St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds: Free Recording of Military Discharges

The Recorder of Deeds keeps military discharges among its public records, in a filing system separate from land records, at 201 N. Second Street, St. Charles. To get a copy, use the Recorder's "Request for Military Discharge Papers" form, approved by the Recorders Association of Missouri under section 59.480; each form covers one record, and it asks for the veteran's name, date of birth or Social Security number or branch and dates of service, the number of certified and uncertified copies, and which authorized party is asking (the veteran, a relative, an attorney, a government agency or court, a funeral director or other). What the pages leave out. Mo. Rev. Stat. 59.480 requires every recorder to accept a discharge for filing without any fee, and bars a charge for a certified or uncertified copy or for notarising the request; the images are closed to the public for 75 years. See the Missouri entry. The Recorder's pages and fee information do not mention that it is free.