SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 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

Howell County is a county in Missouri with about 41,000 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 Howell 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 Howell County public records live

Each kind of Howell 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 Howell County

A person arrested in Howell 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 Howell County.

  • Website: howellcountysheriff.com (page title: Howell County Sheriff)
  • Phone: (417) 256-2544
  • Address: 1106 Missouri Ave West Plains, MO 65775
  • Hours: Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
  • Checked: October 11, 2026, the page answered.

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 Howell County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Howell 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 Howell County.

  • Website: howellcountymo.gov (page title: Howell County Missouri)
  • Phone: (417) 256-3872
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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County Clerk of Howell 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 Howell County.

  • Website: howellcountymo.gov/clerk (page title: Clerk | Howell County Missouri)
  • Phone: 417-256-2591
  • Address: 35 Court Square, Room 200 West Plains, MO 65775
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Howell County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Howell 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: howell.missouriassessors.com (page title: Howell County)
  • Phone: (417) 256-8284
  • Address: 35 Court Square, Suite 202 West Plains, MO 65775
  • Hours: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 4:30pm
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Howell County

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

  • Website: health.mo.gov/vital-records-registries/vital-records (page title: Vital Records | Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services)
  • Phone: 573-751-6387
  • Address: 930 Wildwood Drive Jefferson City, MO 65109
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Prosecuting Attorney for Howell County

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

  • Website: howellcountymo.gov (page title: Howell County Missouri)
  • Phone: (417) 256-3872
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to Howell 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 Howell County.

  • Website: howellcountymo.gov (page title: Howell County Missouri)
  • Phone: (417) 256-3872
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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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 Howell County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Howell County

Howell County has 4 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. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of West Plains; the linked name open it.

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Other counties in Missouri

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

Counties starting with F 1 counties

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Counties starting with I 1 counties

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Counties starting with K 1 counties

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Counties starting with T 2 counties

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Counties starting with V 1 counties

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Howell County Arrest Records

The Howell County arrest records guide names the four agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 655 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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Howell County Records Guides

SearchSystems has four more guides to Howell County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Howell County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Howell County inmate search (the jail page of the Howell County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Howell County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Missouri Sunshine Law requires) and Howell County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

Driver licenses, vehicle titles and driving records for Howell County are kept by the Missouri DMV, not by the county offices above: the SearchSystems Missouri DMV guide, the Missouri driver history report, the Missouri DMV's license suspension after a DUI arrest and the Missouri vehicle title.

The 3 DMV offices in Howell County: Mountain View License Office, Willow Springs License Office and West Plains License Office.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Howell 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 Howell County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Howell County at howellcountysheriff.com, or call (417) 256-2544. 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 Howell County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Howell County is at howellcountymo.gov, phone (417) 256-3872. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Howell County?

The Recorder of Deeds, at howellcountymo.gov/circuit-court-clerk. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Howell County are filed there.

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

From the office SearchSystems verified for Howell County vital records at health.mo.gov, phone 573-751-6387, or from the Missouri state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Howell County?

Through the records request page at howellcountymo.gov. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.