Personal Privacy

Public Records & Your Privacy

In an attempt to provide both public access but also provide privacy, Jackson County led the State of Missouri in passage of several identity theft laws to reduce the opportunities of identity theft as follows:

"Should any social security, bank account or credit card number appear in any record or image, any person may apply to the Recorder of Deeds Department for the redaction of such sensitive, personal, identifying information. (Exception: State or federal tax liens, military separation or discharge papers, and other documents required by law to contain such information.) Any such application shall be made in writing, signed by the applicant, his or her attorney, or legal guardian and shall specifically identify the document or documents containing the sensitive personal identifying information. The application shall be accompanied by a legible copy of each recorded document affected by the application, upon which the sensitive personal identifying information that is to be redacted is highlighted or otherwise indicated. Upon receipt of such an application the Recorder of Deeds Department will redact such viewable information."

Some searches may result in black boxes over redacted information.