How to Find Missouri Water Well Records

Your well’s record can tell you how deep it is, when it was finished, and sometimes details about the pump. That’s useful when you’re buying a home, planning a repair, or trying to describe a problem to a contractor. Missouri keeps these records, and you can search many of them for free.

Which wells have a state record?

Missouri’s water well law took effect with rules in 1987. According to Missouri DNR, wells drilled after July 31, 1987 must be reported by the driller within 60 days, and when a well meets the construction rules, DNR mails the owner a certification number. Wells drilled before that date generally don’t have a state record.

Step 1: Gather what you know

• The property address, county, and city
• The owner’s name when the well was drilled, if you know it (often a previous owner)
• A well certification or reference number, if it appears in closing papers, an inspection report, or old paperwork
• The approximate year the well was drilled or the pump was installed

Step 2: Search WIMS

DNR’s Well Information Management System (WIMS) has a public search for well and pump records. Open the WIMS public record search, then:

1. Choose whether you’re looking for well records or pump records.
2. Search by reference or certification number if you have one. That’s the most direct match.
3. Otherwise, search by owner name, county, city, or address. In rural areas, searching by county plus section, township, and range can help.
4. Narrow results by completion date or depth if many records come back.

Step 3: Try the GeoSTRAT map

DNR’s GeoSTRAT (Geosciences Technical Resource Assessment Tool) is an interactive map with well and geologic data. DNR’s private well FAQ notes owners can view their well information there. Zooming in on your property can turn up a record that a text search missed. You’ll find links to GeoSTRAT and WIMS on DNR’s WIMS page.

What a record may include

Depending on the record type and age, a record may show the well’s depth and completion date, and pump records may show when a pump was installed and its rated flow. Fields vary from record to record, so don’t expect every detail on every well.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Wells drilled before July 31, 1987 usually have no state record.
• A record shows the well as it was built. Later repairs, pump changes, or damage may not be reflected.
• Owner names and addresses can be out of date or entered inconsistently.
• No record does not mean the well is unsafe, and a record does not mean the water is safe to drink. Only a water test tells you that.

Other places to look

• Home purchase documents, inspection reports, or a previous owner
• The drilling or pump contractor who worked on the well, if known
• A sticker or tag on the pressure tank, control box, or well cap, which may show a contractor’s name or install date

Checking a contractor’s permit

WIMS also lets you look up well and pump contractor permits. Before anyone works on your well, you can confirm they hold a current Missouri DNR permit using the WIMS permit search.