Recorder Office
Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.
Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds
About the Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds
Land records in Jefferson County are recorded by the Recorder of Deeds. The office is held by Debbie Dunnegan-Waters.
Pay-per-search access costs $8.95 per search plus $1 per page for copies. Subscription access (Laredo) covers April 1985 to the present and requires a signed user agreement; records from March 1985 back to 1817 are on a separate subscription-based hosted site (COTT Systems). A computerized grantor-grantee index is available in the Recorder's vault for public use.
Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: RSMo Section 59.310 · Staff Directory • Recorder of Deeds · Recorder of Deeds FAQ
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) |
|---|
Other charges
| Document that does not meet the formatting standards | $25.00 per document when Documents which do not meet the requirements set forth in RSMo 59.310 (59.313 in St. Louis City) |
|---|---|
| Certification | $1.00 |
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.
Paying the office
| Accepted | Cash, Check |
|---|---|
| Checks payable to | Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds |
| Card fee | Copy orders by phone with a credit/debit card carry a $1 convenience fee charged by the card processing company, plus postage. |
Recording fees must be received and paid before recording.
Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: RSMo Section 59.310 · Document Recording, Requirements, & Information · Recorder of Deeds FAQ
Document Requirements
Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.
| Paper size | Not larger than 8.5 inches in width and 11 inches in height, for pages other than a plat or survey |
|---|---|
| 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.
All documents must be notarized by a licensed Notary Public. Any conveying document containing a legal description that is less than 10 acres in an unincorporated area or is part of a lot in a subdivision must be exempted by the County Planning and Zoning Department before recording. All documents presented for re-recording must be re-acknowledged and the re-recording purpose stated on the deed.
Submitting documents
| In person | Accepted |
|---|---|
| eRecording through Deeds.com | Available for this office |
| Stamped, self-addressed return envelope | Not required |
| How recorded documents come back | Documents will be returned to sender as designated; a self-addressed envelope is helpful for prompt return. |
Documents presented for recording after 4:30 PM will be held for processing on the following business day. The office does not provide blank forms, prepare documents, or notarize documents it records.
Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: RSMo Section 59.310 · RSMo Section 59.330 · Recorder of Deeds | Jefferson County, MO · Document Recording, Requirements, & Information
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.
Jefferson 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