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Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 490.220 (2026)

Office records of the United States or sister state

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  490.220.  Office records of the United States or sister state. — All records and exemplifications of office books, kept in any public office of the United States, or of a sister state, not appertaining to a court, shall be evidence in this state, if attested by the keeper of said record or books, and the seal of his office, if there be a seal.

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(RSMo 1939 § 1825)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 1661; 1919 § 5348; 1909 § 6293

(1956) Death certificate of sister state has same value as if issued in this state if required by law to be made in manner similar to that required by the laws of this state, and it is therefore prima facie evidence of facts stated in it. Lynde v. Western & Southern Life Ins. Co. (A.), 293 S.W.2d 147.

(1956) Where records of penitentiaries were certified by proper officials under 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 1738 and 1739, they were admissible to show defendant's incarceration and release.  State v. Ash (Mo.), 296 S.W.2d 41.

(1963) In absence of proof which established senior record clerk to be keeper of records within meaning of this section, exhibits purporting to show defendant's confinement in Kentucky penitentiary and attested by senior records clerk of the penitentiary were not admissible in prosecution wherein defendant was charged under habitual criminal statute. State v. Young (Mo.), 366 S.W.2d 386.

(1972) Recital in certificate to a copy of document as to official character of the officer as the legal custodian of it is prima facie proof of that fact, and it is unnecessary to call witnesses to prove identity of custodian or his signature and burden of rebutting the presumption is on one contesting it.  Such certification held sufficient to comply with this section against contention that there was no proof that the records were kept in any public office of sister state. State v. Brown (Mo.), 476 S.W.2d 519.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 37 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1956–2024 · leading case: Rodriguez v. Suzuki Motor Corp., 996 S.W.2d 47 (Mo. 1999).
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Rodriguez v. Suzuki Motor Corp., 996 S.W.2d 47 (Mo. 1999). · cites it 25× “Missouri has no statutory hearsay exception that encompasses public records in general, but a specific exception has been codified in section 490.220, RSMo 1994, for official records of the United States and sister states.”
Strong v. Am. Cyanamid Co., 261 S.W.3d 493 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 24× “See section 490.220. Generally, the admissibility of evidence lies within the sound discretion of the trial court.”
Eltiste v. Ford Motor Co., 167 S.W.3d 742 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 19× “Section 490.220 RSMo (2000) provides that All records and exemplifications of office books, kept in any public office of the United States, or of a sister state, not appertaining to a court, shall be evidence in this state, if attested by the keeper of said record or books, and…”
Michael J. Nolte v. Ford Motor Co., 458 S.W.3d 368 (Mo. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 20× “” Rodriguez construed and applied section 490.220, 14 Missouri’s public records statute, in addressing the admissibility of an ODI report.”
Lopez v. Three Rivers Elec. Coop., Inc., 92 S.W.3d 165 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 17× “the foreperson of the jury, and voted in favor of plaintiffs thereby denying Three Rivers a trial by a fair and impartial jury; (2) sustaining plaintiffs’ objection to Three Rivers’ exhibit 213-A, the collateral report on the accident prepared by the army, because the report was…”
Lopez v. Three Rivers Elec. Coop., Inc., 26 S.W.3d 151 (Mo. 2000). · cites it 6× “See section 490.220, RSMo 1994. Three Rivers did not properly preserve this issue for appeal.”
Forrest v. State, 290 S.W.3d 704 (Mo. 2009). · cites it 4× “Motion Court’s Findings The motion court found exhibit 60 was an official record of another state and admissible under section 490.220 5 because it was properly certified.”
Howe v. ALD Servs., Inc., 941 S.W.2d 645 (Mo. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 6× “220 provides: All records and exemplifications of office books, kept in any public office of the United States, or of a sister state, not appertaining to a court, shall be evidence in this state, if attested by the keeper of said record or books, and the seal of his office, if…”
State v. McNaughton, 924 S.W.2d 517 (Mo. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 6× “Section 490.220, RSMo 1994 provides: All records and exemplifications of office books, kept in any public office of the United States, or of a sister state, not appertaining to a court, shall be evidence in this state, if attested by the keeper of said record or books, and the…”
State v. Dismang, 151 S.W.3d 155 (Mo. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 5× “In the instant case, Defendant was not prejudiced by this error because the “pen pack,” contained in Exhibit 102, was properly certified under seal by the “Central Records Department Supervisor [of the] Michigan Department of Corrections” in accordance with section 490.220,…”
State v. Young, 366 S.W.2d 386 (Mo. 1963). · cites it 8× “” In addition to the above statute, Section 490.220 provides that “All records and exemplifications of office books, kept in any public office of the United States, or of a sister state, not appertaining to a court, shall be evidence in this state, if attested by the keeper of…”
State v. Allen, 274 S.W.3d 514 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 3× “Allen asserts the general admissibility of “public records,” but he does not rely on any other specific statutory provision, such as the “public records” exception set forth at section 490.220, RSMo 2000, which provides for admission of office records of other states or the…”
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