Crime Numbers
The county of Franklin recorded a total of 2,172 offenses in 2018 with violent offenses making up 217 reports and property offenses accounting for 1,955 reports. When compared with crime figures from 2014, there was a decrease of 3.51% in the total number of offenses reported in the county. A further breakdown showed an increase of 29.17% in violent offenses since 2014. However, property offenses did decrease by 6.14% in the same period.
In 2018 there were a total of 618 arrests for crimes, representing a clearance rate of 28.45%. When compared with the 2014 figures, this indicated a 2.37% decrease in total arrests. A closer look at the figures showed increments in arrest rates for murder (100%), rape (300%), aggravated assault (6.15%), and motor vehicle theft (477%). On the other hand, arrests for robbery (100%), burglary (38.61%), larceny (5.99%) went down while the arrest figures for arson remained the same.
Criminal Records
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, through the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, is tasked with the compilation, maintenance, and dissemination of complete and accurate criminal history records, criminal incidents and arrest reports, and statistics for all counties in the state. Information on criminal history records is available for non-criminal justice requests such as employee verifications in addition to requests from law enforcement agencies. The CJIS facilitates criminal record checks by personal identifier search and fingerprint search.
A personal identifier search requires the provision of personal information about the individual such as a name, date of birth, or social security number to conduct the search. There is a $14 fee for each request, payable by check or money order to the State of Missouri - Criminal Record System Fund. Cash is not accepted but all major credit cards are. Available information is for open records and these include records containing convictions, arrest information less than 30 days old, charges awaiting final disposition from the court, and records regarding suspended sentences. Personal identifier searches can be conducted online, by mail, and in person. Online requests are conducted using the search tools available on the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS). There is an additional convenience fee for this method. Mail requests are conducted by completing the Request for Criminal Record form and sending it along with the complete fee to:
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Missouri State Highway Patrol
P.O. Box 9500
Jefferson City, MO 65102-9500
Processing time for a mail request is 4-6 weeks.
Submit an in-person request by visiting the MSHP public access window located at:
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Annex Building
1510 East Elm Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
The public access window is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except on state holidays. Requests for single records can take 30 minutes to process.
A fingerprint search requires a completed FD-258 fingerprint card. Missouri retains a service vendor for persons who wish to be fingerprinted. The process utilizes electronic imaging to obtain a livescan of the applicant’s fingerprints and transmits them to the MSHP for processing. The livescan fee is $8.50 for each applicant and appointments can be scheduled on MACHS.
There is a $20 fee for state criminal history checks and a $13.25 fee for federal criminal history checks, per request. Federal checks are only available to qualified entities. Fingerprint searches also provide closed/completed records which will include all criminal history data (including arrests), charges that have been deemed nolle-prosequi, dismissed, or ended in acquittals, and suspended sentences (after the probation period has been completed). Fingerprint search requests can be initiated online or submitted by mail. Conduct online searches using search tools available on MACHS. The processing time for online searches is typically 7-10 days and the results will be mailed back to the applicant. For mail requests, complete the Request for Criminal Record form and send it along with the complete fee to
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Missouri State Highway Patrol
P.O. Box 9500
Jefferson City, MO 65102-9500
If required, the CJIS Division will notarize the result of the personal identifier search or fingerprint-based search. This service will cost an additional $2.00 for each request.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol operates an online search tool for traffic crash reports. This service provides preliminary information about motor vehicle injuries and fatalities that were investigated by the MSHP only. The information available on the website remains online for one year and all reports obtained from this website are unofficial. To obtain an official report, a request must be sent to the appropriate Troop Headquarters along with a check or money order for the fee, payable to DPS Missouri State Highway Patrol. Traffic crash reports cost $4.90 per report and certification of reports cost $2 per certification. For available crash reconstruction reports and photos, contact the patrol records division.
Send the completed Request For Traffic Crash Report form and the complete fee to:
Troop C Headquarters
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Attn: Accident Desk
891 Technology Drive
Weldon Springs, MO 63304
(636) 300-2800
The Franklin County Sheriff Office accepts requests for records maintained by the County Sheriff. These include incident reports, investigative reports, and booking reports. The fees are $2 for incident reports and $5 for booking reports. For investigative reports, the fee is $5 for the first 50 pages and 10 cents for each additional page. For other record requests, the fees will be assessed by the hourly rate of the personnel required to attend to the request plus 10 cents for each printed page. Records can be requested by mail or in person.
Submit a completed Record Request form and the complete fee by mail or in person to:
Franklin County Sheriff Office
Attn: Records
1 Bruns Lane
Union, MO 63084
Phone: (636) 583-2560
Fax: (636) 584-6877
The office will notify the requester when the report is available. Records may be picked up in person anytime from Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Include a self-addressed and stamped envelope for copies of a requested record that should be mailed back to the requester.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is charged with maintaining a statewide sex offender registry online which is accessible to any member of the public. Use the county search option to search for sex offenders registered in Franklin county. The MSHP also provides sex offender information via its toll-free number: (888) 767-6747. Information provided through the toll-free number is limited to only the information sex offenders are required to provide, by Missouri statutes. The information provided shall include a disclaimer and it is illegal to use such information to commit a crime. Additional information and verifications on sex offenders may be obtained from the Franklin County Sheriff.
The Franklin County adult detention facility is the only correctional facility in the county. It is run by the Sheriff and the listed address is 1 Bruns Lane, Union, MO 63084-3221. The contact phone number is (636) 583-2560; ext. 224.
Family and friends wishing to fund an inmate’s commissary account must do so by the end of Monday, for the funds to be available that week. Funds can be deposited in an inmate’s account by:
- Use of the kiosk located in the detention center lobby. The kiosk accepts cash, debit, and credit cards. Search for the inmate using the inmate name or ID number.
- Access Corrections phone service by calling (866) 345-1884. The inmate’s ID number will be required.
- Access Corrections online service. The inmate’s ID number will be required.
Court Records
Franklin County has a Circuit Court and ten Municipal Courts located around the county. The Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases in Franklin County and is organized into divisions, based on case type. The divisions include associate circuit, family court, juvenile court, probate court, small claims court, municipal court, and traffic court. The Municipal Courts are divisions of the Circuit Court with limited jurisdiction. They mostly handle cases involving the violations of municipal ordinances. The courts in Franklin County are located at:
Franklin County Circuit Court
Franklin County Judicial Center
401 East Main Street
Room 100A
Union, MO 63084
Phone: (636) 583-7366 (Civil)
(636) 583-7365 (Criminal)
(636) 583-6312 (Probate)
Berger Municipal Division
Gasconade County Courthouse
119 East 1st Street
Suite 6
Hermann, MO 65041
Phone: (573) 486-2632
Fax: (573) 486-5812
Franklin County Municipal Court
Historical Courthouse
15 South Church Street
Room 306
Union, MO 63084
(636) 584-6286
Gerald Municipal Division
Franklin County Judicial Center
401 East Main Street
Room 100A
Union, MO 63084
Phone: (636) 583-7378
New Haven Municipal Court
101 Front Street
New Haven, MO 63068
Phone: (573) 237-2349
Fax: (573) 237-4696
Pacific Municipal Court
300 Hoven Drive
Pacific, MO 63069
Phone: (636) 257-4553
Fax: (636) 257-6648
St. Clair Municipal Division
1 Paul Parks Drive
St. Clair, MO 63077
Phone: (636) 629-5194
Fax: (636) 629-6467
Sullivan Municipal Court
City Hall
210 West Washington Street
Sullivan, MO 63080
Phone: (573) 468-5627
Fax: (573) 468-6842
Union Municipal Court
500 East Locust Street
Union, MO 63084
Phone: (636) 586-8436
Fax: (636) 744-8038
Village of Miramiguoa Park Municipal Division
Franklin County Judicial Center
401 East Main Street
Room 100A
Union, MO 63084
(636) 583-7378
Washington Municipal Division
Franklin County Judicial Center
401 East Main Street
Room 100A
Union, MO 63084
(636) 583-7378
The easiest way of obtaining a court record is by visiting the Franklin County Judicial Center and submitting a request to the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. If the case involved local ordinances and was heard at any of the municipal divisions, then contact the Clerk of the Municipal Court where the case was heard. Alternatively, court records may be obtained from Case.net. Case.net is an online system deployed by the Missouri judicial system to enable easier access to court records by members of the public.
The Office of the Recorder of Deeds records and files all documents pertaining to property in Franklin County. The Recorder of Deeds can be contacted at:
400 East Locust Street
Room 102
Union, MO 63084
Phone: (636) 583-6367
Fax: (636) 583-7330
recorder@franklinmo.net
Vital Records
Divorce records for Franklin County are available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Franklin County and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS), but only records from 1948 are available from the MDHSS. The MDHSS will only issue Certified Statements of Divorce to eligible persons upon the submission of a completed Application for a Vital Record form and a check/money order for the $15 fee (per copy).
Contact the Clerk of the Franklin County Circuit Court for certified copies of divorce decrees. There is a $1 fee per page for copying and a $1.50 fee for certification.
Franklin County marriage records are available to eligible persons from the Recorder of Deeds for Franklin County and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS). The MDHSS only has records of marriages dating back to 1948. Only eligible persons will receive Certified Statements Relating to Marriage from the MDHSS upon request. Submit a completed Application for a Vital Record form and a check/money order for the $15 fee (per copy) to the MDHSS to receive a copy of the record.
Records available from the Franklin County Recorder of Deeds can be requested online or by mail. There is a $9 fee for each certified copy of a marriage certificate and a $2 fee for each non-certified copy. To obtain one or both copies, complete the Marriage License Request form and return it with a check or money order for the complete fee and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
Recorder of Deeds
400 East Locust Street
Room 102
Union, MO 63084
The Bureau of Vital Records of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) issues certified copies of certificates of births and deaths from 1910 to the present. The records are available to eligible persons and can be requested online, by mail, or in person. Copies of the certificates cost $15 each.
Submit a completed Application for a Vital Record form and a check or money order for the complete fee to:
Bureau of Vital Records
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
930 Wildwood
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102-570
A mail request must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
An in-person request can be paid for with cash, and a valid form of ID must be presented before processing will begin.
For birth and death records prior to 1910, contact the Clerk of the Franklin Circuit Court or send written requests to the:
Records Management and Archives Service
P.O. Box 778
Jefferson City, MO 65102
