By recording a document, the document becomes a public record. Missouri's Recorders accept documents for recording, preserve records in perpetuity, ensure public access to records, and provide copies, all based on requirements and fees set by law.

Our web site means more options for our customers. As our web site construction project progresses, customers will find information at your fingertips on recording a deed, applying for a marriage license, accessing records at no fee in our office, purchasing copies at our office or by mail, etc. As our imaging (scanning) project and various indexing projects progress, customers will have the opportunity to access records on-line for a fee.

The Saint Louis City Recorder is unique among Missouri's Recorder offices. In addition to State requirements on the day-to-day operations of all Missouri Recorders, the City Recorder must comply with City ordinances passed by the Board of Aldermen.

The City Recorder is also the only office of its kind in Missouri with an Archives Department providing specialized services to genealogists and scholarly researchers on public records dating from 1764, our City's French colonial founding, to 1920. These records include marriage contracts, incorporations for business and non-profits, trademark registrations, public orphanage papers, campaign finance filings, and much more.

We encourage you to visit the Saint Louis City Recorder at City Hall. We think you'll enjoy both browsing though our old books, so rich in the history of our City, and the many fine cultural, entertainment and shopping opportunities located Downtown and throughout Saint Louis City.