On Oct. 15, 2026, a Berkeley man pleaded guilty to a plot to steal at least 14 properties "in St. Louis and St. Louis County" with fake deeds1.
Those deeds went to two offices. St. Louis has two Recorders of Deeds: the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds in Clayton and the City of St. Louis Recorder at City Hall. Each has its own records, its own free fraud alert and its own search.
Don't mix them up with St. Louis County, Minnesota, in the Duluth area, which has its own Property Watch alert2. This guide covers Missouri.
Is your home in St. Louis County or the City of St. Louis?
Look up your address in each free property search. Don't go by your mailing address. Many County homes have a "St. Louis, MO" address.
Even the County's government building in Clayton is listed as "SAINT LOUIS, MO 63105" in the County's own search3.
The split dates to 1876. Since then, St. Louis "has been an independent city, meaning it is not part of any county"4.
The City runs its own county offices, including a Recorder of Deeds4. That's the office that files and keeps deeds, the papers that pass a home from one owner to the next.
Which St. Louis office keeps your deed?
Use the office whose free lookup finds your address.
- Search your address in the County's Real Estate Search.
- Open your parcel to see your deed's document number.
- Sign up for alerts at propertyfraudalert.com/MOStLouis.
- Search your address in the City's Address and Property Search.
- Find your deed in the City's free Direct Search.
- Sign up for alerts at propertyfraudalert.com/MOCityofStLouis.
What does the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds handle?
It files and keeps land records for St. Louis County and offers the County's free fraud alert. The office is at 41 S. Central Ave. in Clayton, (314) 615-71005.
- Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome until 3 p.m.5
- Copies: $2 for the first page and $1 for each page after, paid by card. A typical deed is $5 plus a card fee5.
- Older deeds: Book a research appointment for anything recorded before 19745.
- Senior Tax Freeze locations: They also have copies of deeds recorded after 19745.
- Recording: $26 for the first page and $3 for each added page. Online filing (eRecording) vendors may add fees6.
Your parcel page links to Tapestry, a paid site for document copies3,7. It also warns that the Assessor's data "should not be used to verify or transfer ownership"3. Check the recorded deed instead.
How is the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds different?
It's a separate office with its own fees, a free online index and a stricter signing rule. Recorder Michael Butler's office is at City Hall, 1200 Market St., Room 128, (314) 622-4610. Land records hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays8.
- Two signatures: City law requires notarized signatures from both the grantor, who gives the property, and the grantee, who receives it9.
- Recording: A standard deed is $25 for the first page and $5 for each added page, and it needs a Certificate of Value. Walk-in filers can't pay by personal check9,10.
- Free index: The Direct Search finds documents by name, date, address or parcel, usually the next business day after recording11.
- Copies: Buy the image on Tapestry ($6.95 per search, plus fees). At City Hall, a copy is $3 for the first page and $2 for each page after, usually ready within 15 minutes7.
- Owner lookups: The City's Address and Property Search works by address or parcel number. "The City of St. Louis does not allow name searches of property records on its website"12.
Tracing a deed from before 1877? The City kept all City and County records made before the split, so those papers are downtown, too13.
How do the County and City fraud alerts compare?
They work the same way, but each one only watches its own Recorder's records. Both use Property Fraud Alert, run by Fidlar Technologies with each government. It messages you when a document is recorded under your name14,15,16.
| St. Louis County alert | City of St. Louis alert | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up page | propertyfraudalert.com/MOStLouis | propertyfraudalert.com/MOCityofStLouis |
| Watches documents filed at | The County Recorder in Clayton | The City Recorder at City Hall |
| Office listed | Gerald Smith, (314) 615-7100 | Michael Butler, (314) 622-4610 |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Alerts by | Email, text or automated voice call | Email, text or automated voice call |
| Help signing up | 800-728-3858 | 800-728-3858 |
More than 50,000 St. Louis County homeowners were signed up as of May 2025, officials said17.
Type your name the way the alert matches it18:
- Enter only the first letter of your first name, so "Steve" and "Stephen" both match.
- Leave out middle names and suffixes such as Jr.
- Spell your last name exactly. Add a second entry for any other spelling.
- Add up to 10 names at once, including a trust or a business.
- Own property in both places? Sign up on both pages.
The alert can't stop a filing. The sign-up page calls it "an early warning system" that "does not prevent fraud from happening"15. With a common name, some alerts may be about other people18.
How have fake deeds hit St. Louis homes?
In each case below, a faked notary step made a forged deed look real enough to file. A notary is an official who stamps a document to confirm who signed it. A quitclaim deed hands over whatever rights the signer has.
At least 14 properties and two guilty pleas
James Townes Jr. and Charnay Bartlett pleaded guilty to a scheme that used fraudulently obtained notary seals on forged owner signatures. At least three owners had died, and others gave up their properties because they could not afford to go to court1. County police found fake deeds from the scheme while looking into a December 2024 burglary call19.
A forged deed to a city-owned house
In February 2025, County prosecutors charged two people over a quitclaim deed filed at the County Recorder for a house donated to the City of Dellwood. Police say one of them admitted filling out the deed, notary section included. Both are charged, not convicted, and we found no court outcome as of Oct. 25, 202620.
Three City homes on forged signatures
Arondo Harris filed three quitclaim deeds at the City Recorder with forged owner signatures and a faked notarization. One owner had died, and one victim was left homeless. In January 2022, he was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for identity theft21.
What should you do if a fake deed is recorded on your St. Louis home?
Call the Recorder's office that recorded it, report it to the police, and talk to a Missouri real estate lawyer. Our guide to a fraudulent deed has the full checklist.
- Report it. St. Louis County Police non-emergency: 636-529-8210. City of St. Louis police non-emergency: 314-231-121222,23.
- Ask about Missouri's fast petition. Under RSMo 570.095, you file a statement explaining why the filing is false with the court where it was recorded. A first hearing must be set within 20 business days. If the judge rules it invalid, the ruling is recorded for free and the filer pays the court costs24.
- Consider a quiet title action for a wider dispute. It asks a court to settle every claim to the property at once25.
- Get free legal help from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri if you're low-income or older: 314-534-4200 or 800-444-051426.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a deed in St. Louis County?
Search your address in the County's free Real Estate Search and open the parcel. It shows the deed's document number, with a link to buy a copy. For deeds before 1974, book a research appointment in Clayton.
How much does it cost to record a deed in St. Louis County, MO?
The County charges $26 for the first page and $3 for each added page, plus $25 if the document doesn't meet Missouri's format rules. The City charges $25 for the first page of a standard deed and $5 for each added page.
How do I get a copy of my deed in St. Louis City?
Find it in the City's free Direct Search, then buy the image on Tapestry. Or get a copy at City Hall, Rooms 126 to 128, usually within 15 minutes.
How do I find out who owns a property in St. Louis?
In the County, the free Real Estate Search works by address, owner name or locator number. In the City, the free Address and Property Search works by address or parcel number only.
Is a property fraud alert legitimate?
Yes. Both St. Louis Recorders use it, and it is free. Each sign-up page names that Recorder's office and Fidlar Technologies, which runs the site.
Sign up for the alert that matches your deed
Both are free. Pick the one that matches where your deed is recorded.
St. Louis County alertCity of St. Louis alertOwn a rental or a parent's house elsewhere? Our county alert directory shows which places offer a free alert. Sign-up pages, phone numbers, fees and hours on this page were checked on October 25, 2026.
Sources
- St. Louis County Man Admits Using Fraudulent Deed Filings to Steal At Least 14 Properties, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, October 16, 2026
- Protecting Property Interests (Property Watch), St. Louis County, Minnesota, checked October 25, 2026
- Real Estate Search (parcel 18K311064, 41 S. Central Ave.), St. Louis County, checked October 25, 2026
- City Government Structure, City of St. Louis, checked October 25, 2026
- Recorder of Deeds, St. Louis County, checked October 25, 2026
- Cost to Record a Deed, St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Obtain Land Records, City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar, City of St. Louis, checked October 25, 2026
- Land Records Requirements, City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- File Land Records, City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Direct Search, City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds land records index, checked October 25, 2026
- Search For Addresses And Property Ownership, City of St. Louis Assessor, checked October 25, 2026
- The 1876 St. Louis City / County Split and Its Effect on Research, St. Louis County Library, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert, St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert, St. Louis County, Missouri (sign-up page), Fidlar Technologies with St. Louis County, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert, City of St. Louis, Missouri (sign-up page), Fidlar Technologies with the City of St. Louis, checked October 25, 2026
- Officials in four counties warning residents of property scam, Spectrum News St. Louis, May 29, 2025
- What is Property Fraud Alert (PFA)? (questions and answers), Property Fraud Alert, checked October 25, 2026
- Charges Issued for Stealing, Possession of a Forging Instrument, and Impersonation of a Notary, St. Louis County Police Department, May 1, 2025
- 2 people charged with filing forged document to steal house from City of Dellwood, Pat Pratt, First Alert 4 (KMOV), February 27, 2025
- Judge sentences St. Louis man for identity theft scheme, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, January 13, 2022
- St. Louis County Police Department (home page), checked October 25, 2026
- St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (home page), checked October 25, 2026
- Section 570.095 RSMo, Filing false documents, Missouri Revisor of Statutes, effective August 28, 2018
- Section 527.150 RSMo, Suits to determine interest and quiet title, Missouri Revisor of Statutes, checked October 25, 2026
- Contact Us, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, checked October 25, 2026
