Search Butler Marriage and Divorce Records

Getting Butler County Marriage Records

Butler County marriage records are maintained by the Butler County Recorder of Deeds, not by the Circuit Clerk. The Recorder issues marriage licenses, records marriage applications, indexes both parties, and sends a monthly report to the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records. The office is in Room 106 of the Butler County Courthouse at 100 North Main Street in Poplar Bluff. The county page lists Recorder Debby Lundstrom and states that the office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Recorder's marriage index is useful for current certified-copy requests and genealogy work. The county states that computerized marriage records begin in 1845, and applications and licenses are indexed with both parties. A marriage application records names, residence, age, and other party information. Certified copies after return of the license are ordered through the Recorder, while court case records from a divorce are handled by the Circuit Clerk.

The Recorder page is the source for the Butler County marriage-record image below.

The Recorder office is the local custodian for marriage licenses, marriage copies, and marriage application indexes.

Apply for a Butler County License

Butler County uses an online application step, but the county is clear that the online form does not create the appointment by itself. Applicants may complete the linked Fidlar application first, then schedule or call the Recorder so both parties can appear and finish the license process. The marriage license must be used in Missouri within 30 days, and the officiant must return the completed license to the Butler County Recorder of Deeds within 15 days after the ceremony.

1. Complete the county's Fidlar marriage application before the office visit when possible.
2. Schedule the appointment separately. The county's 2024 online-marriage notice says applicants may still call 573-686-8086 for an appointment or to apply and pick up the license in person.
3. Both parties appear together at the Recorder of Deeds office with valid ID and Social Security cards.
4. Pay the license fee in cash. The fee includes one certified copy after the completed license is returned.
5. Use the license within 30 days in Missouri, then make sure the officiant returns it to the Butler County Recorder within 15 days.

Previously married applicants must provide the date the prior marriage ended. A person divorced less than 30 days may apply only after acknowledging in writing that the divorce may still be appealed or set aside during that period.

Butler Marriage Application Fields

The Butler County marriage application and in-office appointment focus on identity, eligibility, and indexing information. The Recorder records both the application and the license, so names, residence, and age matter both for issuing the license and for later marriage-record searches.

The county's marriage-license page is the source for the Butler County application-process image below.

Those requirements control the marriage-license appointment, even when the application starts online.

Butler Marriage and Divorce Fees

Butler County publishes several marriage and divorce amounts. Marriage license and certified marriage-copy fees come from the Recorder. Dissolution filing and divorce decree copy amounts come from the Circuit Clerk FAQ. Service fees, postage, payment-card costs, or later filing fees may add to the amounts below, so the office should confirm the final total before a payment is mailed or brought to the courthouse.

Note: The Recorder lists cash for marriage licenses and no checks, so confirm payment form before visiting Room 106.

Look Up Butler Marriage Records

For Butler County marriage records, start with the Recorder of Deeds. The Recorder indexes marriage applications and licenses with both parties and maintains computerized marriage records beginning in 1845. For certified copies, the county links to the Butler Fidlar vitals portal. For older searches, in-person work, or questions about a record that does not appear online, use the Recorder office at the courthouse or call 573-686-8086.

Searchers should have both spouses' names as used at the time of marriage and an approximate date. Because the Recorder's office is also the land-record office, make sure a request is clearly for a marriage license or certified marriage copy, not for a deed or lien record. The Fidlar Tapestry link on the Recorder page is for recorded land records, and the July 1, 2026 Tapestry fee change affects those searches, not court cases.

The Fidlar Tapestry page is the source for the Butler County recorded-record search image below.

Tapestry helps explain the Recorder's broader record system, but certified marriage copies still follow the Recorder's marriage-copy rules.

Find Butler County Divorce Records

Butler County divorce records are Circuit Court records. Dissolution cases are filed through the Butler County Circuit Clerk, and decree copies may be requested by mail or in person. The Circuit Clerk FAQ says a requester should provide the parties' names at the time of divorce, the approximate month and year of divorce, a self-addressed stamped envelope for mail requests, and the correct copy fee. Mail requests go to Cindi Bowman, Butler County Circuit Clerk, 100 N. Main St., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901.

Divorce case information may also appear in Missouri Case.net when public access rules allow it. Case.net is useful for case numbers, party names, case status, docket entries, and court dates. Certified decree copies still come from the Circuit Clerk, and family case attachments such as parenting plans or separation agreements may have different copy costs or access limits. For broader court-file access, the local court-record path is covered with the Butler County Circuit Clerk.

Certified Copy Request Details

A certified marriage copy proves that the Recorder recorded the returned license. A certified divorce decree proves a court judgment or dissolution order. The two records come from different offices. Use the Recorder for marriage licenses and the Circuit Clerk for divorce decrees. If the divorce decree has an attachment, the Circuit Clerk FAQ lists a higher copy amount than a judgment without attachment.

Missouri Vital Records Role

The Butler County Recorder reports marriage-license information to Missouri vital-record authorities, but the local Recorder remains the practical starting point for Butler County marriage copies. For divorce decrees, the Circuit Clerk remains the local issuing office because a divorce decree is a court judgment. A state vital-record office may be useful for statewide verification needs, but the research file did not provide a Butler-specific state copy workflow beyond the Recorder's monthly report.