Recorder Office
Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.
Cole County Recorder of Deeds
About the Cole County Recorder of Deeds
Land records in Cole County are recorded by the Recorder of Deeds. The office is held by Judy K. Ridgeway.
Online search is by subscription: daily $10.00; monthly single user $100.00; monthly multiple users $250.00 (first 1,500 pages at no extra cost); prints $1.00 per page. Images with full index from June 1980; partial index from October 1969; plats and surveys from 1840. Marriage license index only online; military records not online.
Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: RSMo Section 59.310 · Home | Cole County, MO (Recorder of Deeds) · Online Records Search | Cole County, MO
Recording Fees
These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.
| All documents | $26.00 first page, $3.00 each additional page (includes the fees every recorder adds to each instrument) |
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Other charges
| Document that does not meet the formatting standards | $25.00 per document when Documents that do not meet requirements (e.g. documents at 8 1/2 by 14 inches, double sided pages, etc.) |
|---|---|
| Copies, per page | $1.00 |
| Certification | $1.00 |
Fee schedule effective August 28, 2026.
StatewideFor a document which releases or assigns more than one item: five dollars for each item beyond one released or assigned in addition to any other charges which may apply. For copying or reproducing any recorded instrument, except surveys and plats: a fee not to exceed two dollars for the first page and one dollar for each page thereafter. For recording a plat or survey of a subdivision, outlets or condominiums: twenty-five dollars for each sheet of drawings or calculations based on a size not to exceed twenty-four inches in width by eighteen inches in height. In a city not within a county (St. Louis City), recorder's fees are set by RSMo 59.313. The $26 first page is the $5 recording fee (RSMo 59.310) plus fees every recorder adds to each instrument: the $6 user fee (59.319.1, $4 before August 28, 2026), the $3 Missouri housing trust fee (59.319.2), $5 under 59.800, and $7 for the county employees retirement fund (50.1190; $6 in counties under 59.321). Additional pages are $3.
Plats (18 x 24 inches): $44 first page, $25 each additional page. Plats (24 x 36 inches): $71 first page, $50 each additional page. Surveys (18 x 24 or 24 x 36 inches): $26 first page, $5 each additional page. Federal tax lien $9 per lien; federal tax lien release $7.50 per lien; Missouri tax lien $3 per lien; Missouri tax lien release $1.50 per lien. Plat or survey copies: $5 per document, $1 each additional page.
Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: RSMo Section 59.310 · Recording Fees | Cole County, MO · Fee Table | Cole County, MO
Document Requirements
Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.
| Paper size | 8 1/2 x 11 |
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| First page top margin | 3 in (statewide, RSMo 59.310.1(6); 59.313.1(6)) |
| Other margins | 0.75 in (statewide, RSMo 59.310.1(6); 59.313.1(6)) |
| Minimum type size | 8 pt (statewide, RSMo 59.310.1(2); 59.313.1(2)) |
| Ink and paper | Black or dark ink; white or light-colored paper of not less than twenty-pound weight without watermarks or other visible inclusions, except for plats and surveys, which may be on materials such as Mylar or velum. (statewide, RSMo 59.310.1(4); 59.313.1(4)) |
| Single sided pages required | Yes |
| Grantee address required | Yes (statewide, RSMo 59.330.2) |
| Printed names under signatures required | Yes (statewide, RSMo 59.310.1(5); 59.313.1(5)) |
StatewideNonessential information such as form numbers, page numbers or customer notations may be placed in the margin. A document may be recorded if a minor portion of a seal or incidental writing extends beyond the margins.
StatewideEvery document presented for recording, except plats and surveys, shall have on the first page below the three-inch margin: the title of the document; the date of the document; all grantors' names and marital status; all grantees' names; any statutory addresses; the legal description of the property; and reference book and pages for statutory requirements, if applicable. Documents shall not be permanently bound nor in a continuous form. Deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust and similar instruments must contain a legal description of the lands affected. Exempt from format requirements: documents signed prior to January 1, 2002; military separation papers; documents executed outside the United States; certified copies; documents where an original party is deceased or incapacitated; and judgments formatted to meet court requirements.
Must be an original document. Notary acknowledgement, signed, sealed & dated by the notary public in the same manner as on file with the secretary of state. Do not staple, tape, glue attachments onto documents or use white out. When an original note cannot be produced and the maker of the note cannot be found, an affidavit of lost note is required when filing a release document for a Deed of Trust that has been recorded prior to 1986.
Submitting documents
| Electronic recording | Accepted |
|---|---|
| eRecording through Deeds.com | Available for this office |
Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: RSMo Section 59.310 · RSMo Section 59.330 · Formatting Standards | Cole County, MO · Cole County Recorder of Deeds - Electronic Recording Notice
Deeds.com Resources & Services
Using Deeds.com is optional. Contact the recorder's office directly for its services and submission options.
How to Get a Copy of Your Deed
Read Deeds.com's guide to requesting document copies from the recorder's office.
Deeds.com eRecording
Available through Deeds.com
Use Deeds.com's paid service to submit documents electronically to the recorder's office. Deeds.com service fees are separate from government recording fees and taxes.
Recorder Office
Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.
Cole County Recorder of Deeds
Deeds.com Forms
Blank legal forms sold by Deeds.com, not by the recorder's office.
Supplemental Document Resources
Recording-related forms and instructions for reference. Confirm which documents apply with the recorder's office.
Deeds.com Customer Care
For help with Deeds.com products, services, or your account. This does not contact the recorder's office.
Contact Deeds.com