Begin your Search in Missouri with the Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS)
To begin a criminal records search in Missouri, you'll need to go through the Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS), which is the
main repository for obtaining criminal histories in the state of Missouri. The CJIS is affiliated with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and allows online access so searching is more
convenient and easy.
Search Fees
Name-based searches of criminal records are available to the public for an assessed charge of $10 each. You can receive the record by mail, online, or
in-person. Fingerprint-based searches are provided to individuals requesting their own criminal history or authorized agencies. The charge for a
fingerprint search is $20 for each record.
Obtaining Search Information
Information provided in Missouri for criminal records includes such items as arrests, charges, dispositions and sentencing. Records are thoroughly
compiled, showing information on a subject from the time he is arrested up to his incarceration. The online database, MACHS (or the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site) makes it simple for you
to perform a name-based search and retrieve the data online. You can also download a form for a record request at the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSP) website and mail it with your
payment to the MSP. Mail-in requests are processed in approximately three to four weeks.
In-person Search Requests
In-person requests can be made at the annex window of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which is located at 1510 East Elm Street in Jefferson City, Missouri (zip code 65101). You'll need the subject's name, date of birth, and social security number.
Fingerprint searches can also be requested in-person and can be processed in approximately 30 minutes.
Open Records
The CJIS maintains records for easy access of criminal records data for criminal justice and law enforcement purposes. The general public may access
records in the form of complete histories or open records. Open records provide information concerning arrests that are less than a month old, guilty pleas
or convictions, pending dispostions, or any charges with a suspended imposition of sentence, also referred to as an SIS.*
*(
A suspended imposition of sentence or SIS suspends a sentence and allows the offender to serve probation in return for a guilty plea or plea bargain.
If the subject, during the probationary period, does not get into any further trouble, then he is not convicted for the crime or offense
).
Closed Records
Closed records provide arrest information and dismissed charges. Closed records are available to criminal justice or law enforcement agencies or to
individuals who wish to view their own criminal history.
Looking up Inmate Records in Missouri
The Missouri Department of Corrections or MODOC manages 21 correctional facilities in the state. To look up an inmate's records, you need to access MODOC's Offender Web Search portal. The system, which is available to the public 24 hours per day, allows you to
search for records by inserting the subject's name or inmate I.D.
Information Contained in Inmate Records
Inmate records provide descriptive details, such as the eye and hair color, weight, height, gender, and race of the offender. In
addition, the records contain information regarding where the prisoner is housed, prior offenses, and tentative release date.