on Saturday
from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.. The Adult Abuse Office is located on the Plaza Level of the Courts
Building, Room 157.
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What is a certified copy?
A Certified Copy is a copy of a document or record signed and verified as a true copy by the
clerk to whose custody the original is entrusted.
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What is an authenticated Copy?
An authenticated Copy is a copy of a document from a court case file that must be certified
by the Circuit Clerk (not a Deputy Clerk) and attested to by the judge. Authenticated copies
may also be referred to as "exemplified copies" or "verified copies".
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How do I obtain a certified or authenticated copy of information in a court case file?
To request a certified or authenticated copy, please submit to the Certified Copy Department
of the Circuit Clerk's Office the following information:
- Case Number.
- Name of the parties involved in the case
(e.g. Petitioner/Respondent or Plaintiff/Defendant).
- Note the type of copy you are requesting
(e.g. Certified or Authenticated).
- Title of the requested document or you may specify the complete file.
- The approximate filing date, judgment date or if it is for a dissolution, the date the
dissolution was granted.
The per page cost for either a certified or authenticated copy is $.30. The certification
cost is $1.50. The authentication cost is $3.50. Payment is required prior to releasing the
documents.
In the event that the case is stored at our offsite storage facility, please allow at least
three working days to process the request.
For additional information, please contact the Certified Copies Department at (314)615-8015.
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