Missouri Genealogy Search at a Glance
Visit publicrecordcenter.com to discover your Missouri ancestors and family history, start a family tree, browse ancestry born in MA, genealogy, census records and more research data online
1Missouri Genealogy
Missouri statewide genealogy links
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Family Historyhealth.mo.govFamily History
- Missouri Secretary of State Digital Heritages1.sos.mo.govState Archives Birth and Death Records
- Missouri Local Records Inventory Databases1.sos.mo.govLocal Government Records
- Missouri Coroner's Inquest Databases1.sos.mo.govCoroner
- Missouri State Archives County Records on Microfilmwww.sos.mo.govCounty Records on Microfilm
- Missouri State Archives Land Patents Databasess1.sos.mo.govLand Patents Database
- Search Missouri's Judicial Recordss1.sos.mo.govSearch Judicial Records
- USGenWeb Archives Missouriwww.usgwarchives.netSearch USGenWeb Archives
- Mid Continent Public Librarywww.mymcpl.orgLibrary Genealogical Resources
2Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement Missouri's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Missouri state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.
https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy (archives.gov)
Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.
https://www.familysearch.org/ (familysearch.org)
The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.
https://guides.loc.gov/genealogy (loc.gov)
Missouri Genealogy Search, FAQ
Is the 1950 census released?
Yes. Under the 72-year rule, the 1950 U.S. Census was released by NARA on April 1, 2022 and is free to search on archives.gov and familysearch.org.
How do I request a military service record?
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis holds military service records. Requests use SF-180 and are free for the veteran or next of kin.
Do I need a paid subscription to do genealogy?
No. FamilySearch, Archives.gov, the Library of Congress, and most state archives provide substantial free access. Commercial services (Ancestry, MyHeritage) add convenience and private trees but not exclusive records.
Where are vital records for the 1800s kept?
Before state-level vital registration (roughly 1890, 1920 depending on state), most births, deaths, and marriages were recorded only by the county, the church, or the family Bible. State archives and FamilySearch are the primary starting points for that era.