Buchanan County Property Records
Buchanan County property records are filed and stored at the Recorder of Deeds office in St. Joseph. This county sits in the northwest corner of Missouri along the Missouri River and has been home to a steady real estate market for many years. If you need to look up a deed, search for a lien, or find out who owns a piece of land in Buchanan County, the recorder's office can help. Property records here include deeds, deeds of trust, plats, surveys, releases, and other documents that affect real estate ownership in Buchanan County, Missouri.
Buchanan County Quick Facts
Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds
Rebecca Dunlap is the Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds. The office is at 411 Jules St, Room 103, in St. Joseph, MO 64501. Call (816) 271-1596 to speak with staff or send a fax to (816) 271-1582. You can also email the recorder at bdunlap@co.buchanan.mo.us. This office records all property documents for real estate in Buchanan County, from standard home sale deeds to complex commercial transactions.
Every deed, deed of trust, release, plat, survey, and easement affecting land in Buchanan County gets filed here. Once a document is recorded, it becomes part of the public record and anyone can request to view or copy it. The recorder's office indexes each document by the names of the parties involved, making it possible to search by grantor or grantee name. Under Missouri law, a deed must be recorded at the county recorder's office to be valid against third parties, as stated in Section 442.410.
The Missouri Recorders Association lists Buchanan County among all 115 county recorder offices and can help direct you to the right contact for your property records search.
| Office | Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Recorder | Rebecca Dunlap |
| Address |
411 Jules St, Room 103 St. Joseph, MO 64501 |
| Phone | (816) 271-1596 |
| Fax | (816) 271-1582 |
| bdunlap@co.buchanan.mo.us |
Searching Buchanan County Property Records
To search for property records in Buchanan County, you can visit the recorder's office in St. Joseph during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID and have the property owner's name or legal description ready. Staff can help you look through the index and find the documents you need. Copies of recorded documents are available for a fee. You can also call the office to ask about a specific filing before making a trip.
Buchanan County was one of four Missouri counties covered by the 500,000 Acre Grants, which date from 1843 to 1951. These grants gave federal land to the state for distribution. If you are tracing early property ownership in Buchanan County, the Missouri State Archives has records of these grants in its land records database. The Missouri Digital Heritage search tool lets you look up land patents by name, year, or county for free.
For federal land patents in Buchanan County, use the Bureau of Land Management General Land Office records site. Missouri was a public-domain state, and the earliest land sales in what became Buchanan County were handled through federal land offices. Eight such offices operated across Missouri, with the earliest opening in 1818.
Buchanan County Recording Fees
Recording fees in Buchanan County match the standard Missouri schedule. The first page costs $24 to record. Each additional page is $3. Documents that do not meet the state formatting rules get hit with a $25 non-standard penalty. Missouri requires all recorded documents to be on 8.5 by 11 inch paper with a 3-inch top margin on the first page and at least 8-point type, per Section 59.310.
Copies of Buchanan County property records cost $1 per page. Add $1 for certification on any document. Call the recorder at (816) 271-1596 to confirm current payment methods and any changes to the fee schedule. Fees are set by state law but can be updated by the legislature, so it pays to check before you file.
Note: Documents not meeting formatting standards will cost an extra $25 on top of the base recording fee.
Types of Property Documents in Buchanan County
The Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds handles a wide range of property documents. Warranty deeds come with a guarantee from the seller that the title is clear. Quitclaim deeds pass along the seller's interest without any title guarantees. Deeds of trust put up property as security for a loan. When that loan is paid off, a release deed clears the lien from the Buchanan County property records. Plats map out subdivisions, and surveys establish exact boundary lines for parcels of land.
Missouri law also allows beneficiary deeds, authorized by Section 461.025. A beneficiary deed lets a property owner in Buchanan County name someone to get the property after death. The deed does not take effect until the owner dies, and it can be changed or taken back at any time. This is a popular way for Buchanan County property owners to pass land to family members without the cost and delay of probate court.
Other documents on file at the Buchanan County recorder's office include easements, restrictive covenants, mechanic's liens, and tax liens. Each one affects the property in a different way and becomes part of the public record once filed.
Buchanan County Property Tax Information
Property taxes in Buchanan County are handled by the county assessor and collector. The assessor determines the value of all real property in the county during each odd-numbered year. Missouri uses different assessment ratios depending on property type. Residential land is assessed at 19% of market value. Agricultural property comes in at 12%, and commercial property is assessed at 32%. These ratios apply across all Missouri counties, including Buchanan.
Tax bills go out by November 1 each year. Payment is due by December 31. If you need information about taxes owed on a specific property in Buchanan County, contact the collector's office in St. Joseph. The Missouri Department of Revenue offers property tax credit programs for qualifying seniors and disabled veterans that may help reduce the tax load for some Buchanan County residents.
Cities in Buchanan County
St. Joseph is the county seat and largest city in Buchanan County. All property records for land within Buchanan County are filed at the recorder's office in St. Joseph. Other communities in the county include Agency, DeKalb, and Easton. Property documents for these areas go through the same Buchanan County recorder's office.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Buchanan County in Missouri. Property must be recorded in the county where the land sits, so make sure you are searching the correct county's records.