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Buchanan County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Buchanan County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Buchanan County, Division 2 |
| Courthouse address | Buchanan County Courthouse, 411 Jules Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. Circuit Clerk's Office: Room 331. Probate clerks: Room 333. |
| Mailing address | Circuit Clerk's Office, Room 331, 411 Jules Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501 |
| Probate phone | Probate clerk: (816) 271-1418. Circuit Clerk's Office: (816) 271-1462. |
| Fax | (816) 271-1538 for the Circuit Clerk's Office. The court documents this fax for court records requests, not for filing a probate application. |
| [email protected] is published for Buchanan County Circuit Clerk records requests. The circuit also publishes [email protected] as a general site address. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except state legal holidays. |
| Opening court cost | Buchanan County publishes $183.50 for an application for letters with a will and $148.50 without a will, plus a $165.00 publication line. The court's schedule has no revision date published. Additional inventory and annual charges can apply. |
| Local forms | No Buchanan County probate packet is published. Use Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms and the filing information sheet required by local rule. |
| E-filing status | Attorneys file electronically in PDF. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file, and Buchanan County local rules allow hard copies to be scanned by the Circuit Clerk. |
| Case search | Case.net, Missouri's public case search, includes Buchanan County probate cases. The courthouse also has a public access terminal. |
| Remote appearance | The 5th Judicial Circuit publishes no probate remote-appearance rule or current probate order. Follow the notice of hearing and ask the probate clerk what the court will do in the case. |
| Website | 5th Judicial Circuit: https://5thcircuit.net/. Missouri Courts Buchanan County local rules and filing information is available on the Missouri Courts website. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in St. Joseph, list what the person owned, how each asset was titled, what debts are known, whether there is a will, and whether any Buchanan County real estate must be transferred or sold. That asset and liability picture determines whether the estate belongs in full administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or another Missouri route.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can start estate settlement with a clearer inventory instead of guessing. That matters in Buchanan County because the court cost can change when the final inventory is filed, and because the no-letters routes depend on what is actually in the probate estate.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Buchanan County Courthouse at 411 Jules Street in St. Joseph serves the whole county for probate filings. A Buchanan County decedent's estate is filed in St. Joseph, including estates for people who lived in St. Joseph or in the communities outside it.
Buchanan County is part of Missouri's 5th Judicial Circuit with Andrew County. Missouri has forty-six judicial circuits (RSMo 478.011), but a shared circuit is not a shared courthouse: Andrew County's courthouse is in Savannah, while Buchanan County keeps its own Circuit Clerk's Office, probate clerks, and Division 2 probate assignment in St. Joseph. Missouri venue for probating a will and granting letters is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled, and estate proceedings continue in the county where letters were granted (RSMo 473.010).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the probate assets, debts, will, beneficiaries, and any Buchanan County real estate before choosing a filing path. If the property may fit a small estate affidavit or a refusal of letters, compare the statewide requirements before opening a full administration.
- Call the Buchanan County probate clerk at (816) 271-1418 before traveling to Room 333. Ask what the counter wants for the filing you plan to make and whether the original will, payment, copies, or a filing information sheet should come with the first submission.
- Choose the correct Missouri route. A full administration appoints a personal representative and may require court appearances through an attorney. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or a refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) appoints no personal representative.
- Prepare the Missouri Judiciary probate forms and the filing information sheet. Buchanan County Local Rule 4.4 requires a self-represented probate filer to provide a filing information sheet with the initial filing, and a probate application must list available information about heirs and their attorneys.
- Deliver the original will to the probate division on paper if there is one. Attorneys file most documents electronically in PDF, but the original will still has to reach the probate division in St. Joseph.
- File with the Circuit Clerk's Office in Room 331 at 411 Jules Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501, or mail the packet to that address. Unrepresented filers may submit hard copies that the clerk scans. Checks are made payable to the Circuit Clerk of Buchanan County, and card payments carry the court's published convenience charge.
- Pay the Buchanan County court-published amount for the route selected. The court publishes $183.50 for an application for letters with a will and $148.50 without a will, plus a $165.00 publication line, with no schedule revision date published. Other routes have different local amounts.
- Handle notice and hearing scheduling. In a full administration, the clerk causes notice of letters to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). The circuit publishes no fixed probate hearing day, so use the notice of hearing for the date, time, judge, and location.
- After letters testamentary or letters of administration issue, use the certified letters to deal with banks, title companies, and other institutions. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, includes one certified copy of the letters in the state component of the charge.
- Administer and close the estate. The inventory is due within thirty days after letters unless the court gives more time (RSMo 473.233). Buchanan County charges an additional clerk fee when the final inventory is filed if the inventory value is above $50,000, and Local Rule 4.4 requires cancelled checks and bank statements supporting a settlement to be filed as written documents, not electronically.
Executor duties
Missouri law sets the statewide duties of a personal representative. Buchanan County adds local procedures that matter during administration and closing.
| Local duty | What to do in Buchanan County |
|---|---|
| Keep settlement backup in paper form | Cancelled checks and bank statements for a settlement must be filed with the probate court as written documents and not as electronic documents under Local Rule 4.4. |
| Use a written compensation application | Local Rule 72.01 requires compensation applications to be in writing. The personal representative signs the application for the representative's compensation, and the attorney signs the application for the attorney's compensation. |
| Itemize requests above the statutory minimum | When compensation above the statutory minimum is requested, Local Rule 72.01 calls for an itemized description of each service, the date, time spent, total hours, hourly rate, and the value of the estate. |
| Budget for both representative and attorney compensation | The local rule treats the statutory percentage minimum as presumed reasonable for both the personal representative and the estate's attorney, tied to the statewide compensation statute (RSMo 473.153). |
| Protect confidential financial information | Local Rule 72.02 keeps inventories, settlements, statements of account, vouchers, and account statements out of general public access, and the filer is responsible for redacting confidential numbers before filing. |
| Watch local closing costs | Buchanan County publishes a $30.00 charge when a decedent's estate closes after the first anniversary and $30.00 for each additional year, with no schedule revision date published. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Buchanan County
Buchanan County does not publish a local probate packet, local estate checklist, or local probate cover sheet. The Missouri Judiciary's Buchanan County local forms listing contains general circuit forms, including the filing information sheet, but not a Buchanan County estate packet.
Use the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms for the filing path. Confirmed statewide forms include FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet, Probate and Non-Domestic Relations Cases, updated July 2025; PR 16 Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, Small Estate, Intestate; PR 22 Exhibit A for the property listing; PR 23 Application of Creditor for Refusal of Letters, updated May 2023; PR 25 Application of Unmarried Minor Children for Refusal of Letters, updated May 2023; PR 28 Petition for Determination of Heirship; PR 30 Application to Amend Order Refusing Letters, updated May 2023; and PR 33 Application of Surviving Spouse for Refusal of Letters, updated May 2023.
The local must-have document is the filing information sheet. Local Rule 3.3 requires it with every civil, probate, or small claims action, and Local Rule 4.4 requires a probate application to include available information about the heirs and their attorneys. The filing information sheet is not open to public inspection.
Fees
Buchanan County publishes its own probate cost schedule. The schedule has no revision date published, so use the court's current schedule or call the probate clerk before bringing payment. Checks are made payable to the Circuit Clerk of Buchanan County.
| Filing or service | Buchanan County court-published amount |
|---|---|
| Application for letters with a will | $183.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Application for letters without a will | $148.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Publication line for letters | $165.00, no schedule revision date published |
| Small estate with a will | $110.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Small estate without a will | $65.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Amended small estate after completion | $58.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Small estate publication line when required over $15,000 under (RSMo 473.097) | $165.00, no schedule revision date published |
| Refusal of letters for creditor, spouse, or unmarried minor child | $65.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Amended refusal of letters | $58.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Application for probate of will | $65.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Will deposit for a living person | $6.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Determination of heirship | $65.50, plus $165.00 publication line, no schedule revision date published |
| Trust estate | $93.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Petition for discovery of assets | $93.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Dispense with administration or conservatorship | $65.50, no schedule revision date published |
| Petition to contest a will | $93.50, filed in the Circuit Clerk's office, no schedule revision date published |
The opening cost is not the only possible court cost. Buchanan County publishes an additional clerk fee, effective January 1, 2012, when the final inventory is filed and the inventory value is above $50,000: $50.00 for $50,001 to $100,000; $100.00 for $100,001 to $150,000; $150.00 for $150,001 to $200,000; $200.00 for $200,001 to $250,000; $250.00 for $250,001 to $300,000; $300.00 for $300,001 to $350,000; $350.00 for $350,001 to $400,000; $400.00 for $400,001 to $450,000; and $450.00 over $450,000. The same schedule adds $10.00 for each citation issued by the court, effective January 1, 2012. This local schedule sits on top of the statewide Court Operating Rule 21.01 structure, effective September 1, 2023.
Copies also have local charges. Buchanan County publishes $2.50 for the first 10 photocopied pages, then $0.10 per page after that, and $2.50 per certification for up to two pages, with regular copy charges beginning on the third page. The court's records-request form says authenticated copies cost $2.50 and that certified and authenticated copies cannot be emailed.
The court accepts cash, cashier's check, business check, money order, and card payments. Card payments up to $50.00 carry a $1.00 convenience charge, and card payments of $50.01 or more carry a 2.75 percent convenience charge. The probate section of the schedule also says publication costs cannot be e-filed.
Local nuance
Buchanan County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Division 2 handles probate | The 5th Judicial Circuit local rules assign Buchanan County probate matters to Division 2, the circuit and probate division. The probate clerks are in Room 333. |
| Filings go through Room 331 | Probate cases are filed in the Circuit Clerk's Office, Room 331, at 411 Jules Street, and the case is assigned to Division 2. |
| The probate clerk has a direct line | Call (816) 271-1418 for the probate clerk. The Circuit Clerk's main line, (816) 271-1462, is not the direct probate line. |
| A will contest is a separate track | Buchanan County's schedule states that a petition to contest a will must be filed in the Circuit Clerk's office and lists it at the civil amount of $93.50, with no schedule revision date published. |
| Inventory value can add cost later | Effective January 1, 2012, Buchanan County charges an additional clerk fee when the final inventory is filed if the inventory value is above $50,000, plus $10.00 for each citation issued. |
| Publication is listed in the court schedule | The Buchanan County schedule carries a $165.00 publication line for letters, small estates when required, and determination of heirship, with no schedule revision date published. |
| Settlement backup stays on paper | Local Rule 4.4 requires cancelled checks and bank statements for a settlement to be filed as written documents, not electronic documents. |
| Financial filings are not generally public | Local Rule 72.02 keeps inventories, settlements, statements of account, account statements, vouchers, and similar financial documents out of general public access. |
| The Recorder of Deeds is in the same building | For Buchanan County real estate, the Recorder of Deeds is in Room 103 at 411 Jules Street and records no documents after 4:00 p.m. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Buchanan County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by determining whether the home is in the probate estate at all. If a refusal of letters fits, the surviving spouse route is keyed to exempt property and the one-year support allowance, not a fixed dollar ceiling (RSMo 473.090). Buchanan County publishes $65.50 for a refusal of letters, with no schedule revision date published. Use PR 33 and PR 22 where the statewide forms fit, file in Room 331, and record any order affecting Buchanan County real estate with the Recorder of Deeds in Room 103. | Sunset finds accounts and assets before filing, prepares the St. Joseph packet, and helps the spouse decide whether the estate settlement can use a no-letters route or needs full administration. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call the probate clerk at (816) 271-1418 before mailing anything to Room 331, 411 Jules Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. Buchanan County publishes $65.50 for a small estate without a will and $110.50 with a will, plus $165.00 for publication when required over $15,000 under (RSMo 473.097), with no schedule revision date published. The original will must reach the probate division on paper, and certified copies cannot be emailed. | Sunset searches for accounts, checks whether the assets fit the statewide small estate route, generates the packet, and connects the family to Missouri counsel if the case stops being simple. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually points toward full administration. File in Room 331, expect assignment to Division 2, and budget for Buchanan County's $148.50 amount without a will or $183.50 with a will, plus the $165.00 publication line, with no schedule revision date published. A personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), though the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements. Local Rule 72.01 treats the statutory percentage minimum as presumed reasonable for both the personal representative and the estate's attorney (RSMo 473.153), and Local Rule 4.4 requires settlement bank statements and cancelled checks on paper. | Sunset organizes the asset picture, prepares the filing materials, and connects the parent with a local probate attorney for the hearing, sale, and estate settlement steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps in Buchanan County |
|---|---|
| 5th Judicial Circuit Court, Buchanan County | The court's Buchanan County information identifies Room 331 for the Circuit Clerk's Office, Room 333 for the probate clerks, and the direct probate clerk phone number. |
| 5th Judicial Circuit cost deposits | The Buchanan County cost schedule lists local amounts for letters, small estates, refusals of letters, heirship, publication, final inventory add-ons, copies, and payment terms. |
| Missouri Courts Buchanan County local rules and filing information | The Missouri Judiciary's Buchanan County local rules and filing information listing links the 5th Judicial Circuit's local rules and local forms, including the filing information sheet used in probate. |
| Case.net | Missouri's public case search lets a person look up Buchanan County probate dockets by the decedent's name in a browser. |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | The statewide probate forms include the filing information sheet, refusal of letters applications, small estate materials, heirship forms, and property listing exhibit. |
| Legal Aid of Western Missouri, St. Joseph office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians is available through the St. Joseph office at 706 Felix Street, (816) 364-2325, or 1-800-892-2101. Intake decides whether a particular estate issue is within the program's work. |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | A consumer guide to Missouri probate published by The Missouri Bar. It is not a court checklist. |
When to hire an attorney
In Missouri, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), though the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements. That makes counsel especially important in a full Buchanan County administration involving a house sale, a disputed creditor claim, an objection from an heir, a will contest filed as a separate civil action, or an out-of-state personal representative. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) appoints no personal representative, and the 5th Judicial Circuit's own rules expect unrepresented filers to submit hard copies that the Circuit Clerk scans. Local Rule 72.01 also treats the statutory percentage minimum as presumed reasonable for the estate's attorney as well as the personal representative (RSMo 473.153), so fee planning should happen early. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances, and assets before a Buchanan County filing is prepared. That asset picture is the foundation for choosing a full administration, small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or another Missouri path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps assemble the forms, asset list, filing information sheet, and supporting documents needed for the St. Joseph courthouse. For families handling estate settlement from outside Buchanan County, that reduces back-and-forth with the Room 331 counter.
Find a local probate attorney. When a full administration, court appearance, real estate sale, dispute, or will contest makes counsel important, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney who can appear in the Buchanan County probate division.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to use its asset discovery, probate packet, or attorney connection tools. The goal is to make estate settlement clearer before the court process begins.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Buchanan County?
File with the Circuit Clerk's Office, Room 331, Buchanan County Courthouse, 411 Jules Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. The case is assigned to Division 2, and the probate clerks are in Room 333.
What is the phone number for the Buchanan County probate division?
The probate clerk's direct line is (816) 271-1418. The Circuit Clerk's Office main line is (816) 271-1462.
Buchanan County shares a circuit with Andrew County. Do I have to go to Savannah?
No. Andrew County is the other county in the 5th Judicial Circuit, but a Buchanan County estate is filed at the Buchanan County Courthouse in St. Joseph. Do not file a Buchanan County estate at the Andrew County courthouse in Savannah.
When is the Buchanan County Courthouse open for probate filings?
The local rules state that the courts in Andrew and Buchanan counties are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for filing papers in the clerks' offices, except state legal holidays.
Can I file a Buchanan County probate case myself, or do I have to e-file?
Attorneys file electronically in PDF. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file, and the local rules allow unrepresented parties to file hard copies that the Circuit Clerk scans. Missouri law separately limits court appearances by a non-lawyer personal representative (RSMo 473.153.7).
What does it cost to open an estate in Buchanan County?
Buchanan County publishes $183.50 for an application for letters with a will and $148.50 without a will, plus a $165.00 publication line, with no schedule revision date published. The county also publishes later charges tied to the final inventory value and to estates that remain open past the first anniversary.
Does Buchanan County have its own probate forms?
No local estate packet is published for Buchanan County. Use Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms, and include the filing information sheet required by the 5th Judicial Circuit local rules.
Where do I file a will contest in Buchanan County?
Buchanan County's own schedule states that a petition to contest a will must be filed in the Circuit Clerk's office. It is a separate civil action and the schedule lists $93.50 for that filing, with no schedule revision date published.
Can I look up a Buchanan County estate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net to search by the decedent's name. Buchanan County probate dockets are included, and public documents filed on or after July 1, 2023 may be available from the docket when a link appears. Some estate financial documents are not open to general public access under the local rules.
Will I have to appear in person in St. Joseph?
The 5th Judicial Circuit publishes no probate remote-appearance rule or current probate order. The notice of hearing tells you the type of hearing, date, judge, and location. Ask the probate clerk at (816) 271-1418 what the court will do in your case.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.