Search St. Louis Warrant Records
St. Louis is an independent city in Missouri, meaning it operates outside any county government. With about 300,000 residents, it has its own court system, police force, and warrant process. Searching for warrant records in St. Louis involves checking the municipal court, the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, or the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. This page explains where to look, what records are available, and how the warrant system works in St. Louis.
St. Louis Quick Facts
St. Louis Warrant Records Overview
St. Louis separated from St. Louis County back in 1876. That makes it one of the few independent cities in the country. What this means for warrant records is that St. Louis has its own circuit court, the 22nd Judicial Circuit, and its own municipal court. Warrants issued in St. Louis city are separate from those in St. Louis County. If you need records from the county side, check the St. Louis County warrant records page instead.
The 22nd Judicial Circuit Court sits at 10 N Tucker Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63101. Call (314) 641-8040 for case inquiries. This court handles felonies, serious misdemeanors, and civil cases for St. Louis city residents. Warrants for criminal cases go through this court. Each warrant starts with a complaint filed under RSMo 542.040, and a judge must find probable cause before signing it.
Because St. Louis is independent, its court records are filed under "City of St. Louis" in state databases. Keep that in mind when you search. Picking "St. Louis County" by mistake will pull up different records entirely.
St. Louis Municipal Court Warrants
The St. Louis Municipal Court is at 1520 Market St. The phone number is (314) 622-3234. This court deals with city ordinance violations, traffic tickets, and minor offenses. When someone skips a court date or ignores a fine, the municipal court issues a bench warrant. These warrants pile up fast. At one point, St. Louis had more active municipal warrants than residents.
The city has made efforts in recent years to clear old warrant backlogs. Amnesty programs have let people come in and resolve outstanding warrants without getting arrested on the spot. These programs come and go, so call the court to ask if one is running now. Municipal warrant records in St. Louis show the original charge, the date of the warrant, and the bond amount if one was set.
Note: St. Louis municipal warrants are different from circuit court warrants and carry different consequences.
St. Louis Police Warrant Records
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department operates out of 1915 Olive St, St. Louis, MO 63103. The main line is (314) 231-1212. SLMPD is one of the oldest police departments west of the Mississippi. It handles all law enforcement for the city, including serving warrants and making arrests on active warrants.
Police officers in St. Louis carry out warrant arrests during routine patrol, traffic stops, and targeted operations. The department also works with state and federal agencies on fugitive task forces. If you want to know whether an arrest was made on a particular warrant, you can request records from the police department. Under Missouri's Sunshine Law, RSMo 610.010, most closed investigation records are public. Open investigations may be restricted under RSMo 610.021.
SLMPD maintains arrest records, incident reports, and booking data. These records often overlap with court records but contain different details. The police file tells you what the officer saw and did. The court file tracks the legal process from charge to outcome. Both are useful when researching warrant records in St. Louis.
How to Search St. Louis Warrants
The best free tool is Missouri Case.net. Search by name and select "City of St. Louis" as the location. This pulls up circuit court cases, not municipal court cases. Case.net is free and updated daily by court clerks across the state. It shows charges, docket entries, hearing dates, and case outcomes. If a warrant was issued as part of a case, you will often see it listed in the docket.
For municipal warrants, call the St. Louis Municipal Court at (314) 622-3234. The clerk can look up active warrants by name. You can also visit in person at 1520 Market St during business hours. Bring a photo ID. Staff can tell you if a warrant exists and what steps to take next. Some people prefer to go in person so they can handle the warrant right away instead of waiting.
- Case.net for circuit court warrant searches
- Municipal court clerk for city-level warrant checks
- SLMPD records unit for arrest and booking data
- VINE Link for custody alerts and notifications
- MACHS for criminal background checks
The VINE Link system lets you track when someone is booked or released from custody. Sign up for free alerts by name. The Missouri Highway Patrol MACHS portal offers criminal history searches for a $14 fee. These cover statewide records and can show warrant history tied to St. Louis cases.
Legal Help in St. Louis
If you have a warrant in St. Louis, getting legal advice is a smart move. The Missouri State Public Defender office has a location serving the St. Louis area. They represent people who cannot afford a private lawyer. Call their hotline at (573) 636-3633 if you have been arrested or need help with a warrant case.
Under RSMo 544.100, a judge can issue a summons instead of an arrest warrant in some situations. This means you get a notice to appear rather than a warrant for your arrest. Your lawyer can sometimes ask the court to convert a warrant to a summons, which avoids the risk of arrest while the case is pending. This option is more common for nonviolent charges in St. Louis.
The Missouri Attorney General website is worth checking if you suspect a warrant scam. Scammers sometimes call people and claim there is a warrant for their arrest, then ask for payment. Real warrants are not resolved over the phone with a credit card. Report suspicious calls to the AG office.
Nearby Missouri Cities
Several other Missouri cities sit near St. Louis and have their own warrant record systems. The St. Louis metro area stretches across multiple municipalities, each with a separate court.