Blog · October 13, 2026 · Missouri
Franklin County, Missouri Deed Search
Where Franklin County deeds are recorded, the official office link, and a practical routine for finding a deed and tying it to the parcel map.
Main page: Franklin County, MO GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Franklin County facts and neighboring maps).
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If you need a franklin county deed search, you only need two things: the recording office and the owner's name. Below is the verified official link, plus the steps we'd follow to find a deed and connect it to the parcel map.
Who keeps deeds in Franklin County
In Missouri, land documents are recorded by the Recorder of Deeds. For Franklin County, the county's own website points to the Recorder of Deeds at Recorder of Deeds. When we verified it on October 13, 2026, the page was public and carried the title “E-Recording | Franklin County, MO.”
Searching Franklin County deed records step by step
Most recorder indexes sort by party name and date, so lead with the owner's name. Look under both grantor and grantee, since a person can appear as either over the years. Keep the book-and-page or instrument number with your notes, because it is how the office files the image. If the Recorder of Deeds offers online images, you may be able to view an index for free and pay only for certified copies; if it does not, the page above lists how to request copies in person or by mail.
Start from the parcel map
The official parcel viewer, linked from our Franklin County directory page, gives you the parcel ID and owner to bring to this office.
From deed to parcel and back
A handy routine is to look the property up on the Franklin County parcel viewer, copy the owner's name, and then search that name in the recording index. Expect the last recorded deed to match the owner shown on the map; if it does not, a recent sale may not have reached the assessor yet. Missouri runs off the Fifth Principal Meridian, though old Spanish and French land grants break up the grid in a few areas.
Documents you'll find besides deeds
Alongside warranty and quitclaim deeds you will see mortgages, satisfactions, easements, liens, and recorded plats. An easement or right-of-way can matter as much as the deed itself, so skim any entry recorded against the same names.
Limits of a do-it-yourself search
Finding the deed is step one; confirming clear title takes a full chain and lien search. For a purchase, a title company or attorney will search back through the chain, check liens and judgments, and issue title insurance.
Reading the deed type
Look at the heading. Warranty deeds promise clear title, special warranty deeds limit that promise to the seller's time, and quitclaims transfer only what the grantor actually held. Family transfers and corrections often use quitclaims, which is why they show up so often in rural indexes. Estate, trustee and tax-sale deeds have their own forms. Read them closely, because their warranties are usually limited.
Finding recorded plats
Subdivision plats and some survey maps are recorded too, often in a separate plat index or cabinet. A lot-and-block legal description only makes sense once you have the plat it points to. For acreage without a plat, check whether a survey was recorded with the deed or on its own.
The recorder isn't the assessor
Recording and assessment are separate jobs: the Recorder of Deeds files documents, while the County Assessor keeps owner, value and acreage data. Ownership on the map updates only after the assessor processes the new deed, so it can lag. When the two disagree, the recorded deed is the stronger evidence of ownership.
Tips for the counter
Have names, years and parcel numbers ready. Staff can show you the public terminals but can't give legal advice. Older records may be on microfilm or in bound books, and staff can show you how to use them. Hours and copy charges vary, so check the office page or phone before you go.
About Franklin County
Roughly 106,404 people lived in Franklin County as of 2023, spread over 923 square miles of land. The county seat is Union, which is where the main county offices usually sit. Land just over the line in Crawford County, Gasconade County, and Jefferson County is recorded by those counties, not this one.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I search deeds in Franklin County?
Use the Recorder of Deeds page on the county's official site (Recorder of Deeds). The Missouri office that records deeds is the Recorder of Deeds.
Is a Franklin County deed search free?
Looking at an index is often free, but certified copies usually cost money. The office page explains what it charges.
Can I search by address?
Recording indexes are organized mostly by party name and date. Look up the address on the county parcel map first to get the owner's name, then search that name.
Does the deed show exact property lines?
The deed's legal description defines the land. Only a licensed survey marks the lines on the ground.
What if the property is near the county line?
Check the neighboring county as well. Each county records only the land inside its own borders.
Open the official Recorder of Deeds page Franklin County in the Platbookmapper directory
Not legal advice. Office names, links and procedures change. Confirm details with the office before you rely on them, and use a title professional or licensed surveyor for transactions and boundary questions.