Police Records in Clark County
Clark County police records are maintained by the Clark County Sheriff's Office at 518 North Lincoln Street, Suite 1, in Kahoka, Missouri. The sheriff's office keeps records of all law enforcement activity in the county, including incident reports, arrest logs, booking records, and warrant information. Missouri's Sunshine Law gives the public the right to request and receive these records once a case is no longer under active investigation. Written requests go directly to the sheriff's office, which must respond within three business days under state law.
Clark County Police Records Quick Facts
About Clark County Police Records
Sheriff Shawn Webster leads the Clark County Sheriff's Office. He also serves as the Missouri Sheriffs' Association Zone 4 Leader, a role that puts him in contact with other sheriffs across northeast Missouri on policy and records management issues. The sheriff's office handles all major law enforcement matters in the county and is the primary custodian of local police records.
Records available from the sheriff's office include accident reports, incident reports, arrest records, booking logs, inmate information, and warrants. Clark County is a small, rural county in Missouri's northeast corner, bordering Iowa and close to Illinois. The sheriff's office is the main and often only law enforcement agency for most of the county.
State law under Chapter 610 RSMo requires that all public records in Missouri be treated as open unless a specific exemption applies. For police records, Section 610.100 RSMo makes incident and arrest reports public records once investigations are no longer active. The sheriff's office must follow these rules when responding to requests from the public.
Clark County Sheriff's Office
The Clark County Sheriff's Office is at 518 North Lincoln Street, Suite 1, Kahoka, MO 63445. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Main phone: (660) 727-2911. Fax: (660) 727-2202. Sheriff Shawn Webster or a designated custodian handles public records requests.
Clark County does not appear to have a public-facing online records portal. Requests for police records go through the sheriff's office by phone, mail, or in person. For statewide criminal history records and records from highway patrol incidents in the county, contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol directly.
How to Request Clark County Police Records
Submit a written records request to the Clark County Sheriff's Office. Your request does not need to follow any special format, but it should include your full name, return address, and a clear description of the records you want. The more specific you are, the faster the office can find and prepare the records.
Helpful details to include: the date of the incident, the type of report (accident, incident, arrest), any case number you have, and the names of people involved. If you do not have a case number, the date and type of incident are usually enough to locate the record.
Mail written requests to: Clark County Sheriff's Office, 518 North Lincoln Street, Suite 1, Kahoka, MO 63445. In-person requests are accepted during business hours. Call (660) 727-2911 ahead of your visit to confirm current procedures.
The office must respond within three business days per Section 610.023 RSMo. Copy fees are $0.10 per page per Section 610.026 RSMo. Research time may also be billed. The office will send you a cost estimate before releasing records.
Note: Keep a dated copy of your written request so you can follow up if you do not hear back within three business days.
Missouri Sunshine Law and Clark County
Missouri's Sunshine Law, found in Chapter 610 RSMo, is the legal foundation for all public records access in Missouri. It requires agencies to have a designated records custodian, respond to requests within three business days, and charge no more than the rates set by law for copies and research.
The law treats police records as presumptively public once a case becomes inactive. That means incident reports, arrest reports, and booking logs should be released unless the agency can point to a specific legal exemption. Active investigation files, records that could harm victims, information about undercover personnel, and particularly graphic crime materials may be withheld legally.
Note: If you think the Clark County Sheriff's Office improperly denied your request, you can file a Sunshine Law complaint with the Missouri Attorney General at no charge.
Online Records Tools for Clark County
Missouri's Case.net system is the best free online tool for searching court records related to Clark County law enforcement actions. You can search by name or case number and see criminal and civil cases, docket entries, hearing dates, and judgments. Clark County courts are included in the Case.net system.
For statewide background checks, MACHS provides name-based criminal history searches for $15 per request. Results cover convictions, pending charges, and arrests from the past 30 days statewide. Fingerprint searches are available for more complete records including non-conviction data and expunged records, at a higher cost.
The Missouri Sex Offender Registry is searchable through the Missouri State Highway Patrol's website. Clark County offenders are included in the database. Search by name or by proximity to a specific address. Sign up for alerts to receive notifications when offenders move near your area.
Nearby Counties
Clark County is Missouri's northeastern-most county and borders Iowa to the north, with several Missouri counties to the south and west.