How Does Missouri CaseNet Track This Case Work — Setup, Notifications, and Limits
Missouri CaseNet Track This Case sends email alerts to registered account holders when a new docket entry is added to a specific case. Notifications arrive 24 to 48 hours after the docket entry posts to CaseNet. Not simultaneously. Each case number requires its own separate subscription.
Legal Disclaimer: Track This Case is not official court notice. A Track This Case email does not satisfy Missouri’s requirements for service of process, motion response deadlines, or hearing appearance under the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure. Missing a notification does not excuse a party from a court deadline. This content is informational only. It does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Missouri attorney for case-specific guidance.
$0
Cost to register and use Track This Case
24-48h
Typical notification delay after docket entry posts
1
Subscription required per case number, not per party name
45
Missouri judicial circuits in CaseNet (RSMo §476.055)
M-F
CaseNet online 6 a.m.-1 a.m. CST — offline all weekend
What Is Missouri CaseNet Track This Case?
Missouri CaseNet Track This Case is a free email notification feature within the official Missouri court records system at courts.mo.gov/casenet, operated by the OSCA under RSMo §476.055. It sends an email when any new docket entry is added to a specific tracked case. The email does not include the docket entry text — only that the case record changed.
Does Missouri CaseNet send email notifications?
Yes — through the Track This Case feature, available to registered account holders. Missouri CaseNet sends an email when a new docket entry is added to any case the user has subscribed to track. Notifications are not real-time; they arrive after a processing delay that typically ranges from 24 to 48 hours after the docket entry posts.
Missouri CaseNet indexes case records for all 45 judicial circuits that participate in the MCAP. Track This Case works only for cases in MCAP-participating courts. Cases in municipal courts or courts that have not integrated with MCAP are not accessible through CaseNet and cannot be tracked.
Track This Case is part of the My CaseNet Account toolset. A registered account also provides access to saved searches, Pay By Web payment history through the Missouri CaseNet Pay By Web portal, and the Missouri CaseNet Judgment Index Search. Track This Case is the only account feature that sends proactive notifications to the user without requiring a return to courts.mo.gov/casenet.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Feature name | Track This Case |
| Operated by | Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA), under RSMo §476.055 |
| Access point | courts.mo.gov/casenet — case detail page, signed-in account required |
| Cost | Free |
| Account required | Yes — free registered Missouri CaseNet account |
| Notification method | Email to the account-registered address |
| Notification trigger | New docket entry added to the tracked case |
| Notification delay | 24 to 48 hours after docket entry posts (MCAP batch processing) |
| Tracking scope | Case-level only — not party-level or name-level |
| Official court notice | No — does not constitute service of process or legal notice |
Source: Missouri CaseNet (courts.mo.gov/casenet) is operated by the Office of State Courts Administrator under RSMo §476.055, which authorizes OSCA to establish and maintain a statewide system of court records accessible to the public. Track This Case is a feature of the registered-user account layer of this system. (Missouri Revised Statutes, )
Who Can Use Track This Case on Missouri CaseNet?
Track This Case is available to any person with a free registered Missouri CaseNet account at courts.mo.gov/casenet. 3 conditions must be met: a registered account with a verified email address, and the target case must be in a Missouri circuit court that participates in MCAP. Public (non-registered) users cannot activate the feature.
3 requirements determine access to Track This Case on Missouri CaseNet, including:
- Registered CaseNet account: A free account at courts.mo.gov/casenet, created with a valid email address and password. Public users who browse CaseNet without signing in do not have access to Track This Case.
- Verified email address: The account’s email address must be active and receiving mail. Notifications deliver to this address only. Updating the address mid-subscription requires changing account settings before the next notification fires.
- MCAP-participating court: The case must be in a Missouri circuit court that has integrated with the Missouri Court Automation Program. Cases in municipal courts or non-MCAP jurisdictions do not appear in CaseNet and cannot be tracked.
Track This Case requires signing in to Missouri CaseNet. For account creation and login instructions, see CaseNet Login.
Who Actually Uses Track This Case
4 user types account for most Track This Case subscriptions across Missouri CaseNet’s 45 circuits, including:
- Defendants in criminal cases: Monitoring for warrant issuances (docket code
WARI), hearing date entries, and continuance filings. - Civil litigants and plaintiffs: Tracking judgment entries (
JE) and motion responses in pending civil matters. - Family members of incarcerated individuals: Following case developments in criminal matters without traveling to the courthouse or calling the clerk’s office.
- Attorneys managing high-volume dockets: Using Track This Case as a supplemental monitoring layer alongside Missouri Courts eFiling service notifications.
Practitioner note: Attorneys who receive formal electronic service through the Missouri Courts eFiling system get a simultaneous service notification that is separate from Track This Case. The two systems are independent. A Track This Case alert does not confirm that formal service was completed through the eFiling system, and a formal eFiling notice does not trigger a Track This Case alert.
How Do You Set Up Track This Case on Missouri CaseNet?
Set up Track This Case on Missouri CaseNet in under 5 minutes by signing in to your registered account at courts.mo.gov/casenet, locating the case by number or name, opening the case detail page, and clicking the Track This Case button. No fee is required. Each case requires a separate setup.
How do I get email notifications from Missouri CaseNet?
Create a free account at courts.mo.gov/casenet, open the case detail page for the case you want to monitor, and click the Track This Case button. Missouri CaseNet emails you when any new docket entry is added to that case. Each case requires its own separate Track This Case subscription — one subscription does not cover multiple cases.
6 steps complete the Track This Case setup on Missouri CaseNet, including:
- Sign in to Missouri CaseNet: Navigate to courts.mo.gov/casenet and sign in with your registered username and password. CaseNet is available Monday through Friday, to CST. The system is offline all day Saturday and all day Sunday.
- Search for the specific case: Use the Missouri CaseNet Case Number Search or the Missouri CaseNet Litigant Name Search to locate the case. Case number search is faster and eliminates duplicate results from common names.
- Open the case detail page: Click the case number in the search results to open the full case detail page. This page lists all Missouri CaseNet Docket Entries filed on the case and displays the Track This Case button for MCAP-participating circuits.
- Click Track This Case: Locate and click the Track This Case button in the upper section of the case detail page. If the button is absent, the circuit may not support Track This Case for that case type. This is not a CaseNet error.
- Confirm your notification email address: Verify that the email address shown matches where you want to receive notifications. CaseNet delivers alerts to the account-registered address. You cannot redirect notifications to a different address at this step without first updating account settings.
- Verify the case appears in My Cases: Navigate to My Cases in your account dashboard to confirm the tracked case appears in your subscription list. If it does not appear within 10 minutes, repeat step 4 — the first click may not have registered.
The Track This Case button does not appear on every case. For cases in courts that entered MCAP after the program’s original rollout, or for case types that OSCA excluded from the notification system, the button is absent from the case detail page. Absence of the button indicates the circuit or case type does not support Track This Case — not a login error or a browser problem. Verify your court’s MCAP participation at courts.mo.gov before submitting a technical support request.
Availability: Missouri CaseNet operates Monday through Friday, to CST. The system is offline all day Saturday and all day Sunday for scheduled maintenance. Track This Case cannot be set up or modified during the weekend downtime window. System outage history is available at courts.mo.gov System Unavailability Log. (OSCA, Missouri Courts System Unavailability Log)
What Events Trigger a Missouri CaseNet Track This Case Notification?
A Track This Case notification fires every time a new docket entry is added to the tracked case in Missouri CaseNet. Common triggering docket codes include
JE (Judgment Entered), WARI (Warrant Issued), CONT (Continuance), and DISM (Dismissed). Events that do not generate a formal docket entry do not trigger notifications.
Track This Case operates at the docket entry level, not the case status level. Any event that creates a new line in the Missouri CaseNet Docket Entries log triggers an alert. Events that update only scheduling data or payment records — without creating a corresponding docket entry — do not trigger alerts.
| Event | Docket Code | Triggers Notification? |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment Entered | JE | Yes |
| Warrant Issued | WARI | Yes |
| Continuance Granted | CONT | Yes |
| Case Dismissed | DISM | Yes |
| Motion Filed | MOT | Yes |
| Hearing Scheduled (new docket entry created) | Varies by circuit | Yes |
| Hearing Date Changed (scheduling update only, no docket entry) | — | No |
| Pay By Web Payment Processed | — | No |
| Case Viewed by Another Party | — | No |
| Case Status Updated Without a Docket Entry | — | No |
What the Notification Email Contains
The Track This Case notification email identifies the case number and states that a change occurred. That is all it contains — no docket entry text, no docket code, no filing party name, and no attached document. To read the actual entry, sign in to Missouri CaseNet and open the case detail page.
Hearing schedule gap: Hearing date changes entered only in the court’s scheduling system — without a corresponding docket entry — do not trigger a Track This Case notification. Users monitoring Missouri CaseNet Scheduled Hearings should verify upcoming hearing dates directly in CaseNet before each scheduled appearance, not rely on Track This Case to flag rescheduling.
Docket code authority: Missouri CaseNet docket codes — including
JE, WARI, CONT, and DISM — are assigned by the Missouri Court Automation Program (MCAP) under the authority of the Office of State Courts Administrator. Docket codes are standardized across MCAP-participating circuits but are not published as a consolidated public list in the Missouri Revised Statutes. (OSCA, Missouri CaseNet MCAP Documentation)
How Long Does a Missouri CaseNet Track This Case Notification Take to Arrive?
Missouri CaseNet Track This Case notifications typically arrive 24 to 48 hours after a new docket entry posts to the case. The notification does not arrive when the entry posts — it arrives after MCAP processes its batch notification queue. Users relying on Track This Case for same-day awareness will miss same-day response deadlines.
Same-day deadline risk: Track This Case is not a real-time system. If a motion is filed Monday and a response is due within 10 days, the Track This Case alert may not arrive until Tuesday or Wednesday. The response deadline runs from the filing date — not from the notification date. For time-sensitive matters, check Missouri CaseNet directly rather than waiting for an alert.
OSCA has not published a formal service level agreement specifying a maximum notification delay for Track This Case. The 24 to 48 hour delay is a consistently observed pattern across Missouri CaseNet’s 45 circuits. The delay results from MCAP’s batch-processing architecture: the system collects docket entries and generates notification emails in periodic batches rather than immediately on each entry.
| Event | When It Occurs | Implication for the User |
|---|---|---|
| Docket entry posted to Missouri CaseNet | When the court clerk enters it | Visible in CaseNet immediately to any signed-in user |
| Track This Case notification sent by MCAP | 24 to 48 hours after posting | User aware of change only after the batch delay |
| User reads the notification email | Whenever they open their email | Effective awareness may be 2 to 4 days after the docket entry |
How to Close the Awareness Gap
3 practices reduce the risk of missing time-sensitive case developments while using Track This Case, including:
- Check Missouri CaseNet directly for active matters: For any case with pending motions or approaching deadlines, sign in to courts.mo.gov/casenet and review the Missouri CaseNet Docket Entries log manually — do not wait for a Track This Case alert.
- Retain a licensed Missouri attorney for active litigation: Attorneys receive formal service through the Missouri Courts eFiling system, which generates simultaneous service notifications. Track This Case is not a substitute for legal representation in cases with pending motions or hearing dates.
- Set calendar reminders for known hearing dates: Verify dates in Missouri CaseNet Scheduled Hearings and enter them in a calendar application. Do not rely solely on Track This Case to flag rescheduling.
Does Missouri CaseNet Track This Case Replace Official Court Notice?
No. Missouri CaseNet Track This Case does not replace official court notice. It does not constitute service of process, notice of a hearing, or any form of official court communication under the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure. A Track This Case email creates no legal obligation to respond, and missing a notification satisfies no deadline and excuses no absence.
Missouri courts serve official notice through channels defined by the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure and individual circuit local rules. Personal service requires delivery to the named party under Missouri Rule of Civil Procedure 54.13. Certified mail service requires a return receipt under Rule 54.16. Represented parties may receive electronic service through the Missouri Courts eFiling system. Track This Case is not among these channels.
Is a Missouri CaseNet Track This Case email official legal notice?
No. Track This Case email notifications are system-generated alerts from Missouri CaseNet, operated by OSCA under RSMo §476.055. They do not constitute service of process, notice of hearing, or any official communication from the Missouri judiciary. Official notice in Missouri civil matters is governed by the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 54.13 and 54.16. A Track This Case email creates no legal obligation to respond.
| Attribute | Track This Case | Official Missouri Court Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | OSCA automated system (MCAP batch process) | Court clerk, process server, or opposing counsel |
| Governing authority | RSMo §476.055 (CaseNet operation) | Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 54.13, 54.16 |
| Creates legal obligation to respond | No | Yes |
| Satisfies service of process requirements | No | Yes (when properly executed) |
| Admissible as proof of notice in court | No | Yes (return of service, affidavit of service) |
| Delivery timing | 24-48 hour batch delay, no guaranteed maximum | Defined by court rule and local circuit requirements |
Attorney note: No Missouri appellate decision has recognized a Track This Case notification as a substitute for service of process or notice of hearing under the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure. A client who relies on Track This Case as their primary awareness mechanism for legal deadlines bears the full risk of default, dismissal, or sanctions resulting from a missed deadline.
Governing rules: Service of process in Missouri civil cases is governed by the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 54 (Service of Process). Personal service requires delivery to the named party under Rule 54.13. Certified mail service requires return receipt under Rule 54.16. No Missouri rule designates a CaseNet system-generated email as a method of official service or legal notice. (Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, )
How Do You Track Multiple Cases on Missouri CaseNet?
Missouri CaseNet Track This Case operates at the case level, not the party level. If your name appears in 3 separate cases, you must set up 3 separate Track This Case subscriptions — one per case number. No subscription type covers all cases associated with a party name. There is no party-level monitoring option in Missouri CaseNet.
Can I track all my Missouri CaseNet cases with one subscription?
No. Missouri CaseNet does not offer party-level or name-level subscriptions. Each Track This Case subscription links to one specific case number. A user named in 10 cases must set up 10 separate subscriptions to receive notifications on all 10. Adding your name to one subscription does not propagate to other cases with the same party name.
The case-level limitation is the most frequently misunderstood aspect of Track This Case. A common error: a user tracks one case after a name search, assumes all results are covered, and discovers months later that 3 other cases involving their name generated no notifications. Users who run a Missouri CaseNet Litigant Name Search and find multiple cases must activate Track This Case individually on the case detail page of each case. There is no bulk-subscribe option.
| Scenario | Subscriptions Required |
|---|---|
| 1 case involving your name | 1 |
| 3 cases involving your name (active litigant) | 3 |
| 10 cases involving your name (high-volume civil defendant) | 10 |
| Cases in multiple Missouri counties (same party name) | 1 per case number, regardless of county |
| Cases filed in 2 different Missouri circuits (e.g., 16th and 21st) | 1 per case number in each circuit |
No party-level subscription exists. Missouri CaseNet does not offer a subscription that monitors all cases tied to a name, a Social Security number, or a Missouri driver’s license number. OSCA has not announced a party-level tracking feature as of . Users who need to discover new filings involving their name should run a periodic Missouri CaseNet Litigant Name Search — Track This Case does not surface new cases; it only alerts on existing tracked ones.
Multi-circuit example: A corporation named as defendant in 5 cases across 3 Missouri circuits — for example, the 16th Circuit (Jackson County), the 21st Circuit (St. Louis County), and the 13th Circuit (Boone County) — must set up 5 separate Track This Case subscriptions, one per case number. Circuit boundaries do not affect the setup process; each subscription is completed on the case detail page for each individual case number within each circuit’s CaseNet records.
How Do You Remove or Manage Tracked Cases on Missouri CaseNet?
Remove a Track This Case subscription by signing in to Missouri CaseNet, navigating to My Cases, locating the tracked case, and selecting the option to stop tracking. The case record remains in CaseNet after removal. Only the email notification subscription ends.
5 steps complete the removal of a Track This Case subscription on Missouri CaseNet, including:
- Sign in to Missouri CaseNet: Navigate to courts.mo.gov/casenet during operating hours (Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. CST).
- Navigate to My Cases: Select My Cases from the account dashboard. This page lists all cases you are currently tracking with active notification subscriptions.
- Locate the case to remove: Identify the specific case number in your My Cases list. Sort by case number or case type if the list is long.
- Select Stop Tracking: Click the option to stop tracking or unsubscribe from notifications on that case. The exact label may vary by CaseNet interface version but appears on or adjacent to the tracked case entry.
- Verify the removal: Confirm the case no longer appears in your My Cases list. Subsequent docket entries on that case will not generate email notifications after removal.
Closed cases: Missouri CaseNet continues to display closed case records in the public database. Track This Case subscriptions on closed cases stay active and will generate notifications if the case is reopened or if a post-judgment docket entry is added — a satisfaction of judgment filing, a post-judgment motion, or a wage garnishment order. Remove subscriptions on closed cases manually if ongoing notifications serve no purpose. Otherwise they continue indefinitely.
What Should You Do If Missouri CaseNet Track This Case Notifications Stop Arriving?
If Track This Case notifications stop arriving, check the spam folder first. Then verify the email address on the Missouri CaseNet account. If both are correct, confirm the case is in an MCAP-participating circuit and verify CaseNet is not in its weekend maintenance window — the system is offline all day Saturday and Sunday.
4 causes account for the majority of Track This Case notification failures, including spam filtering, an incorrect account email address, an MCAP circuit gap, and CaseNet’s weekend downtime.
| Problem | Likely Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Never received any notification | Email in spam or junk folder | Check spam; add the courts.mo.gov sender address to contacts |
| Never received any notification | Account email address incorrect or outdated | Sign in; verify email address in account settings; update if wrong |
| Track This Case button was absent; subscription never completed | Circuit not participating in MCAP | Verify the court’s MCAP status at courts.mo.gov |
| Notifications stopped after previously working | CaseNet weekend maintenance window | Wait until Monday, 6:00 a.m. CST; no notifications process Saturday or Sunday |
| Notifications stopped after previously working | Email inbox at storage capacity | Clear inbox space; re-verify subscription is still active in My Cases |
| Notification received but no change visible on the case | Docket entry added then voided or corrected | Sign in to CaseNet and review the full docket entry log for recent entries |
System status: OSCA maintains a log of scheduled and unscheduled Missouri CaseNet outages at courts.mo.gov System Unavailability Log. Check this log to verify whether a CaseNet outage coincided with a period when expected notifications did not arrive. For persistent technical issues, contact OSCA through courts.mo.gov.
For login errors, search failures, and other Missouri CaseNet technical problems beyond Track This Case notifications, see CaseNet Not Working — Troubleshooting Guide.
Missouri CaseNet Track This Case — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Missouri CaseNet Track This Case?
Missouri CaseNet Track This Case is a free email notification feature within the official Missouri court records system at courts.mo.gov/casenet, operated by the Office of State Courts Administrator under RSMo §476.055. It sends an email to a registered account holder when a new docket entry is added to a specific case the user has chosen to track. The notification does not include the text of the docket entry — only that the case record changed.
Do I need a Missouri CaseNet account to use Track This Case?
Yes. Track This Case requires a free registered Missouri CaseNet account at courts.mo.gov/casenet. Account registration is free and available to anyone. Public users who access CaseNet without signing in cannot activate Track This Case. See CaseNet Login for account creation instructions.
Is Track This Case free?
Yes. Track This Case is free. Missouri CaseNet account registration is also free. OSCA charges no fee to receive docket change notifications — for any number of tracked cases.
How long does it take to receive a Track This Case notification after a docket entry?
Track This Case notifications typically arrive 24 to 48 hours after a new docket entry is posted to Missouri CaseNet. The notification does not arrive when the entry posts. OSCA has not published a formal service level agreement specifying a maximum delivery window. For time-sensitive matters, check Missouri CaseNet directly rather than waiting for a Track This Case alert.
Does Track This Case replace official Missouri court notice?
No. Track This Case does not constitute service of process, notice of a hearing, or any form of official court communication. Official notice in Missouri civil matters is governed by the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 54.13 (personal service) and 54.16 (certified mail service). A Track This Case email does not create a legal obligation to respond, and missing a notification does not excuse a party from any court deadline or appearance requirement.
Can I track all my cases with one Track This Case subscription?
No. Missouri CaseNet Track This Case operates at the case level, not the party level. If your name appears in 3 separate cases, you must set up 3 separate subscriptions. No subscription type covers all cases associated with a party name. There is no party-level monitoring option in Missouri CaseNet as of .
What types of docket entries trigger a Track This Case notification?
A Track This Case notification fires when any new docket entry is added to the tracked case. Common triggering docket codes include
JE (Judgment Entered), WARI (Warrant Issued), CONT (Continuance), DISM (Dismissed), and MOT (Motion Filed). Events that update only scheduling data or payment records — without creating a formal docket entry — do not trigger notifications. A hearing date change entered only in the scheduling system will not generate a Track This Case alert.
Does a Track This Case notification include the text of the docket entry?
No. The Track This Case notification email identifies the case number and notifies the recipient that a change occurred. It does not include the docket entry text, the specific docket code, the filing party’s name, or any attached document. To read the actual docket entry, sign in to Missouri CaseNet and open the case detail page to review the full Missouri CaseNet Docket Entries log.
Why am I not receiving Track This Case notifications?
4 causes account for the majority of Track This Case delivery failures, including: (1) the notification email is in the spam or junk folder — add the courts.mo.gov sender address to contacts; (2) the email address on the Missouri CaseNet account is incorrect or outdated — verify in account settings; (3) the case is in a court that does not participate in the Missouri Court Automation Program (MCAP) — verify at courts.mo.gov; or (4) Missouri CaseNet is in its weekend maintenance window — the system is offline all day Saturday and all day Sunday, and no notifications process during that period.
How do I stop receiving Track This Case notifications?
Sign in to Missouri CaseNet at courts.mo.gov/casenet, navigate to My Cases, locate the tracked case, and select the option to stop tracking or remove the subscription. The case record remains in CaseNet after removal. Only the email notification subscription ends. Subscriptions must be removed individually for each tracked case.
Does Track This Case work for cases in all Missouri courts?
Track This Case works for cases in Missouri circuit courts that participate in the Missouri Court Automation Program (MCAP). Municipal courts and some limited-jurisdiction courts are not included in Missouri CaseNet and cannot be tracked. If the Track This Case button does not appear on a case detail page, the court or case type may not support the feature. Verify your specific court’s MCAP participation at courts.mo.gov.