Butler County Circuit Clerk Office
Cindi Bowman is the Butler County Circuit Clerk. The county's Circuit Courts page says the clerk maintains complete and accurate court records, collects and disburses money paid into court, and assists the court. The office is split by function, with civil and criminal counters on the third floor and the Probate Division on the first floor.
The Circuit Clerk receives, processes, and maintains judgments, rules, orders, and proceedings. The office also issues summonses, subpoenas, executions, garnishments, sequestrations, judgments, orders, and commitments. It collects and disburses fines, costs, restitution-related money, and other court-ordered payments. It also preserves the court seal and office property, provides uniform case reporting, and assists with some genealogical searches.
The Circuit Clerk is different from the Butler County Recorder of Deeds. Marriage licenses, land records, liens, plats, military discharge indexes, and recorded-document searches are Recorder records. The Circuit Clerk is the right office for Circuit Court files, divorce decrees, probate court files, criminal case records, civil judgments, court costs, and jury questions.
Butler County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Cindi Bowman
100 N. Main Street, 3rd Floor
Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
Civil: 573-686-8082
Criminal: 573-686-8087
Probate: 573-686-8073
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri homepage is the source for the federal clerk-reference image below.
The federal court reference helps distinguish Butler County Circuit Clerk records from federal district court files.
What the Clerk Does in Butler County
The Butler County Circuit Clerk works under Missouri's unified circuit court system. Court users contact this office for civil, criminal, probate, family, dissolution, name change, paternity, child support, financial, immigration, juvenile, adoption, and some historical record questions. Access can vary by case type because juvenile, adoption, sealed, expunged, and protected information is not ordinary public lookup material.
- Maintains judgments, rules, orders, proceedings, and docket information.
- Issues court process such as summonses, subpoenas, executions, garnishments, and commitments.
- Collects and disburses fines, court costs, restitution payments, and other court money.
- Selects and summons jurors for Butler County Circuit Court terms.
- Assists with public access and genealogical searches when records are available.
How to Request a Certified Copy
Certified court copies are used when a plain printout is not enough. A certified divorce decree, judgment, order, or letters document must come from the court office that maintains the file. The Circuit Clerk publishes the clearest request rules for divorce decrees, and similar copy questions should start with the correct division phone number when no form is posted.
- Search Missouri Case.net for the case number, party names, court division, and public docket entries.
- Identify the right counter: civil at 573-686-8082, criminal at 573-686-8087, or probate at 573-686-8073.
- For a divorce decree, include the parties' names at the time of divorce, approximate month and year, a self-addressed stamped envelope for mail, and the copy fee.
- Ask whether the document can be mailed, must be picked up, or needs proof of party status before release.
Records Request Form Fields
No standalone Circuit Clerk copy-request PDF was found in the research. The divorce-decree instructions from the clerk FAQ provide the best local field inventory. For other court records, the same logic applies: give enough case detail for staff to identify the file and the document requested.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Helpful | Use the Case.net number when known. |
| Party names | Yes | Divorce decree requests require names at the time of divorce. |
| Approximate date | Yes for divorce | Month and year help locate the file. |
| Document type | Yes | Examples include decree, judgment, order, or letters. |
| Self-addressed stamped envelope | Yes for mail | Required by the divorce decree copy instructions. |
Butler County Clerk Fees
The Circuit Clerk publishes several fees and payment rules. Some are filing fees, some are copy fees, and some apply only after costs become delinquent. The clerk page also links to Missouri PayByWeb for court payments where the system accepts payment.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dissolution of marriage filing | $102, not including service fees |
| Motion for Family Access filing | $102 plus service fee |
| Divorce decree copy without attachment | $2.50 |
| Divorce decree copy with attachment | $5.00 |
| Misdemeanor traffic / infraction payment plan | $50 per month until paid in full |
| Time Payment Fee | $25 one-time fee, removed if paid within 30 days of billing |
| Delinquent collection referral | Additional 20% of total due |
Common Butler Clerk Requests
The Circuit Clerk page points users to Case.net, PayByWeb, divorce decree copy instructions, family access filing details, passport information, and jury service rules. For self-represented dissolution cases, the clerk FAQ says Missouri self-help pleading forms and the litigant awareness program are required, but the clerk cannot give legal advice.
- Case.net - public case lookup, court dates, and document access where available.
- PayByWeb - court payment channel linked by the clerk.
- Circuit Clerk FAQ - divorce decree, family access, costs, jury, and payment-plan information.
Online Access and Mail Requests
Missouri remote public access changed on July 1, 2023. The Butler County Circuit Clerk page announces that public court documents filed on or after that date may be viewed from a computer, tablet, or phone through Case.net, as long as the document is public and properly redacted. Documents filed before that date, certified copies, and restricted records may require courthouse terminal access or clerk assistance.
Mail requests are documented most clearly for divorce decree copies. Send the required names, approximate date, self-addressed stamped envelope, and fee to Cindi Bowman, Butler County Circuit Clerk, 100 N. Main St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901. For criminal restitution questions, the clerk FAQ points users to the Prosecuting Attorney at 573-686-8060 before paying if they are unsure whether restitution is owed.
Jury service is also tied to the Circuit Clerk. The local FAQ says jury duty lasts three months, with jury terms beginning on the first Monday of March, June, September, and December. Both voter registration and driver license applicant lists feed the jury master list, and only the Circuit Judge can remove a randomly selected juror for health reasons. Address changes should be returned on the juror form.
The Eastern District counties and divisions page is the source for the federal-division image below.
That federal division page helps separate Butler County state Circuit Clerk work from federal district court records.
The Eastern District CM/ECF system is the source for the image below.
CM/ECF is a federal filing system and does not replace Missouri Case.net for Butler County Circuit Court records.
The Eastern District PACER information page is the source for the image below.
PACER applies to federal case access, while local certified copies still come from the Butler County Circuit Clerk.
The PACER court lookup for the Eastern District of Missouri is the source for the image below.
The lookup confirms why a federal docket search is separate from Butler County Circuit Clerk record access.