§ 509.520 — Court records, required redactions — confidential case file sheet, contents.

Missouri § 509.520

• Jurisdiction: Missouri
• Title XXXV: CIVIL PROCEDURE AND LIMITATIONS
• Ch. 509: Pleadings

Text

1.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, beginning August 28, 2023, pleadings, attachments, exhibits filed with the court in any case, as well as any judgments or orders issued by the court, or other records of the court shall not include the following confidential and personal identifying information:

(1)  The full Social Security number of any party or any child;

(2)  The full credit card number, financial institution account number, personal identification number, or password used to secure an account of any party;

(3)  The full motor vehicle operator license number;

(4)  Victim information, including the name, address, and other contact information of the victim;

(5)  Witness information, including the name, address, and other contact information of the witness;

(6)  Any other full state identification number;

(7)  The name, address, and date of birth of a minor and, if applicable, any next friend; or

(8)  The full date of birth of any party; however, the year of birth shall be made available, except for a minor.

2.  The information provided under subsection 1 of this section shall be provided in a confidential information filing sheet contemporaneously filed with the court or entered by the court, which shall not be subject to public inspection or availability.

3.  Nothing in this section shall preclude an entity including, but not limited to, a financial institution, insurer, insurance support organization, or consumer reporting agency that is otherwise permitted by law to access state court records from using a person's unique identifying information to match such information contained in a court record to validate that person's record.

4.  The Missouri supreme court shall promulgate rules to administer this section.

5.  Contemporaneously with the filing of every petition for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, motion for modification, action to establish paternity, and petition or motion for support or custody of a minor child, the filing party shall file a confidential case filing sheet with the court which shall not be subject to public inspection and which provides:

(1)  The name and address of the current employer and the Social Security number of the petitioner or movant, if a person;

(2)  If known to the petitioner or movant, the name and address of the current employer and the Social Security number of the respondent; and

(3)  The names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of any children subject to the action.

6.  Contemporaneously with the filing of every responsive pleading petition for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, motion for modification, action to establish paternity, and petition or motion for support or custody of a minor child, the responding party shall file a confidential case filing sheet with the court which shall not be subject to public inspection and which provides:

(1)  The name and address of the current employer and the Social Security number of the responding party, if a person;

(2)  If known to the responding party, the name and address of the current employer and the Social Security number of the petitioner or movant; and

(3)  The names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of any children subject to the action.

7.  The full Social Security number of any party or child subject to an order of custody or support shall be retained by the court on the confidential case filing sheet or other confidential record maintained in conjunction with the administration of the case.  The full credit card number or other financial account number of any party may be retained by the court on a confidential record if it is necessary to maintain the number in conjunction with the administration of the case.

8.  Any document described in subsection 1 of this section shall, in lieu of the full number, include only the last four digits of any such number.

9.  Except as provided in section 452.430 , the clerk shall not be required to redact any document described in subsection 1 of this section issued or filed before August 28, 2009, prior to releasing the document to the public.

10.  For good cause shown, the court may release information contained on the confidential case filing sheet; except that, any state agency acting under authority of chapter 454 shall have access to information contained herein without court order in carrying out their official duty.

Legislative History

(L. 2009 H.B. 481, A.L. 2023 S.B. 103) (2024)  Subdivisions (4) and (5) of subsection 1 of section 509.520 requiring victim and witness names, addresses and contact information to be redacted in court filings are declared unconstitutional and thereby unenforceable as violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and the Open Courts requirement of Article I, § 14 of the Missouri Constitution.  Gross, et al. v. State of Missouri, Case No. 24AC-CC04658, December 20, 2024 (Circuit Court of Cole County)