Monroe County Circuit Clerk Office
The Monroe County Circuit Clerk is Heather Wheeler. The official county page lists the office at 300 N. Main St., Paris, MO 65275, with phone 877-433-3061 ext. 425, fax 660-327-5781, and office hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The county directory places the Circuit Clerk in Courthouse Room 201 and lists a second fax number, 833-568-4764. Because the county sources conflict on fax, call before faxing a filing, copy request, or records question.
The Circuit Clerk is the main local court-records office for Monroe County. The county FAQ tells users seeking court-case information to contact the Monroe County Circuit Clerk or Missouri Case.net. That local statement matches Missouri's court structure: Monroe County cases are circuit-court cases or divisions within the circuit-court system, and the clerk is the office that receives filings, keeps case files, answers docket-access questions, and issues certified court copies where allowed.
Monroe County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Heather Wheeler
300 N. Main St., Room 201
Paris, MO 65275
877-433-3061 ext. 425
Fax listed by office page: 660-327-5781
Fax listed by directory: 833-568-4764
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Monroe County Circuit Clerk Duties
In Monroe County, the Circuit Clerk handles court records for criminal cases, civil cases, family cases, divorce decrees, probate case files, traffic and municipal division cases in the circuit system, docket sheets, judgments, certified court copies, and in-person help with records that are not visible in Case.net. A public online search may be enough to confirm a hearing date or public disposition, but the clerk is the office to contact when the request needs a court seal, a complete file, older paper material, or clarification about local copy procedures.
The office does not replace other county record keepers. The Prosecuting Attorney files and prosecutes criminal charges, but the filed case record sits with the court. The Sheriff keeps jail, booking, arrest, warrant, and incident records. The Recorder keeps marriage licenses and recorded land documents. The County Clerk keeps County Commission and election records. Sorting those roles at the start saves time because each custodian can only answer for the records it keeps.
- Maintains Monroe County Circuit Court filings, docket sheets, judgments, and public case records.
- Handles certified copies of court records when the file is available for release.
- Routes divorce decree requests for divorces granted in Monroe County.
- Supports access to probate filings, civil files, criminal files, and traffic files in the circuit system.
- Answers local questions when Case.net does not show the document or detail needed.
Monroe County Circuit Clerk Search
Missouri Case.net is the first online search channel for public Monroe County court records. It can be searched by case number, litigant name, filing date, scheduled hearing or trial, and judgment index. After a case is located, the system may offer a tracking option that uses an email address and optional mobile number for notices. Case.net may show party and lawyer information, case type, filing date, docket entries, scheduled hearings, disposition, financial obligations, and public documents where remote access is allowed.
The clerk still matters after an online search. Some records are not remote. Some documents require in-person inspection, a written request, or certified-copy handling. Sealed records, juvenile matters, adoption files, protected personal identifiers, confidential medical material, and some victim information are not ordinary public search results. Older files may need courthouse research. For non-case administrative records, direct the request to the custodian of the public governmental body instead of the Circuit Clerk.
| Search Path | Best Use | Local Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Case.net case number search | Known case number | Does not guarantee document access |
| Case.net litigant name search | Unknown case number | Common names may require careful filtering |
| Scheduled hearings search | Checking court dates | Settings can change, so confirm important dates |
| Circuit Clerk counter | Certified copies and older files | Call for current copy method and fees |
| Written or phone request | Remote copy questions | The clerk may require enough case detail to locate the file |
Request Monroe County Certified Copies
A certified court copy is a copy authenticated by the court clerk. It is often needed for legal filings, benefits, licensing, name changes, title work, enforcement, or proof of a divorce decree. The research did not identify a full Monroe County Circuit Clerk fee schedule for court copies, so do not mail payment until the clerk confirms the current cost, acceptable payment method, and whether the document can be released by mail, fax, or in person.
- Identify the case number if possible. If the case number is unknown, gather full party names, case type, and an approximate filing year.
- Check Case.net for the public docket and confirm that the case appears to be a Monroe County circuit matter.
- Call the Circuit Clerk at 877-433-3061 ext. 425 to ask whether the document is public, available remotely, and eligible for certification.
- Provide the document name, number of copies, delivery method, and any deadline tied to the request.
- Pay the confirmed fee and keep the receipt or confirmation number with the certified copy.
Note: If a document contains confidential material, the clerk may provide a redacted public copy or explain that court permission is required.
Monroe County Clerk Request Details
No specific Monroe County Circuit Clerk records request form was captured in the research file. A useful request should still give the clerk enough information to locate the case and identify the document. Requests for court records should focus on court identifiers, while requests for sheriff, recorder, or county administrative records should go to those offices instead.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best if known | The fastest way to locate the correct court file. |
| Party names | Yes when no number | Include full names and known spellings. |
| Case type | Yes | Criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic, or small claims. |
| Document requested | Yes | Examples include decree, judgment, docket sheet, order, or filing. |
| Certified or plain copy | Yes | Certification affects cost and handling. |
| Return method | Yes | Ask whether mail, pickup, fax, or another method is allowed. |
Monroe County Clerk Fees
The research file provides detailed Monroe County Recorder fees but does not provide a complete Circuit Clerk court-copy fee schedule. For court files, the safest practice is to confirm copy, certification, search, and mailing costs with the Circuit Clerk before submitting a request. Recorder fees are useful only when the record is a marriage license, land document, or other recorded instrument kept by the Recorder.
| Record or Service | Office | Published Fee or Action |
|---|---|---|
| Certified court copy | Circuit Clerk | Call 877-433-3061 ext. 425 for current cost. |
| Divorce decree copy | Circuit Clerk | Call to confirm availability, certification, and fee. |
| Certified marriage license | Recorder | $9.00. |
| Uncertified marriage copy | Recorder | $2.00. |
| Recorder staff search | Recorder | $14.00 per hour for a specific information request. |
Circuit Clerk vs County Clerk
The Monroe County County Clerk is Beth Whelan, and that office is in Room 204 at the courthouse. The County Clerk page describes a county-government office, not a court-records office. Its duties include custody of County Commission records, human resources, payroll, retirement and insurance administration, county election authority work, railroad and utility property billing, liquor licenses, notary commissions, auctioneer licenses, accounts payable and receivable, and yearly tax levies. Election records, commission records, and administrative county records should route there.
The Monroe County Recorder is Lori Decker, and that office is in Room 103. The Recorder records, maintains, and preserves land records. Marriage license records and military discharge papers are also recorded there. The Recorder page links to Tapestry/Fidlar for online land records from 1996 to current, Official Records Online for marriage license and certified land document orders starting January 2021, and Property Fraud Alert for name-match notifications on indexed recorded documents. Those are not Circuit Clerk court records.
| Office | Use It For | Do Not Use It For |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Clerk | Court files, docket sheets, judgments, divorce decrees, probate case files | County Commission minutes or land deeds |
| County Clerk | County Commission records, elections, tax levies, licenses, county administration | Court case files or certified court decrees |
| Recorder | Marriage licenses, land records, military discharges, recorded copies | Divorce decrees or criminal court files |
| Sheriff | Jail, booking, incident, arrest, warrant, and custody records | Court judgments or filed civil pleadings |
Monroe County Clerk Record Limits
Some records the Circuit Clerk keeps are not open to ordinary public access. Juvenile records are generally confidential under Missouri law. Adoption papers and related information require the statutory disclosure process or court order. Sealed and expunged criminal records are not public search records. Guardianship and conservatorship cases may include confidential medical or capacity information. Public copies may redact Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, dates of birth, minor names, victim information, and confidential medical details.
For criminal expungement, Missouri law uses RSMo 610.140 as the main process for eligible offenses. A petition must be filed in the Missouri court with jurisdiction, list all offenses sought to be expunged, serve relevant agencies, and satisfy waiting-period and eligibility rules. Once granted, public access is limited, but some court, law-enforcement, licensing, and statutory uses may remain. The Circuit Clerk can answer filing and record-location questions, but legal advice should come from a lawyer.