Buchanan County, Missouri Public Records

Buchanan County is located in the northwest corner of Missouri and is part of the St. Joseph, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is St. Joseph.

Buchanan County is governed by a three-member County Commission, which is elected in staggered four-year terms. The County Commission is responsible for setting the budget, levying taxes, and making policy decisions. The County Commission is also responsible for appointing the County Administrator, who is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county.

The county is also served by a Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, Assessor, Collector, Recorder of Deeds, and Public Administrator.

The county is divided into seven townships, which are further divided into twenty-four precincts. The county is also served by a number of special districts, including the St. Joseph Fire Protection District, the St. Joseph Metropolitan Sewer District, and the St. Joseph Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The Buchanan County Missouri circuit court has general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Court's automation access provides cases that have been deemed public under the Missouri Revised Statutes. Electronic filing, forms, instructions and self help resources are available over the internet directly from many individual divisions.