Two Offices, Two Sets of Clay County Records
Clay County splits its non-court records across two officers. The Recorder of Deeds records and indexes documents that affect title, ownership, marriage status, and military service. The County Clerk handles the Clay County Commission's meeting and resolution files, runs the elections office's records pipeline, swears notaries, and issues a list of local licenses. Sending a request to the wrong office is the most common reason a Clay County record request gets delayed.
The Recorder is Sandra Brock. The County Clerk is Stacey Tingle. Both offices sit at the Clay County Administration Building at 1 Courthouse Square in Liberty, a short walk from the James S. Rooney Justice Center. The downtown court and county campus puts the Circuit Clerk, the Recorder, the County Clerk, the Prosecuting Attorney, the Sheriff, and the Detention Center within a few blocks.
Clay County Recorder of Deeds
1 Courthouse Square
Liberty, MO 64068
Mailing: PO Box 238, Liberty, MO 64069
816-407-3550
Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
No recordings or marriage licenses after 4 p.m.
Clay County Clerk
1 Courthouse Square
Liberty, MO 64068
816-407-3570
Fax 816-407-3581
Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Source for the screenshot: Clay County Clerk official page.
The County Clerk page above lays out the duties and contact lines the office uses for license, notary, and commission records.
Records the Recorder of Deeds Holds
The Recorder of Deeds records real estate and personal documents whose chain of title or public effect depends on public filing. The Recorder page states that documents recorded there are public record and are available in office or online for searching and copies. The list below covers the most common Clay County recorded documents.
- Real estate deeds and trust deeds.
- Subdivision plats and surveys.
- Powers of attorney.
- State and federal tax liens and lien releases.
- UCC documents tied to real estate only.
- Military discharge records (DD-214).
- Marriage licenses.
The Recorder is also the office that hands out a certified copy of a Clay County marriage license. Divorce records do not live here; those are court files at the Circuit Clerk. See marriage and divorce records for the full breakdown and request steps.
Source for the screenshot: Clay County Recorder of Deeds official page.
The page above lists the record types the Recorder accepts and the on-site copy steps for public requests.
Online Land and Marriage Search
The Recorder runs a public online search with two coverage ranges. Land record images are online from January 1, 1967 to present. Marriage indexes run from January 1, 1930 to present, but the marriage license images are not online; certified or non-certified copies must be ordered. The online search now requires registration and login, and the updated search is subscription-based for copies. Users may search and view images for free, but document copies must be purchased.
Previously registered users must re-register on the updated system. A public terminal is available in the Recorder's office at the Administration Building for in-person searches without a subscription.
Source for the screenshot: Clay County Recorder online search page.
The page above explains the index coverage dates and the registration step for the Recorder's online search.
Recorder of Deeds Fee Schedule
The Recorder posts a fixed fee schedule on the county site. Real estate filings carry a base fee plus a per-page add-on. Plat sheets are charged by sheet size. Tax liens have their own line-items. Marriage license fees and copy fees sit on the same table.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard real estate document | $24 + $3 each additional page |
| Non-standard document | Standard fee + $25 |
| Plat 24 x 36 | $69 |
| Plat 18 x 24 | $44 |
| Federal tax lien | $9 |
| Federal tax lien discharge | $7.50 |
| State tax lien | $3 |
| State tax lien discharge | $1.50 |
| Military discharge | No charge |
| Real estate copy first page | $2 |
| Real estate copy each additional page | $1 |
| Certification fee per document | $1 |
| Plat copy page | $5 |
| Marriage license | $51 |
| Marriage license certified copy | $10 |
| Marriage license non-certified copy | $2 |
Source for the screenshot: Clay County Recorder fee schedule.
The fee schedule page above is the authority for the current Clay County recording and copy charges.
Marriage Licenses Through the Recorder
The Recorder issues Clay County marriage licenses. Both applicants must appear together at the Administration Building during application hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday except observed holidays. The $51 fee is payable by cash or credit card only; credit cards carry a processor transaction fee. The license is valid only for a ceremony performed in Missouri and expires 30 days after issuance under RSMo 451.040.
- Both applicants come to the Recorder's office together.
- Bring a valid driver's license or other government-issued photo ID.
- Provide Social Security numbers; no SSN documentation is required.
- Provide the officiant's name and phone number.
- If previously married, provide the date the last marriage ended; no documents needed.
- Pay the $51 fee by cash or credit card.
- Sign and pick up the license.
If the wedding is more than 30 days out, the application can stay on file up to six months before the license must be picked up. Clay County Circuit and Associate Circuit judges do not perform marriage ceremonies.
Source for the screenshot: Clay County Recorder marriage license page.
The page above lists the application rules, age requirements, and officiant notes the Recorder uses at the counter.
Ordering a Marriage License Copy
For a Clay County-issued license, request copies in person, by mail, or by phone. Clay County emphasizes that it issues and maintains marriage license records, not marriage certificates, and certified copies must come from the county where the license was issued. The Recorder accepts three request channels for prior records.
- In person at 1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, with cash or credit card payment.
- By mail to Recorder of Deeds, PO Box 238, Liberty, MO 64069, ATTN: Marriage License Desk. Include both parties' names at time of application, date of marriage, $10 certified or $2 non-certified payment, a contact phone, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
- By phone at 816-407-3550 with credit card payment and the transaction fee.
Divorce decree copies are not handled here. Those run through the Circuit Clerk under the case file. See Circuit Clerk for certified court copies.
What the County Clerk Does
The Clay County Clerk is the secretarial office of the County Commission and a clearinghouse for several state and local licenses. The County Clerk page lists the office's duties in straightforward language. None of these are court records; the Circuit Clerk holds the court files.
- Maintain complete and accurate County Commission records.
- Collect fees and issue local licenses (liquor, amusement and firework, auctioneer, wrecking and towing).
- Swear in notaries and notarize documents.
- Perform secretarial duties for the Board of Equalization.
- Bill railroad and utility companies.
- Certify levy rates.
- Help with voter registration files within the elections office's pipeline.
Notary processing, license issuance, and commission minutes are common public-counter items at the County Clerk's office. Requests for those records often come from researchers, business owners, and journalists rather than from court litigants.
Sunshine Law and These Two Offices
Both the Recorder of Deeds and the County Clerk operate under the Missouri Sunshine Law, Chapter 610. RSMo 610.011 says public meetings, records, and votes of public governmental bodies are open except as otherwise provided by law. RSMo 610.023 requires the custodian of records to respond as soon as possible and no later than the end of the third business day after receipt.
Court records run on a separate track. Judicial records follow Missouri Court Operating Rule 2, the Circuit Clerk's custody rules, and case-specific confidentiality statutes. Sending a court-record request to the Recorder or the County Clerk is the wrong office; sending a deed or commission request to the Circuit Clerk is also the wrong office.
Note: A Clay County Sunshine Law request that needs more than three business days requires written notice of the delay and a reasonable date for response under RSMo 610.023.
Prosecuting Attorney's Office
The Clay County Prosecuting Attorney's office sits inside the courthouse campus and is a separate office from the Circuit Clerk, the Recorder, and the County Clerk. The current Prosecuting Attorney is Zachary Thompson. The office runs criminal prosecutions, child support enforcement, and a bad-checks unit. It is not a records-request office for case files; case files stay with the Circuit Clerk's Criminal Department.
Source for the screenshot: Clay County Prosecuting Attorney official page.
The page above lists the prosecutor's divisions and the address and phone for public business.
How to Request Records From These Offices
- Decide if the record is a recorded document (Recorder), a commission/license file (County Clerk), or a court case (Circuit Clerk).
- For real estate or marriage records, search the Recorder's online portal first to confirm the recording date and document number.
- For commission records, levy certifications, or local license records, call or visit the County Clerk at 1 Courthouse Square.
- Submit the request by the office's preferred channel: counter, mail, phone, or online subscription.
- Pay the posted fee. Recorder copies are $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page, plus $1 certification.
- Allow up to three business days for a Sunshine Law response from the County Clerk.
- Pick up in person or wait for mail delivery; phone copies of marriage records come by mail after credit card payment.
A common mistake is asking the Recorder for a certified divorce decree or asking the Circuit Clerk for a certified marriage license. Those are different records, kept by different offices.