File Updated First documented
Missouri Closing Cost Calculator
Missouri has no transfer tax; Boone and Jasper counties charge $26 for a document’s first page and $3 per additional page. Recording fees changed on August 28, 2026. Select the verified county schedule and count each document before combining recording with your settlement quotes.
Missouri recording and settlement worksheet
Ordinary resale: no sale-price transfer tax modeled. Current standard recording schedule verified for Boone and Jasper counties from August 28, 2026: $26 per first page, $3 per additional page and $25 per nonstandard document. Other counties, older filings and special instruments require recording quotes.
- Missouri Constitution Article X section 25: restriction on new transfer taxes
- Missouri DOR: tax inventory
- Missouri section 59.310: recording and formatting requirements
- Missouri section 59.319: current recording user fee
- Missouri Senate: enacted SB 938
- Boone County: August 2026 recording schedule
- Jasper County: current recording fee breakdown
Use the enacted August 2026 fee change
SB 938’s final legislative record shows the bill signed and effective August 28, 2026. Earlier descriptions of a proposed $1 increase do not describe the final enacted change.
The current section 59.319 sets the recording user fee at $6, up from $4. That component is included in the supported county total; the calculator does not add another $6 on top of it.
Count first pages separately for every instrument
Boone County’s current schedule lists $26 for the first page and $3 for every additional page. A three-page deed therefore costs $32. Adding a separate five-page deed of trust costs another $38, for $70 together.
| Document package | Recording estimate |
|---|---|
| One standard one-page deed | $26.00 |
| One standard three-page deed | $32.00 |
| Separate three-page deed and five-page deed of trust | $70.00 |
| Same package with one accepted nonstandard instrument | $95.00 |
Enter two instruments and six additional pages for that package. Combining all eight pages as one instrument would produce $47 and understate the charge by $23. A cover sheet or attachment can add a page; count what the recorder will actually record.
Formatting can add $25 per document
Section 59.310 specifies document formatting, including margins, legibility and first-page information. It permits a $25 additional charge for documents that do not meet the requirements. Statutory exceptions also exist.
Confirm acceptance and the surcharge before selecting a nonstandard count. Paying a modeled fee does not establish that an unreadable or otherwise deficient document will be accepted. With one accepted nonstandard document, the $70 two-instrument example becomes $95.
County and document type still matter
Jasper County’s fee breakdown independently confirms the current $26 first-page, $3 additional-page and $25 nonstandard charges. It lists different schedules for plats, surveys and copies, so those services are excluded from this ordinary-document model.
The county selector deliberately requires a quote for other locations. A county page displaying an older $24 charge may predate the August change, and additional county rules can affect the amount due. Obtain the current recording quote for the actual document and county rather than changing its name to fit a supported option.
Recording fees are separate from a sale-price tax
Missouri Constitution Article X section 25 prohibits new taxes on real-estate sales or transfers after its effective date. That provision alone does not itemize every settlement charge. The Department of Revenue tax inventory and the recorder schedules support this worksheet’s ordinary-resale treatment: no modeled sale-price transfer tax, with recording calculated separately.
| Scenario | Taxable value | State tax | Local amount | Tax subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary resale; document fees separate | $200,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Ordinary resale; document fees separate | $400,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Ordinary resale; document fees separate | $650,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
A zero transfer-tax line therefore does not mean a free closing. Title services, loan charges, recording, prorations, commission and mortgage payoff still need their own amounts. Special transactions should use a confirmed transfer-charge quote where necessary.
Build the seller’s proceeds from assigned costs
For a hypothetical $300,000 sale with a $200,000 payoff, $32 recording and $1,000 of other entered seller costs, proceeds before commission and credits are $98,968. The same deed does not automatically create a $32 charge for both parties: allocate it according to the closing arrangement.
On the buyer side, add assigned fees to down payment, then subtract the deposit and buyer credits. A recording quote replaces the calculated document amount, including a confirmed zero when the other side pays it.
Last reviewed 2026-10-05. Worksheet methodology.
Questions about Missouri
- Did Missouri recording fees change in 2026?
- Yes. SB 938 increased the statutory recording user fee by $2 effective August 28, 2026. Boone and Jasper counties publish a $26 first-page charge for standard instruments under the current schedule.
- Can I combine pages from a deed and deed of trust?
- Each instrument has its own first-page charge. A three-page deed and five-page deed of trust have two first pages and six additional pages, totaling $70 under the supported current schedule.