St. Louis County Genealogy Records

St. Louis County genealogy records are held at the Recorder of Deeds and the Circuit Clerk in Clayton, Missouri, with formal county records starting from 1876, the year the city of St. Louis separated from the county. This page covers St. Louis County, which is a distinct governmental entity from the independent city of St. Louis. Missouri's most populous county, St. Louis County is served by exceptional genealogy resources including a dedicated county library genealogy department, the St. Louis Genealogical Society, the Missouri History Museum, and the National Archives facility at 1 Archives Drive. Whether your family settled in Clayton, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, or the many smaller communities in the county, there are strong tools available both online and in person for tracing family lines here.

St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds

The St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds is at 41 S. Central Ave. in Clayton, Missouri 63105. The phone number is 314-615-7100. Land records begin from 1876, which is when the city of St. Louis separated from the county and each became independent governmental units. Before 1876, land records for this area were shared, and earlier records for families in what is now St. Louis County may need to be searched in state-level collections. The Recorder holds deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, plat maps, and subdivision records for all unincorporated and incorporated areas within the county. Marriage records also begin from 1876.

Standard Missouri recording fees are $24 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. Document copies cost $1.00 per page. Marriage licenses cost $46.00 and are valid for 30 days anywhere in Missouri. Both parties must appear in person with valid photo ID and their Social Security numbers. There is no waiting period. The Recorder's office also keeps military discharge records (DD-214s) filed by veterans who resided in the county. These can confirm service dates and branch for 20th-century ancestors.

For genealogists, land records are worth reviewing even if you are focused on family relationships rather than property. A deed from the 1880s or 1890s in St. Louis County might name a spouse as a co-grantor, reference an inheritance, or trace property from parent to child. Mortgage releases and deed of trust filings follow the same pattern and can add another layer of family timeline data. The Recorder's office can conduct searches, or you may visit in person during business hours to search the indexes yourself.

Note: Records for the city of St. Louis are held separately at the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds, not this office. The county and city each maintain their own independent records offices.

Circuit Court Records in St. Louis County

The St. Louis County Circuit Clerk in Clayton maintains court and probate records beginning from 1876. The 21st Judicial Circuit handles civil cases, criminal cases, divorce proceedings, and probate filings for the county. For genealogy research, probate records are among the most detailed files available. A probate file from the late 1800s or early 1900s will name the deceased, list all known heirs by name and relationship, describe real and personal property, and sometimes include a detailed accounting of debts and assets. Finding a probate file for an ancestor in St. Louis County can confirm an entire family structure in a single document.

Divorce records from St. Louis County can be useful for 20th-century family research. They often list the names and ages of children, the address of each party, and property owned at the time of the divorce. Civil case files from the 1880s onward sometimes include affidavits and testimony that reveal details about family relationships, property disputes, or business partnerships between relatives.

Naturalization records in St. Louis County document immigrants who became U.S. citizens through the circuit court. Given the county's large immigrant population in the late 1800s and early 1900s, these records can be an important source for researchers with German, Irish, Italian, or Eastern European ancestry. Pre-1906 naturalization files are at the courthouse. After 1906, federal naturalization records moved to the federal court system and are accessible through the National Archives.

For cases filed after November 12, 2003, use Missouri Case.net to search court records by name or case number at no charge. Older records require a visit to the courthouse in Clayton or a written request to the Circuit Clerk.

Vital Records for St. Louis County

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health holds local vital records for county residents. Birth certificates are available from 1920 and death certificates from 1980. Certified copies of birth certificates cost $15.00. Bring a valid photo ID and proof of eligibility. The County Clerk also held some birth and death records from 1883 to 1893, though that early collection was not uniform.

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City at 930 Wildwood Dr. handles statewide requests. The phone number is (573) 751-6387 and certified copies cost $15.00 each. For death records from 1910 through 1969, the free online database at Missouri Digital Heritage is the best first step. That statewide index holds over 9 million records and covers St. Louis County deaths during that period. Search by name at no cost before paying for a certified copy.

For the period before state birth registration began in earnest, church baptismal records are often the most reliable source. St. Louis County had a large Catholic population by the mid-1800s, and many parish registers survive and have been indexed by FamilySearch. German Lutheran and Reformed church records are also available for families from that background. The Missouri State Archives and the State Historical Society of Missouri both hold microfilm copies of church records from the county.

St. Louis County Library Genealogy Department

The St. Louis County Library system is one of the strongest genealogy research hubs in Missouri. The main branch is at 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. in St. Louis, phone 314-994-3300. The library maintains a dedicated genealogy department with an extensive collection of microfilm, published family histories, local newspapers, cemetery transcriptions, and access to premium online databases including Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online. Any library cardholder can use these databases in-library at no personal cost.

The St. Louis County Library Genealogy Department provides in-depth research support and holds collections specific to the St. Louis metro area, including city directories, school records, and real estate atlases going back to the 1870s.

The library's genealogy staff can assist in-person or by phone, and the collection is deep enough to support serious multi-generational research projects for St. Louis County families.

The library also holds local newspaper collections on microfilm. St. Louis-area newspapers going back to the 1800s are available for searching obituaries, legal notices, and other family-relevant items. If you cannot find a death record for an ancestor, the obituary index at the library may fill that gap. The Thornhill Branch at 12863 Willowyck Dr. and the Weber Road Branch at 4444 Weber Rd. also serve county residents and offer access to genealogy databases.

St. Louis Genealogical Society

The St. Louis Genealogical Society is one of the most active genealogical organizations in Missouri. The mailing address is P.O. Box 43296, St. Louis, MO 63178, and the phone number is 314-647-8547. The Society has been active for decades and has compiled a large amount of locally transcribed material, including cemetery records, church registers, obituary indexes, and family history submissions. Their databases and indexes cover St. Louis County and surrounding areas across multiple record types.

The St. Louis Genealogical Society research resources include online databases, published surname indexes, and help from experienced volunteer researchers who know St. Louis area genealogy well.

The Society's collections are especially strong for ethnic genealogy, including German, Irish, and African American family research in the St. Louis metro area.

The Missouri History Museum at 5700 Lindell Blvd. in St. Louis, phone (314) 746-4599, holds manuscript collections, photographs, and research files focused on the St. Louis region. Their library and research center are open to the public and hold materials not available anywhere else for St. Louis County family history. The St. Louis County Historical Society at 41 S. Central Ave. in Clayton, phone 314-615-1808, focuses more narrowly on county history and genealogy.

National Archives at St. Louis

The National Archives at St. Louis, located at 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138, phone 314-801-0800, is a major resource for military and federal records tied to St. Louis County and all of Missouri. The Archives holds millions of military personnel records, civilian personnel records, and federal naturalization files. If an ancestor served in the armed forces and lived in St. Louis County at any point, their military records may be accessible here. The Archives also holds federal land entry case files and census records for reference use.

For military records, the National Personnel Records Center at the same St. Louis location handles requests for service records of veterans who served after World War I. Requests can be submitted online through archives.gov or by mail. Records for veterans who served before 1912 are held in the Old Military and Civil Records section and are generally more complete. A 1973 fire at the facility destroyed a number of Army and Air Force records from the mid-20th century, so some files may be incomplete or unavailable.

The SHSMO St. Louis Research Center at shsmo.org is another strong local resource. The State Historical Society of Missouri maintains newspaper archives, manuscript collections, and county history volumes covering the St. Louis region and can assist researchers working on St. Louis County family history.

Online Genealogy Records for St. Louis County

Missouri Digital Heritage is the free statewide platform for Missouri genealogy records, including St. Louis County death certificates from 1910 to 1969, pre-1910 birth and death records, land records, and military discharge files. It is the first stop for any online search of Missouri records. The Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City holds microfilm of St. Louis County records and maintains research guides to help you identify what is available before traveling.

FamilySearch at familysearch.org holds indexed St. Louis County records including census data from 1820 through 1940, probate files, land records, and church records. Because St. Louis County had a large and diverse population from early statehood onward, FamilySearch has made significant indexing investments here. The Missouri State Genealogical Association connects researchers with county-level societies and can point you toward specific collections. Federal census records covering St. Louis County are available for every decade from 1820 through 1940, with the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses particularly rich for tracing extended family networks in this densely populated area.