Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. Bates County Criminal History does not keep or log those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained long enough to answer and maintain the related correspondence. It remains within the organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the servers may receive basic technical and usage details about the visit:
- Page-view times and the pages viewed
- Device category and operating system
- Browser type and version
- The referring website, when one is supplied
- The device's assigned IP address
- Approximate time spent on individual pages
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved on a device. They help show, in aggregate, which pages draw traffic and where visits end. Analytics providers assist with that measurement. A browser can block or remove cookies, although doing so may change how some website functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a search request to the selected outside provider
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Maintaining website availability and performance
- Measuring which Bates County resource pages are useful
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Bates County Criminal History does not maintain, compile, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It identifies official access routes through the Bates County Sheriff, the Circuit Court, the Missouri State Highway Patrol Criminal Justice Information Services Division Central Repository, and the Missouri Sex Offender Registry. The website is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor data is not assembled into consumer reports or personal files about third parties.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Information submitted there is controlled by the provider's privacy policy, retention rules, and disclosure practices rather than this policy. Review those terms before sending a query because Bates County Criminal History does not direct how a provider handles it.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Bates County Sheriff's website, Missouri Case.net, state agencies, legal resources, or outside search tools. Once a visitor follows an outbound link, the destination's privacy rules apply. Read them before providing personal information.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. Their tracking is not operated by Bates County Criminal History.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal information is not sold. It may be available to the following limited recipients:
- Advertising networks that serve ads
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Search partners processing a query submitted to their tools
- A government body or law enforcement agency acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable security practices are used to protect collected data. No internet-connected system is completely secure, however, so Bates County Criminal History cannot guarantee that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If information from a minor is identified, a request may be made for its deletion.
Your Data Rights
Rights depend on the law that applies to the visitor and the data. In Missouri, the Sunshine Law's open-record policy governs government records, while RSMo §43.506 controls dissemination of qualifying state criminal-history information. Those laws do not turn this private website into the government record custodian. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request access to personal information held about that visitor
- Ask that inaccurate visitor information be corrected
- Request deletion where the law permits it
- Opt out of eligible forms of data processing
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as practices or legal requirements change. A revised version will be posted here and will carry a new effective date.
Effective date: July 30, 2026