SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 2, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Bates County is a county in Missouri with about 16,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 8 county office pages for Bates County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, Prosecuting Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Bates County public records live

Each kind of Bates County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Bates County

A person arrested in Bates County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Bates County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Bates County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Bates County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Bates County.

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County Clerk of Bates County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Bates County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Bates County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Bates County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: Recorder of Deeds

Property values: County Assessor

  • Website: batescounty.net/bates-county-assessors-office (page title: Bates County Assessor’s Office | Bates County Courthouse)
  • Phone: (660) 386-7776
  • Address: 103 W Dakota St Rm 4 Butler, MO 64730
  • Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Bates County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Bates County are issued by the office below. The Missouri state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

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Prosecuting Attorney for Bates County

The Prosecuting Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Bates County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to Bates County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Bates County.

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Statewide Missouri sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Missouri state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Bates County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Bates County

Bates County has 10 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Butler (4,283)
  • Adrian (1,775)
  • Rich Hill (1,257)
  • Hume (288)
  • Amsterdam (223)
  • Rockville (139)
  • Amoret (134)
  • Foster (78)
  • Merwin (68)
  • Passaic (30)

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Other counties in Missouri

SearchSystems has a guide like this one for every county in Missouri.

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Bates County Arrest Records

The Bates County arrest records guide names the four agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 245 arrests the four agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Bates County Records Guides

SearchSystems has eight more guides to Bates County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Bates County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Bates County inmate search (the custody page of the Bates County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Bates County criminal records (the court file, the Missouri criminal history and the local arrest records), Bates County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Bates County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Missouri Sunshine Law requires), Bates County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Bates County DUI (the DWI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case) and Bates County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Bates County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Bates County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Bates County at batescountysheriff.gov/inmate-roster. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Bates County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Bates County is at batescounty.net/bates-county-circuit-court, phone 660-386-7776. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Bates County?

The Recorder of Deeds, at batescounty.net/bates-county-recorder. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Bates County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Bates County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Bates County vital records at batescounty.net/bates-county-recorder, phone 660-386-7776, or from the Missouri state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Bates County?

Through the records request page at batescounty.net/bates-county-recorder. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.