About the Texas County Circuit Clerk's Office
The current Texas County Circuit Clerk listed by the official county site is Erin Smith. The Circuit Clerk serves a four-year elected term and is the primary local custodian for court records in the Texas County Circuit Court. The office is located in the Texas County Justice Center, which is the building used for court records, criminal case records, traffic cases, probate filings, warrant-related court questions, jail booking questions, and prosecutor contact.
The Circuit Clerk's Office has seven divisions: Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Juvenile, Probate, Jury, and Accounting. Its duties include receiving, processing, and maintaining judgments, rules, orders, and proceedings; issuing summonses, subpoenas, executions, garnishments, sequestrations, judgments, orders, and commitments; collecting and disbursing fines and costs; collecting other court-ordered money; preserving the court seal; providing uniform case reporting; and entering child-support case records into the state system.
The official Texas County Circuit Clerk page is the local source for the office, divisions, Case.net direction, hours, and contact information.
This source confirms that court-record access in Texas County should be routed through the Circuit Clerk rather than through another clerk model.
Texas County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Erin Smith
519 North Grand Avenue, Suite 202
Houston, MO 65483
417-967-3742
Fax: 417-967-4220
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM; state and federal holidays honored
What the Circuit Clerk Does in Texas County
The Circuit Clerk is the correct counter for civil cases, criminal cases, traffic cases, probate files, certified court copies, jury questions, accounting for fines and costs, and many court-process records. The clerk's role is administrative and records-focused. Employees can explain how to search for public information or request copies, but the county specifically warns that Circuit Clerk employees cannot provide legal advice.
- Maintains judgments, court rules, orders, docket entries, filings, and proceedings for the Circuit Court's local divisions.
- Issues court process such as summonses, subpoenas, executions, garnishments, sequestrations, judgments, orders, and commitments.
- Collects and disburses fines, costs, and other court-ordered money through the Accounting division.
- Preserves the seal and other office property, provides uniform case reporting, and enters child-support case information into the state system.
- Supports the Probate, Juvenile, Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Jury, and Accounting divisions from the Justice Center office.
Public online search uses Missouri Case.net. The county says 25th Judicial Circuit searches are real-time once information is entered in the Circuit Clerk's office, while all participating court searches can lag by up to three hours. For a Texas County case, that timing detail makes a local circuit search more useful than a broad statewide search when the case is current.
How to Request a Certified Copy
Certified copies are usually needed when a person must prove a court action outside the courthouse, such as a judgment, disposition, divorce decree, probate authority, name-change-related court order, or other official case result. Case.net can help locate the case number and docket status, but a certified copy comes from the Circuit Clerk. The research did not locate an official Texas County court-copy fee schedule, so copy price and payment method should be confirmed before mailing a request.
- Search Case.net for the case number, court division, party names, filing date, and document or order needed.
- Call the Circuit Clerk at 417-967-3742 to confirm whether the record is public, available remotely, and eligible for certification.
- Prepare a written request with case number, party names, document type, copy type, number of copies, return mailing address, and contact phone or email.
- Ask the clerk for the current fee, accepted payment, mailing instructions, and whether a self-addressed stamped envelope is required.
- Submit the request by mail or in person at 519 North Grand Avenue, Suite 202, Houston, Missouri 65483.
If the requested file involves juvenile, adoption, mental-health, sealed, expunged, or confidential information, the clerk may require a court order, attorney involvement, party identification, redaction review, or a different process.
Records Request Form Fields
No Texas County Circuit Clerk online court-copy request form was located in the research. A written request should still give the clerk enough information to identify the file and produce the correct copy. Missing case numbers, common names, unclear document descriptions, and unspecified copy type can slow a request.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Recommended | Use the Case.net case number when known; it is the fastest way to locate the file. |
| Party Names | Yes | Include full names and roles such as plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, decedent, or protected person. |
| Document Type | Yes | Identify the judgment, decree, disposition, order, probate letters, docket sheet, or filing needed. |
| Copy Type | Yes | Say whether the request is for a plain copy or certified copy. |
| Approximate Date | Helpful | Include filing date, judgment date, hearing date, or approximate year if the case number is unknown. |
| Return Contact | Yes | Provide mailing address and phone or email so staff can resolve fee or access questions. |
Texas County Circuit Clerk Fees
The research confirmed several access notes but did not locate an official Texas County Circuit Clerk certified court-copy fee schedule. Avoid relying on unofficial fees. Confirm current copy, certification, mailing, search, and filing charges with the Circuit Clerk before sending payment.
| Item | Amount / Access Note |
|---|---|
| Case.net court-record search | Free public search; county directs users to Case.net. |
| 25th Judicial Circuit Case.net data | Real-time once entered in the Circuit Clerk's office. |
| All participating Missouri courts search | County says results can lag up to three hours. |
| Plain court copy | Official Texas County fee not located in research; call the Circuit Clerk. |
| Certified court copy | Official Texas County fee not located in research; call the Circuit Clerk. |
Common Clerk and County Record Channels
Texas County separates court records from other county records. The Circuit Clerk handles court case files. The County Clerk handles county commission proceedings, elections, tax books, county licenses, notary commissions, and administrative records. The Recorder of Deeds handles deeds, plats, liens, releases, marriage licenses, military discharges subject to exceptions, and other recorded documents.
The Texas County County Clerk page explains county-administration records and Peggy Seyler's office, which is not the Circuit Clerk's court-record office.
That source is useful for routing non-court public-record requests away from the Circuit Clerk and to the correct county custodian.
- Circuit Clerk - court cases, certified court copies, dockets, traffic, probate, criminal, civil, juvenile, jury, and accounting divisions.
- County Clerk - county commission records, elections, tax books, county administration, licenses, and notary matters.
- Recorder of Deeds - marriage licenses, deeds, recorded documents, plats, liens, releases, and recorded-document copies.
Mail, Online Search, and Visit Rules
Online public case lookup uses Missouri Case.net. Mail copy requests should go to the Circuit Clerk at the Justice Center with enough case information to identify the file. In-person visitors should plan around courthouse security. The Jury Commission page says all patrons entering the Justice Center are subject to search by security staff, cell phones and weapons are not permitted, and knives will be confiscated and not returned. The Justice Center opens promptly at 8:00 AM, while the Circuit Clerk office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The Texas County search county records page documents non-court search tools such as GIS subscriptions and iCounty recorded-document or marriage index access.
This county search page is helpful for distinguishing court cases from Recorder of Deeds and GIS materials that do not belong to the Circuit Clerk.