Find Traffic Court Records in St. Louis
St. Louis City traffic court records are handled by a unique court structure -- St. Louis is an independent city, not part of any county, so all traffic cases go through either the St. Louis Municipal Courts or the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court. This page covers both systems, how to search records, and what happens after you get a ticket in the city.
St. Louis City Quick Facts
Why St. Louis Has Its Own Court System
St. Louis City separated from St. Louis County in 1876 and has operated as an independent city ever since. It is not part of any Missouri county. That means there is no "St. Louis County Circuit Court" handling city traffic cases. Instead, the 22nd Judicial Circuit serves the city exclusively, and the St. Louis Municipal Courts handle ordinance violations. If you search CaseNet for a St. Louis City traffic case, use the 22nd Judicial Circuit as your filter -- not St. Louis County, which covers a separate geographic area entirely.
This distinction matters when you are trying to look up a ticket or case. A ticket issued by a St. Louis City police officer for a city ordinance violation goes to the Municipal Court. A state law traffic charge -- like a DWI under Missouri statutes -- goes to the 22nd Circuit. Both are in the city. Neither is in St. Louis County.
St. Louis Municipal Courts
The St. Louis Municipal Courts are at the Civil Courts Building, 10 S. Tucker Blvd. Mailing address: 1520 Market St., Suite 1120, St. Louis, MO 63103. Phone: (314) 622-3231 or (314) 622-3558. Fax: (314) 622-3223.
The court has four active courtrooms. Court 1 is presided over by Judge Joan Miller. Court 2 by Judge Newton McCoy. Court 3 by Judge William E. Daily Jr. Court 4 by Judge Karma Q. Edwards. The Traffic Violations Administrator is Diarra Cross-Davis, reachable at (314) 657-1878. If you have a question specifically about a traffic violation, Cross-Davis's office is the right first call.
| Office | St. Louis Municipal Courts |
|---|---|
| Physical Address | Civil Courts Building, 10 S. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101 |
| Mailing Address | 1520 Market St., Suite 1120, St. Louis, MO 63103 |
| Main Phone | (314) 622-3231 / (314) 622-3558 |
| Fax | (314) 622-3223 |
| Traffic Violations | (314) 657-1878 (Diarra Cross-Davis) |
The Municipal Court URL is stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/municipal-courts/. That site has current court schedules, forms, and contact information for each courtroom.
Search St. Louis Traffic Records on CaseNet
Missouri CaseNet at www.courts.mo.gov/casenet is the main tool for finding state-level traffic cases in St. Louis. Search by entering the last name in all caps, comma, first name -- WASHINGTON, JAMES for example. When filtering by court location, select "22nd Judicial Circuit" to narrow results to St. Louis City cases. CaseNet contains over 45 million records statewide and is free to use. Call (888) 541-4894 for help, Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Municipal court records (ordinance violations) may not appear on CaseNet. For those, contact the Municipal Courts directly at (314) 622-3231 or use the city's own lookup tools available through the municipal courts website. CaseNet works best for finding misdemeanor and felony traffic charges filed in the 22nd Circuit.
The image below shows the Missouri CaseNet portal where you can search for St. Louis City traffic cases filed in the 22nd Judicial Circuit.
CaseNet is free and searches the full statewide record database -- remember to filter by 22nd Judicial Circuit for St. Louis City cases.
St. Louis Police Crash Reports and Records
If you need a crash report or police incident report connected to a traffic matter in St. Louis, those come from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD). The SLMPD Records Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crash reports are typically ready within five business days of the incident. The copy fee for police records is $0.10 per page plus a $15 per hour search fee for complex requests.
Police records and court records are separate. A crash report shows what the officer documented at the scene. Court records show what happened after charges were filed. You may need both if you are dealing with insurance claims, civil litigation, or a court case that stems from an accident.
Points and License Consequences
Missouri assigns points to your driving record when you are convicted of traffic violations. St. Louis City convictions count just like any other Missouri conviction. The point thresholds:
- 4 points in 12 months -- advisory letter from the Missouri DOR
- 8 or more points in 18 months -- license suspension
- 12 or more points in 12 months -- 1-year revocation
To check your current point total, order your driving record at dor.mo.gov/driver-license/resources/records.html for $2.82. The DOR phone number is (573) 526-2407. Points stay on your record for years, so even a simple speeding ticket can matter if you already have points from past violations. Review your record after any conviction.
The image below is from the Missouri DOR, explaining the points system and what triggers a suspension or revocation.
Understanding where you stand on points can help you decide whether to fight a ticket or pay it -- and when to consider a defensive driving course to reduce your total.
Traffic Fines and How to Pay
For ordinance violations handled in St. Louis Municipal Court, pay through the city's own system. Contact the Traffic Violations Administrator at (314) 657-1878 or visit the courts website for current payment options. These fines are separate from state court fines and must be paid to the city.
For state traffic charges handled in the 22nd Judicial Circuit, the Missouri Fine Collection Center processes non-contested payments. Call (573) 522-8504 or write to Fine Collection Center, P.O. Box 236, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Online payment is available through courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=136013. Copies of court documents cost $0.25 per page and $1.50 for certified copies from the circuit clerk's office.
Failure to Appear in St. Louis
Missing a court date in St. Louis -- whether in municipal court or circuit court -- can trigger a bench warrant and a license suspension. The Missouri DOR suspends your license through the Non-Resident Violator Compact process when a court reports a failure to appear or pay. You will owe a $20 reinstatement fee once the underlying case is resolved.
To clear a failure to appear in municipal court, call (314) 622-3231. For circuit court cases, contact the 22nd Circuit Clerk. After resolving the case and paying any fines, pay the reinstatement fee through the Missouri DOR. Full details are at dor.mo.gov/faq/driver-license/fact-nrvc.html. Driving on a suspended license is a separate criminal offense in Missouri.
Public Records -- Sunshine Law
Court records in St. Louis are public under Missouri's Sunshine Law, Chapter 610 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. You can view records in person at the Municipal Courts or the 22nd Circuit Clerk's office at no charge. Copies cost $0.25 per page. If your request is denied, the office must provide a written reason.
For the full text of relevant statutes, use the Missouri statutes site at revisor.mo.gov. Chapter 610 covers the Sunshine Law. Chapter 479 covers municipal court procedures. Chapter 302 covers driver licenses and Chapter 304 covers traffic regulations. Self-represented parties can find help at selfrepresent.mo.gov.
Nearby Qualifying Cities
Florissant is the nearest qualifying city, located in St. Louis County just north of the city limits. It has its own municipal court with separate procedures and contact information.
St. Louis County -- A Separate Jurisdiction
St. Louis County is a completely separate government from St. Louis City. If you received a traffic ticket in the county -- not inside the city limits -- that case goes to the St. Louis County circuit court system, not the city courts. For county-level records and court information, see the St. Louis County traffic court records page.