Putnam County Circuit Clerk Office
The Putnam County Circuit Clerk handles the court-record side of the local courthouse. Research sources list the clerk's office at the courthouse in Room 204, with the main Circuit Clerk phone line used for court case records, dockets, certified copies, filing questions, and records that do not appear through the statewide search portal. Two official local directory pages conflict on the current clerk's name, so office title and contact details are the most reliable public-facing identifiers.
The Circuit Clerk is not the same office as the County Clerk or Recorder of Deeds. The County Clerk is a county administrative and election office in Room 101. The Recorder of Deeds is the practical route for marriage licenses and recorded instruments in Room 202. Court case files, including civil, criminal, probate division, traffic, small claims, judgments, and dockets, route to the Circuit Clerk or Division II / Probate clerk contacts.
Putnam County Circuit Clerk
1601 Main Street, Room 204
Unionville, MO 63565
660-947-2071
County hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office press release archive appears in the manifest for the Circuit Clerk page because the sheriff site also hosts a county officials directory used for local court contacts. It is not the source for certified court copies.
Use the directory portions of the sheriff site for local office routing, then use the clerk line for court-file requests.
Putnam County Circuit Clerk Duties
The Putnam County Circuit Clerk keeps the official case record once a case is filed in the Circuit Court system. The office receives filings, maintains case files, posts docket events through the court system, collects many court fees and costs, and issues certified copies when a person needs a court-sealed document. Case.net can show public summaries, but it does not replace the clerk's certified copy function.
- Maintains civil, criminal, family, probate division, traffic, and small claims case files.
- Provides docket and filing information when a record is not available through Case.net.
- Collects court costs, filing fees, fines, and balances tied to court cases.
- Issues certified court copies after the case number, document type, and fee are confirmed.
- Routes probate division questions when the Division II / Probate clerk contact is needed.
The Recorder of Deeds remains the better contact for marriage licenses and recorded instruments. Divorce decrees, criminal judgments, probate orders, and civil judgments are court records, so those requests belong with the Circuit Clerk or the Probate Division clerk, not the Recorder.
Request Putnam County Certified Copies
Certified copies are used when a court record must carry an official seal or certification. A printout from Case.net may help identify the case, but it is not the same as a certified judgment, decree, letters, order, or docket document. Putnam County requesters should identify the case number first, then call the Circuit Clerk to confirm what can be copied, the current fee, and the payment method.
- Search Missouri Case.net by case number or litigant name and note the Putnam County case number.
- Write down party names, filing date, case type, and the exact document needed, such as judgment, decree, sentence, letters, or docket sheet.
- Call the Circuit Clerk at 660-947-2071 to confirm availability, certification needs, fee, and whether the file is online, paper-only, archived, sealed, or restricted.
- Submit the request in person or by the method the clerk provides. No Putnam County court records request form was located in the research.
- Pick up the copy or ask about mailing after payment and processing details are confirmed by the clerk.
Putnam County Request Details
The research did not locate a public Putnam County Circuit Clerk records request form. That makes the request details more important. Give the clerk enough identifiers to find the correct file without relying on a broad name search, especially when common surnames, prior names, business names, or transferred cases are involved.
| Request detail | Required in practice | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best when known | Case.net and roster examples show Missouri case numbers such as 26AJ-CR00011. |
| Party names | Yes | Needed for litigant searches, divorce files, civil judgments, and criminal cases. |
| Case type | Helpful | Criminal, civil, probate, traffic, family, and small claims files may route differently. |
| Document name | Yes | A certified docket sheet is different from a judgment, decree, order, or sentence entry. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain and certified copies have different legal uses and fee handling. |
| Contact and delivery details | Yes | The clerk may need to call back about fees, sealed material, mailing, or pickup. |
Putnam County Court Fees
Local Putnam County certified-copy fees were not located in the official sources reviewed. Missouri's court-cost statute supplies several statewide fee lines that are useful for context, but users should confirm current amounts with the clerk because adjustments or local handling rules may apply. Do not mail payment until the office confirms the exact charge.
| Item | Amount or note | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small claims filing under $100 | $5 before Supreme Court adjustment | RSMo 488.012 |
| Other small claims filing | $10 before Supreme Court adjustment | RSMo 488.012 |
| Appeal fee | $50 before adjustment | RSMo 488.012 |
| Misdemeanor case cost where no trial de novo | $15 before adjustment | RSMo 488.012 |
| Felony preliminary hearing | $15 before adjustment | RSMo 488.012 |
| Felony information or indictment filed | $30 before adjustment | RSMo 488.012 |
| Probate copy and certificate line | $1 per copied page and $1.50 per certificate | RSMo 488.012 |
| Local certified-copy fee | Not located in official Putnam sources | Confirm with Circuit Clerk |
Putnam County Clerk Access Channels
Most public case lookups should start with Case.net because it is the statewide portal for Missouri circuit court case information. The Putnam County Circuit Clerk becomes the key contact when a file is missing, too new, paper-only, confidential in part, or needed in certified form. The research did not find a county-built Putnam court portal, mail form, or clerk email form.
| Channel | Use it for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Case.net | Public case summaries, dockets, hearing dates, case status, traffic and probate entries where public | Not all documents or confidential cases are available |
| In person | Certified copies, older files, fee confirmation, paper records | Call first when the file may be archived or sealed |
| Phone | Case number help, copy cost, filing and payment questions | The clerk cannot provide legal advice |
| Sunshine request | Public governmental records not otherwise posted | Court files also follow court-specific rules and confidentiality limits |
Note: RSMo 610.023 requires custodian action by the third business day unless reasonable cause exists.
The Missouri State Public Defender District 5 page is included in the manifest because criminal court users may need defense-contact information after finding a Putnam County case. Public defender records are not Circuit Clerk records.
For public court copies, use the Circuit Clerk; for defense eligibility or assigned counsel, use the public defender office.
Circuit Clerk vs Recorder
Putnam County record routing is split by function. The Circuit Clerk handles court case records. The Recorder of Deeds handles marriage licenses and recorded instruments. The County Clerk handles county administrative and election work. Sending a marriage license request to the Circuit Clerk or a criminal judgment request to the Recorder can delay the search.
- Circuit Clerk
- Custodian for Circuit Court files, dockets, court fees, and certified court copies.
- Recorder of Deeds
- Local office for marriage licenses and recorded land instruments.
- County Clerk
- County administrative, election, commission, and board-record office.
- Sheriff
- Custodian for jail booking records, roster entries, crime tips, and law-enforcement contacts.
Use the office named on the record type. Divorce decrees and criminal judgments go through the Circuit Clerk. Marriage licenses usually start with the Recorder. Inmate booking records and bond confirmation go through the Sheriff's Office and detention staff.
The same split matters when a person is trying to reconcile more than one record. A sheriff booking entry may list a charge and bond, but the court case shows the filed charge, docket activity, plea, judgment, or sentence. A Recorder marriage license can prove a marriage license was issued and returned, but a divorce decree is a Circuit Court file. A probate letter may prove authority over an estate, but a land instrument tied to that estate may still be recorded with the Recorder. The clerk can help identify the court file, while the other office may hold the companion record.
When a Putnam County case is not found online, the safest request path is narrow and direct. Give the office a case number if available, the names used in the case, the approximate filing year, and the type of court record sought. If the matter may be juvenile, sealed, expunged, adoption-related, mental-health related, or tied to protected personal identifiers, ask whether public access is allowed before requesting copies. This avoids treating a missing Case.net entry as proof that no court case exists.