Lafayette County Recorder of Deeds: Military Discharge Records

The Lafayette County Recorder of Deeds, JoAnn Swartz, Courthouse Room 207, 1001 Main Street, Lexington (660-259-6178), records military discharges and gives copies only on the notarized request form the office provides under RSMo 59.480; recording and copies are free under the statute, and military separation papers are exempt from the document formatting rules.

Also called: DD-214, DD214, discharge, recording, no charge, RSMo 59.480, Recorder of Deeds, JoAnn Swartz, 660-259-6178, military separation papers, Lexington, Higginsville, Odessa, Concordia, Wellington, Waverly, Alma, Corder, Dover, Napoleon, Mayview, Bates City.

For: Veteran or service member, survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Lafayette County, MOCounty

Mo. Rev. Stat. 59.480 makes the recording of a discharge free and limits who may see or copy it; see the Missouri entry. The Recorder's Military Discharge page: "Pursuant to RSMO 59.480, regulations for requesting military discharge records will require a notarized request form. The required forms are available in the Recorder's office." It adds that the statute "is a direct result of identity theft obtained from public service records. The Recorder's office will uphold the law to protect these records." The office's general page lists "Military Discharges" among the documents it records, and its Document Standards page lists "Military separation papers" among the documents exempt from the formatting requirements, so no non-standard fee can attach to one. Fees. The fee schedule revised for August 28, 2026 (the SB 938 rise of $2.00, which the Recorder announced on July 20, 2026) prices real estate pages, plats, copies and certifications and has no line for a discharge. Where. Recorder of Deeds JoAnn Swartz, Lafayette County Courthouse, 1001 Main Street, Room 207, Lexington, MO 64067; 660-259-6178; [email protected]; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Lafayette County Recorder of Deeds: Military Discharge Records
Gate	Rule
Any veteran with a discharge	Recording and copies are free under the State statute; copies go only to the veteran or the people 59.480 names. No rating is needed.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-30.

What changed then:

First published.

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.