St. Louis County Traffic Court Records
St. Louis County traffic court records are maintained by the 21st Judicial Circuit, headquartered at the County Courts Complex in Clayton, Missouri. As Missouri's most populous county, St. Louis County processes a very high volume of traffic cases from dozens of municipalities including Florissant, Ballwin, Ferguson, Kirkwood, and the unincorporated areas of the county. Missouri CaseNet and the county's own court portal both provide online access to St. Louis County traffic court records. This guide covers the Circuit Clerk office, municipal courts, how to search records, fines, points, and legal resources for traffic cases in the county.
St. Louis County Quick Facts
St. Louis County Circuit Clerk
Circuit Clerk Joan M. Gilmer oversees the 21st Judicial Circuit records for St. Louis County. The main office is at 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105, and can be reached at (314) 615-8029. The office manages civil, criminal, family, and probate court records, as well as the county's Veterans Court and Drug Court programs. St. Louis County is large enough that the clerk's operation is one of the most active in Missouri.
Traffic cases filed through the circuit court are available here. Copy fees are $0.25 per page, with $1.50 charged per document for certification. If you need a certified copy of a traffic conviction for insurance purposes, license reinstatement, or a legal proceeding, contact the Circuit Clerk office in Clayton. For expungement of a traffic conviction, petition fees range from $105.50 to $355.50 depending on the type of case.
| Office | St. Louis County Circuit Clerk |
|---|---|
| Circuit Clerk | Joan M. Gilmer |
| Address | 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105 |
| Phone | (314) 615-8029 |
| Copy Fee | $0.25/page; $1.50 certification |
| Expungement Petition | $105.50 - $355.50 |
The image below shows the St. Louis County court portal, which provides access to local court information and records beyond what CaseNet covers.
St. Louis County Courts -- local court portal
The St. Louis County court portal at stlouiscountycourt.org supplements CaseNet for finding local traffic court records and court information.
Search St. Louis County Traffic Court Records Online
Missouri CaseNet at www.courts.mo.gov/casenet is the free statewide portal for finding St. Louis County traffic court records. Select "St. Louis" (County) -- not the City of St. Louis, which is a separate entry -- from the county list. Enter the driver's name or case number. Results include the charge, court date, and case status. Closed cases show the final disposition.
St. Louis County also has a local court portal at stlouiscountycourt.org that provides additional case information and local resources. For complex cases or cases involving multiple charges, checking both CaseNet and the local portal gives the most complete picture. CaseNet support is available at (888) 541-4894.
Note that St. Louis County (the county) and the City of St. Louis are legally separate jurisdictions. The City of St. Louis is an independent city and its court records are searched separately in CaseNet. If your citation was issued within the City of St. Louis limits, select "St. Louis City" -- not St. Louis County -- in CaseNet.
Municipal Courts in St. Louis County
St. Louis County contains dozens of municipalities, many of which operate their own municipal courts for local traffic violations. When a city police officer issues a traffic citation, the case typically goes to that city's municipal court -- not the county circuit court. The municipal court is where you pay fines, contest tickets, and access local traffic court records for those violations.
Key municipal courts in St. Louis County include:
Florissant Municipal Court is at 4575 Washington St. in Florissant and can be reached at (314) 921-3322. Florissant is one of the larger cities in St. Louis County and its municipal court handles a significant share of local traffic cases. Ballwin Municipal Court is at 1 Gov Center in Ballwin, phone (636) 227-9468. Ferguson Municipal Court, at 110 Church St. in Ferguson, phone (314) 524-5264, became widely known after 2014 for its traffic enforcement practices. Kirkwood Municipal Court handles Kirkwood traffic violations at 139 S. Kirkwood Rd., phone (314) 822-5840.
If your citation was issued in one of these cities, contact the specific municipal court listed on your ticket. Municipal court records are separate from the county circuit court records maintained at the Clayton courthouse. CaseNet may or may not include municipal court data depending on the court's reporting practices.
Traffic Violations and the Points System
Traffic violations in St. Louis County -- whether handled by the circuit court or a municipal court -- can add points to your Missouri driver's license record if you are convicted. The Missouri DOR tracks points through its statewide system. Common violations like speeding add 2 points. More serious offenses like reckless driving add more. The DOR's full points breakdown is at dor.mo.gov.
Accumulate 8 or more points in 18 months and the DOR issues a 30-day license suspension. Twelve or more points in 12 months leads to a 60-day suspension or revocation. Given the high traffic volume in St. Louis County, enforcement is frequent and even a single ticket can push a driver toward a threshold. Contesting a citation or negotiating a reduced charge can protect your record.
Failure to appear in St. Louis County traffic court, or failure to pay a fine by the deadline, results in a report to the DOR. A $20 reinstatement fee is then required on top of the original fine before driving privileges are restored. Details are at dor.mo.gov. Do not ignore a St. Louis County traffic matter. Doing so costs more in the end.
Expunging Traffic Records in St. Louis County
Missouri law allows certain traffic convictions to be expunged from your record after a set waiting period. The petition to expunge a record is filed with the 21st Judicial Circuit clerk in Clayton. Filing fees range from $105.50 to $355.50 depending on the type of conviction. Not all traffic offenses qualify. DWI convictions have specific rules under Missouri law.
The Missouri Revisor of Statutes at revisor.mo.gov has the statutory language for expungement eligibility. The self-help resource at selfrepresent.mo.gov has guides for filing an expungement petition in Missouri. For complex cases, an attorney familiar with St. Louis County practice can help determine whether your traffic record qualifies and file the petition correctly.
Missouri Driver Records
Your Missouri driver record reflects all traffic convictions from the 21st Judicial Circuit in St. Louis County and every other Missouri court. Order a copy for $2.82 from the DOR at dor.mo.gov/driver-license/resources/records.html. The record lists every conviction, suspension, reinstatement, and current point total. Insurance companies and employers in safety-related fields check this record regularly. If an error from a St. Louis County case appears on your record, contact both the DOR and the 21st Judicial Circuit clerk to begin a correction.
Legal Help for St. Louis County Traffic Cases
The Missouri Courts self-help site at selfrepresent.mo.gov has guides for traffic court in any Missouri county. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri provides free legal help to income-qualifying residents in St. Louis County for a range of civil matters, including some traffic-related issues that affect employment or housing stability. Contact them at (314) 534-4200 or through their website. The Missouri Courts directory at courts.mo.gov has full contact information for the 21st Judicial Circuit in Clayton.
Cities in St. Louis County
St. Louis County contains dozens of municipalities. The following qualifying city has a dedicated page on this site:
Note that the City of St. Louis is an independent city -- it is not part of St. Louis County and has its own separate court system. Other communities within St. Louis County include Clayton, Ballwin, Kirkwood, Ferguson, University City, Webster Groves, Mehlville, Chesterfield, Maryland Heights, and Hazelwood. Traffic citations issued in these cities are handled by their respective municipal courts. Unincorporated areas of the county are served by the St. Louis County Police and the 21st Judicial Circuit in Clayton.
Nearby Counties
St. Louis County borders these counties in eastern Missouri. Note that the City of St. Louis, while geographically surrounded by St. Louis County, is an independent city with its own circuit court jurisdiction. Check your citation or CaseNet to confirm the correct court for your case.