Boone County Criminal Records
What Is Boone County Criminal Records
Criminal records in Boone County, Missouri are official government documents that chronicle an individual's interactions with the criminal justice system, from initial law enforcement contact through final court disposition. These records are maintained by multiple agencies across the county and state, each responsible for a distinct segment of the criminal justice process.
Key distinctions among record types include:
- Arrest records vs. conviction records: An arrest record documents that law enforcement took an individual into custody based on probable cause. A conviction record reflects a formal finding of guilt by a court, either through a guilty plea or trial verdict. An arrest does not constitute a conviction, and individuals may have arrest records without any resulting conviction.
- Felony vs. misdemeanor: Felonies are serious offenses punishable by more than one year of incarceration in a state correctional facility. Misdemeanors are lesser offenses typically resulting in fines or confinement in a county jail for up to one year.
- Adult vs. juvenile records: Adult criminal records are generally accessible to the public under Missouri law. Juvenile records are presumptively confidential and may be sealed pursuant to § 211.321 RSMo, which governs the confidentiality and expungement of juvenile court records.
- Active warrants vs. historical records: Active warrants represent current judicial orders authorizing law enforcement to apprehend an individual. Historical records document past arrests, charges, and dispositions that have been resolved.
Criminal records in Boone County may include charges filed, arraignment proceedings, pleas entered, trial outcomes, sentencing details, probation and parole conditions, and any subsequent modifications to those conditions. The principal agencies responsible for maintaining these records are:
- Boone County Sheriff's Office — maintains arrest records, booking information, and jail records
- Boone County Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit — maintains case filings, court proceedings, and final dispositions
- Missouri State Highway Patrol Criminal Justice Information Services Division — maintains statewide criminal history records
- Columbia Police Department — maintains local arrest and incident records
Boone County Circuit Court 705 E. Walnut St., Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 886-4000 Boone County, Missouri Government
Are Criminal Records Public In Boone County
Adult criminal records in Boone County are generally accessible to members of the public under Missouri's Sunshine Law. Pursuant to § 610.010–610.035 RSMo, governmental bodies are required to make public records available for inspection and copying upon request. Court records, arrest logs, booking information, and final dispositions of adult criminal cases are considered open records under this framework.
What is public:
- Adult conviction records and court case dispositions
- Arrest logs and booking records maintained by the Sheriff's Office
- Court dockets, case filings, and sentencing orders
- Sex offender registration information
- Probation and parole status for adult offenders
What is restricted or exempt:
- Juvenile court records, which are sealed by default under § 211.321 RSMo
- Records pertaining to ongoing criminal investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise law enforcement operations
- Expunged records, which are treated as if they never occurred following a court order under § 610.140 RSMo
- Victim identifying information in certain sensitive case types
- Mental health and medical records associated with criminal proceedings
Members of the public may inspect open criminal records during regular business hours at the relevant custodial agency. Requests submitted under the Sunshine Law must generally be fulfilled within three business days, though agencies may request a reasonable extension for voluminous or complex requests.
How To Look Up Criminal Records In Boone County in 2026
Members of the public seeking criminal records in Boone County may access them through several official channels depending on the type of record needed. The following steps outline the process for obtaining records from the primary custodial agencies.
Step 1 — Identify the type of record needed. Determine whether the record sought is an arrest record, a court case record, a statewide criminal history, or a corrections record. Each type is maintained by a different agency.
Step 2 — Contact or visit the appropriate agency.
- For court case records and dispositions, submit a request to the Boone County Circuit Court Clerk's Office in person or by mail. Requestors should provide the subject's full legal name and date of birth.
- For arrest and booking records, contact the Boone County Sheriff's Office or the Columbia Police Department directly.
- For statewide criminal history background checks, submit a fingerprint-based request through the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS), which processes both state and FBI background checks for a combined fee of $44.00.
- For corrections and offender supervision records, use the Missouri Department of Corrections offender search tool.
Step 3 — Submit required identification and fees. Most in-person requests require a valid government-issued photo ID. Certified copies of court records are subject to per-page fees established by the court. Background checks through MACHS require fingerprinting at an authorized location.
Step 4 — Await processing. In-person requests for court records are often fulfilled same-day. Mailed requests and background check submissions may take several business days to process.
Boone County Sheriff's Office 2121 County Dr., Columbia, MO 65202 (573) 875-1111 Boone County, Missouri Government
Columbia Police Department 600 E. Walnut St., Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 874-7652 City of Columbia, Missouri
How To Find Criminal Records in Boone County Online?
Several official online portals currently provide access to Boone County criminal records without requiring an in-person visit. Each portal contains distinct categories of information and carries its own search requirements.
Available online resources include:
- Missouri Case.net — The Missouri judiciary's public case management system allows users to search court records statewide, including Boone County Circuit Court filings. Users may search by name, case number, or filing date. The system contains case summaries, charge information, hearing dates, and dispositions. No registration is required for basic searches.
- Boone County Jail Roster — The Boone County Sheriff's Office maintains a current online jail roster listing individuals currently in custody, including booking date, charges, and bond information. This resource reflects real-time custody status.
- Municipal Court Records — The Municipal Court for the City of Columbia is a division of the Circuit Court of Boone County, 13th Judicial Circuit. Municipal court records, including traffic and ordinance violations, may be accessed through the court's online record request process.
- Missouri Department of Corrections Offender Search — The MODOC Offender Search provides information about individuals currently or previously supervised by the Missouri Department of Corrections, including incarceration history and supervision status.
- Missouri Sex Offender Registry — Maintained by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, this registry is publicly searchable and contains registration information for individuals required to register under state law.
Records involving sealed cases, expunged offenses, or active investigations are not available through any public online portal. Certified copies of court documents must be obtained directly from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office and are not available for download through online systems.
Can You Search Boone County Criminal Records for Free?
Missouri law does not impose a fee for the initial inspection of public records. Under § 610.026 RSMo, governmental bodies may charge fees for providing copies of records, but members of the public retain the right to inspect open records at no cost during regular business hours.
Free resources currently available include:
- Missouri Case.net — Free public access to court case summaries, docket entries, and charge information for Boone County Circuit Court cases
- Boone County Jail Roster — Free online access to current inmate information maintained by the Sheriff's Office
- MODOC Offender Search — Free online search of Missouri Department of Corrections offender records through the offender supervision database
- Missouri Sex Offender Registry — Free public search available through the Missouri State Highway Patrol website
- In-person inspection — Members of the public may inspect physical court records at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office at no charge
Fees apply in the following circumstances:
- Certified copies of court documents (per-page fees set by the court)
- Fingerprint-based background checks through the Missouri Automated Criminal History fingerprint portal, which currently charges $44.00 for a combined state and FBI check
- Copies of records provided by mail or in electronic format, subject to the custodial agency's fee schedule
What's Included in a Boone County Criminal Record?
A complete criminal record in Boone County may contain information drawn from multiple agencies and compiled across the full arc of a criminal case. The specific contents vary depending on the source of the record and the nature of the underlying offense.
Identifying Information:
- Full legal name and known aliases
- Date of birth and physical description (height, weight, eye and hair color)
- Photograph (mugshot) taken at booking
- Last known address
- State Identification Number (SID) assigned by the Missouri State Highway Patrol
- FBI Number assigned upon federal fingerprint submission
Arrest Information:
- Date, time, and location of arrest
- Arresting agency (Sheriff's Office, Columbia Police Department, or other law enforcement)
- Booking number and facility
- Charges filed at the time of arrest
- Bail or bond amount set
- Name of jail facility where the individual was held
Court Case Information:
- Case number and court of jurisdiction
- Filing date and assigned judge
- Charges as formally filed, including applicable statutes and felony or misdemeanor classification
- Plea entered (guilty, not guilty, or no contest)
- Attorney of record for the defense and prosecution
Disposition:
- Verdict (guilty, not guilty, dismissed, or nolle prosequi)
- Conviction date if applicable
- Sentencing details, including type of sentence (incarceration, probation, suspended sentence), length, fines, restitution ordered, and special conditions
- Appeals filed and outcomes
- Probation or parole terms and supervising agency
Additional Record Elements:
- Active or recalled warrants
- Protective or restraining orders
- Sex offender registration status
- DUI/DWI adjudications
- Traffic violations adjudicated in municipal court
- Pending charges not yet resolved
How Long Does Boone County Keep Criminal Records?
Boone County and the State of Missouri maintain criminal records according to retention schedules established under state law and administrative rule. The Missouri Secretary of State's Local Records Program sets minimum retention periods for records held by county agencies.
Retention periods for common record types include:
- Felony conviction records: Retained permanently by the Circuit Court and the Missouri State Highway Patrol
- Misdemeanor conviction records: Retained permanently by the Circuit Court
- Arrest records without conviction: Retained for a minimum period; subject to expungement under § 610.140 RSMo upon court order
- Jail booking records: Retained by the Boone County Sheriff's Office for a minimum of three years for non-conviction bookings; longer for conviction-related bookings
- Court case files (felony): Retained permanently
- Court case files (misdemeanor and infraction): Retained for a minimum of ten years following case closure
- Probation and parole records: Retained by the Missouri Department of Corrections for a minimum of five years following discharge from supervision
- Juvenile records: Subject to sealing and destruction procedures under § 211.321 RSMo upon the subject reaching adulthood and meeting statutory criteria
The Missouri State Archives and the Secretary of State's office provide oversight of records retention compliance for local government agencies. Agencies are prohibited from destroying records prior to the expiration of the applicable retention period without authorization from the State Records Commission.
Boone County Circuit Court Clerk's Office 705 E. Walnut St., Columbia, MO 65201 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (573) 886-4000 Boone County, Missouri Government