St. Francois County Criminal Records Search

St. Francois County criminal records come from the county Sheriff's Department, the circuit court in Farmington, and municipal courts spread across nine court locations in the county. This page covers how to find arrest records, criminal case filings, and criminal history information for St. Francois County using public sources including Case.net and the MACHS statewide database.

St. Francois County Sheriff and Arrest Records

The St. Francois County Sheriff's Department is located at 1550 Doubet Road, Farmington, MO 63640. The phone number is (573) 756-3252. The Sheriff provides law enforcement throughout the county, operates the county jail, and handles court security for the circuit court in Farmington. All arrests made by the Sheriff's Department result in arrest reports that are public record under the Missouri Sunshine Law.

St. Francois County has a documented crime presence. In 2018, the county recorded a violent crime rate of 92.9 offenses per 100,000 residents. The Sheriff's Department handles the bulk of criminal enforcement in rural parts of the county, while municipal police cover the incorporated cities. Arrest records from all these agencies flow into the Missouri State Highway Patrol's criminal history database.

The St. Francois County criminal records portal offers a useful starting point for searching public arrest and conviction data tied to St. Francois County.

Missouri maintains statewide criminal records through the Highway Patrol, which aggregates data from agencies like the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department and Farmington's municipal court system.

Note: Contact the Sheriff's Department directly for current inmate information or to request a copy of a specific arrest report.

St. Francois County Court Locations and Case.net

St. Francois County is unusual in Missouri because it has nine separate court locations. The main courthouse is in Farmington, and the county also has municipal courts in Bismarck, Bonne Terre, Desloge, Farmington, Iron Mountain Lake, Leadington, Leadwood, and Park Hills. Each of these courts handles local ordinance violations and some misdemeanor matters. Felony cases and serious misdemeanors go to the circuit court in Farmington.

All St. Francois County circuit court cases are searchable through Case.net, Missouri's free statewide court search platform. Case.net pulls case data from all 114 Missouri circuit courts. You can search by name, case number, or filing date. The results show charges, hearing dates, and final dispositions. Municipal court records may not always appear on Case.net, so for those you may need to contact the specific municipal court directly.

If a case you are looking for does not show up on Case.net, check whether it was handled in a municipal court rather than the circuit court. Municipal courts in St. Francois County handle traffic offenses and local ordinance cases that may not be indexed in the state system.

MACHS and Statewide Criminal History for St. Francois County

Missouri's Automated Criminal History Site, MACHS, is the official state criminal history database. It is run by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and accessible at machs.mo.gov. MACHS collects arrest and conviction records submitted by all Missouri law enforcement agencies, including the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department and every municipal police department in the county. A name-based search costs $15. A fingerprint-based search costs $20 and is the most reliable method for a complete history.

If you need a criminal history check on someone with ties to St. Francois County, MACHS is the most direct official source. It shows arrests, charges, and dispositions from across Missouri, not just one county. This matters because someone with a record in St. Francois County may also have records in neighboring Jefferson, Iron, or Washington Counties. MACHS pulls all of it together in one search.

MACHS does not include federal records. Federal criminal cases involving St. Francois County defendants are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and can be searched through PACER at pacer.gov.

Missouri Sunshine Law Access to St. Francois County Records

The Missouri Sunshine Law, found at Chapter 610 RSMo, gives the public the right to inspect and copy government records. St. Francois County agencies, including the Sheriff's Department and Circuit Clerk, must follow these rules. Section 610.023 gives agencies three business days to respond to a public records request. Agencies may charge for copies, but charges must be based on actual cost.

Section 610.100 covers arrest records and makes them open to the public in most cases. One limit: if someone is arrested in St. Francois County but not charged within 30 days, the arrest record closes and is no longer available to the public. This rule applies statewide. If you are requesting an arrest report and the agency says the record is closed, ask them which specific Sunshine Law provision they are relying on.

Written requests tend to work best. Put your request in writing, name the specific records you want, and send it to the correct office. The Circuit Clerk handles court records. The Sheriff's Department handles arrest reports and jail records. The Sheriff's Department website may have additional contact information for submitting requests.

Sex Offender Registry and DOC Offender Search

Missouri's Sex Offender Registry is run by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Residents can search by name, address, or date of birth to find registered offenders in St. Francois County. People convicted of qualifying sex offenses must register with the Sheriff's Department after any St. Francois County conviction and keep their registration current. Failure to register is a felony in Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Corrections also runs a free online offender search at web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/. This tool shows active probationers and parolees supervised in Missouri. If someone from St. Francois County is serving a probation or parole sentence after a criminal conviction, they may appear in this database. Search by name and filter by county if needed.

Expungement in St. Francois County

Eligible individuals with St. Francois County convictions can seek expungement under RSMo 610.140. Petitions are filed in the circuit court in Farmington, which is where the original cases were heard. The waiting periods are three years for misdemeanors and seven years for felonies. Missouri limits each person to one felony expungement or two misdemeanor expungements in a lifetime. Not all crimes qualify, and the court must approve the petition after a hearing.

The expungement process requires filing a written petition, serving notice on the relevant agencies, and attending a court hearing. If the judge grants the petition, the record is closed to public view and most background checks. Law enforcement may still see the record in some circumstances. Getting legal help for this process is a good idea, particularly for felony cases. Missouri Legal Aid serves St. Francois County and can provide guidance to those who qualify for free legal help.

Note: After expungement, a person can generally answer "no" on most job applications asking about prior convictions, though certain licensing and government employment questions may still require disclosure.

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