Clark County Circuit Clerk Office
Kimberly A. Schantz-Smith is the Clark County Circuit Clerk. The office serves the public and attorneys for 1st Judicial Circuit Court cases in Clark County. It is the local record point for public court case information, certified copies, docket questions, traffic-ticket payment routing, and case categories that Missouri assigns to circuit court divisions. The Circuit Clerk page also states that clerk employees are prohibited by law from responding to requests for legal advice.
The Missouri Association of Counties Clark County directory is a county-office reference for courthouse contacts and local government routing.
The directory image supports the local office framework used for Clark County court, county, recorder, and sheriff contacts.
Clark County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Kimberly A. Schantz-Smith
111 E. Court Street, Suite 210
Kahoka, MO 63445-1268
660-727-3292
Fax: 660-727-6919
Email: kimberly.schantz@courts.mo.gov
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.; closed state holidays
Clark County Clerk Case Duties
The Circuit Clerk handles Clark County court records for the circuit court, not every county record. The local page identifies 1st Judicial Circuit Court case categories and directs users to Missouri Case.net for case information. Those categories include traffic tickets, misdemeanor and felony criminal cases, ex parte orders of protection, small claims, circuit and associate civil, domestic relations, child support, probate, juvenile, adoptions, and termination of parental rights cases.
- Maintains public court case files and docket information for eligible Clark County Circuit Court matters.
- Routes traffic-ticket users to Case.net and Plead and Pay when a ticket is entered and eligible.
- Issues or processes clerk copies and certified court records when available under court access rules.
- Answers procedural office questions by phone, mail, and counter service, without giving legal advice.
- Handles probate, civil, criminal, domestic, protection-order, juvenile, and adoption case categories within access limits.
For broad court record searching, the contextual starting point is the Clark County court records page, but certified copies and local copy questions come back to the Circuit Clerk.
Clark County Case.net Access
Clark County does not publish a separate county-built court database. The Circuit Clerk points court users to Missouri Case.net for 1st Judicial Circuit case information. Search by case number when the exact case number is known, or use name search when a party lacks the number. For Clark County traffic tickets, the local instruction is specific: go to Case.net, enter the case number on the ticket, and use Plead and Pay only when it appears.
| Search Mode | When It Helps | Clark County Note |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Known ticket, filing, or case notice. | Use the number printed on the ticket when available. |
| Litigant/name | No case number or more than one citation. | The Circuit Clerk says two citations may require name search. |
| Filing date | Approximate filing period is known. | Useful when the party name is common. |
| Scheduled hearings | Upcoming court date or docket check. | Public hearings may be searchable when listed. |
| Judgment index | Judgment research. | Availability depends on the portal search path. |
Traffic records have one added timing rule. A Clark County ticket may take up to 25 days from the date received to enter the court system. If Plead and Pay is not shown, the offense may require a court appearance, and the Circuit Clerk phone line is the local fallback.
Request Clark County Certified Copies
A certified copy is a court copy verified by the clerk for official use. Screen prints or online docket views are not the same thing. Certified copies may be needed for estate work, appeals, licensing, employment records where lawful, title issues, name-change proof, or agency requests. Clark County certified court copies should be requested through the Circuit Clerk because that office can confirm whether the document is public, restricted, sealed, redacted, or available only to a party or attorney.
- Search Case.net or court paperwork for the case number, case type, party names, and filing date.
- Identify the exact document needed, such as judgment, disposition, docket sheet, probate order, letters, or certified copy of a filing.
- Call or visit the Circuit Clerk to confirm access, copy format, cost, and whether payment can be mailed.
- Submit the request by counter service or mail with the identifying details and any required payment.
- Use the clerk-issued certified copy for official purposes rather than a public portal printout.
Note: Clerk staff can explain office procedure and record availability, but cannot tell a requester what legal document to file.
Clark County Records Request Fields
The research file did not locate a Clark County court-copy request form with fixed field labels. A clear request should still provide enough detail for the Circuit Clerk to identify the file without guessing. For non-court county administrative records, Missouri Sunshine Law procedures may apply through the relevant county custodian. Court case copies remain a court clerk process.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Recommended | Best identifier for Case.net and clerk searches. |
| Party names | Yes if no case number | Use full names and role if known. |
| Case type | Recommended | Criminal, traffic, civil, domestic, probate, small claims, or protection order. |
| Document requested | Yes | Judgment, disposition, docket sheet, filing, order, letters, or certified copy. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Name, phone, mailing address, and email when available. |
| Certification need | Yes | State whether a plain copy or certified copy is needed. |
Clark County Clerk Fees
The Clark County research did not locate a local court-copy or filing-fee table for the Circuit Clerk. The page does document traffic payment channels: appearance plea and waiver can be paid by mail or in person before the court date with cash, money order, or check at the Circuit Clerk's Office. Cash by mail should be avoided as a practical matter even though the local page lists cash as a payment type. Current copy, certification, and filing charges should be confirmed before mailing a request.
| Item | Amount / Rule Located |
|---|---|
| Plain court copy | Amount not located in official Clark County research; call the Circuit Clerk. |
| Certified court copy | Amount not located; confirm current certification charge before requesting. |
| Court filing fees | Local fee schedule not located; confirm by case type. |
| Traffic payment | Use Plead and Pay if eligible, or mail/appear in person as directed by the Circuit Clerk. |
Clark County Clerk Office Split
Missouri's local offices split court and non-court records in Clark County. The Circuit Clerk is the primary court clerk for the site because the office handles court case access. The County Clerk, Kelly Waples, handles elections, voter registration, absentee voting, notary commissions, liquor licenses, payroll, commission clerk functions, budget work, accounts payable, insurance, financial statements, and tax levy certification. The County Clerk is in Suite 110, with phone 660-727-3283 and email clark@sos.mo.gov.
The Recorder of Deeds, Melissa Bevans or Melissa Plenge Bevans as shown in the research, handles marriage licenses, certified marriage copies, deeds, deeds of trust, powers of attorney, surveys, tax liens, military discharges, and recorded land records. Recorder records date back to 1836. The Recorder also offers iCounty online searches, but viewing content requires a login. Marriage and recorder issues should not be sent to the Circuit Clerk unless a related court case exists.
| Office | Main Records | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Clerk | Court cases, dockets, certified court copies, probate, traffic court cases. | 660-727-3292 |
| County Clerk | Elections, notary commissions, county administrative records, commission records. | 660-727-3283 |
| Recorder of Deeds | Marriage licenses, land records, deeds, plats, military discharges. | 660-727-8261 |
Statewide Records Linked to Clark County
Some searches that begin with a Clark County court case lead to state agencies rather than the Circuit Clerk. The Missouri Department of Corrections handles state custody, probation, parole, and offender-supervision information after a person enters the state corrections system. That is different from a Clark County criminal case file kept by the Circuit Clerk.
The Corrections homepage image is relevant because a court disposition may later connect to state custody or supervision, but DOC is not the custodian for clerk copies.
The Missouri DOC Offender Search is a separate active-offender search for people supervised by the Department of Corrections.
The offender-search image helps separate a Clark County court record from a statewide corrections record that may exist after sentencing or supervision.