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Carroll County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Carroll County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Carroll County, 8th Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | Carroll County Courthouse, 8 S. Main St., Suite 3, Carrollton, MO 64633 |
| Mailing | Use the courthouse street address unless the clerk gives you a different current mailing address. |
| Phone | (660) 542-0615. Use extension 1 for the Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds routing. |
| Fax | (660) 542-1444 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published on the county page. |
| Court costs | Carroll County does not publish a local probate cost schedule. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets the state structure at $115 when original letters are applied for in a decedent's estate, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, with total fees under that section capped at $565. Ask the Carrollton clerk for the total due with local surcharges before you file. |
| Local forms | Carroll County does not publish a county probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist on its county website. |
| E-filing | Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4), and Carroll County does not publish a local self-represented probate e-filing rule. |
| Case search | Use Case.net for public Carroll County circuit case lookup. The Circuit 8 guidance says probate matters processed through the Associate Court are included for cases pending as of, or filed after, December 10, 2001. |
| Remote appearance | No current Carroll County probate remote-appearance rule is published. Ask the clerk before relying on a video or telephone appearance. |
| Website | https://www.carrollcountymo.gov/circuit-clerk/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Carroll County estate settlement path, make a list of the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiary designations, and jointly owned property. That first inventory decides whether the family is looking at a full administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or a nonprobate transfer.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families look for bank, brokerage, retirement, insurance, loan, and digital-finance accounts before they spend money opening a case in Carrollton. The goal is to match the filing to the assets, not to start the most complicated estate settlement process by default.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Carroll County serves estates filed in Carroll County from the courthouse in Carrollton. Carroll County is in the 8th Judicial Circuit with Ray County, but the shared circuit does not create a shared probate counter, and Carroll County filings should not be sent to Richmond.
Missouri venue starts with the decedent's domicile: the will is probated and letters are granted in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (RSMo 473.010). If the decedent was not domiciled in Missouri, Missouri uses the county where Missouri property is located, with a real-estate rule for the county where the major part of the Missouri real estate lies (RSMo 473.010).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify probate and nonprobate assets. Check whether real estate passed by joint ownership or beneficiary deed, whether accounts have beneficiaries, and whether any asset actually needs Carroll County authority.
- Choose the Missouri path before preparing forms. Full administration appoints a personal representative. A small estate affidavit under RSMo 473.097, effective August 28, 2002, may fit when the entire estate, less liens, debt, and encumbrances, is $40,000 or below and 30 days have passed since death. A refusal of letters under RSMo 473.090 may fit a surviving spouse, unmarried minor children, or a qualifying creditor.
- Prepare the petition, application, affidavit, proposed order, death certificate information, asset list, and any required consents. If there is an original will, deliver the original will itself to the probate division even if another filing is handled electronically.
- File with the clerk of the probate division at the Carroll County Courthouse, 8 S. Main St., Suite 3, Carrollton, MO 64633. If mailing, use the courthouse street address unless the clerk gives you a current mailing address for probate filings.
- Ask the clerk for the total court cost for your filing. Carroll County does not publish a local probate cost schedule, so use the Court Operating Rule 21.01 structure, effective September 1, 2023, as the state framework and get the total collected in Carrollton before filing.
- Handle notice. In a full administration, the clerk publishes notice of letters once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Creditors then have six months from the first published notice, or two months from mailed or served notice, whichever is later, subject to Missouri's separate one-year claims bar (RSMo 473.360; RSMo 473.444).
- Attend any required hearing or respond to any clerk request. Carroll County does not publish a current remote-appearance rule, so ask before assuming you can appear by phone or video. A non-attorney personal representative may not appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
- Obtain the authority document if the court appoints a personal representative. In a testate estate, that document is letters testamentary. In an intestate estate, it is letters of administration.
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative collects assets, files the inventory within 30 days after letters are granted unless the court gives more time, pays valid expenses and claims, distributes property, and completes the required settlement or closing process (RSMo 473.233).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Carroll County
Carroll County does not publish a county probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist on its county website. Start with the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and then ask the Carrollton clerk whether the probate division wants any local formatting, copies, or proposed orders with your filing.
Use the local filing counter information rather than a Ray County address. Carroll County filings go to the Carroll County Courthouse in Carrollton. If a will exists, the original will must be delivered to the probate division.
Local nuance
Carroll County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Shared circuit | Carroll County shares the 8th Judicial Circuit with Ray County, but Carroll County probate filings stay at the Carrollton courthouse. |
| Filing counter | The county does not publish a separate probate division room or phone line. Use the Circuit Clerk's office at Suite 3 as the probate filing counter. |
| Phone routing | The county's current public pages use (660) 542-0615 with extension routing. Use extension 1 for the Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds routing. |
| No local cost schedule | Carroll County does not publish a local probate cost schedule. Ask the Carrollton clerk for the total collected for your filing type. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | First check whether the home passed outside probate through joint ownership or another nonprobate transfer. If probate is still needed, file the Carroll County matter at the courthouse in Carrollton and consider whether refusal of letters under RSMo 473.090 fits the spouse's situation. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, beneficiary designations, and real estate title issues before the spouse pays to start a full estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate fits Missouri's small estate affidavit path under RSMo 473.097, the filing is still made with the Carroll County probate division. Ask the Carrollton clerk about signing, bond, copies, and whether anything can be handled by mail. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, generate a probate packet, and connect the child with a Missouri attorney if a hearing or full administration is needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the child's home is titled in the child's name and no nonprobate transfer controls, the family may need Carroll County probate authority before a sale can close. If the estate uses a small estate certificate or refusal order involving local real estate, the recording step is handled through the Recorder of Deeds function at the Carroll County Courthouse. | Sunset helps locate accounts, prepare an estate settlement roadmap, and connect the parent with a Carroll County probate attorney for sale authority and closing issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Carroll County Circuit Clerk | Local filing counter for Carroll County probate division filings at the Carrollton courthouse. | 8 S. Main St., Suite 3, Carrollton, MO 64633. Phone: (660) 542-0615, extension 1. Fax: (660) 542-1444. |
| Case.net | Public Missouri circuit case lookup, including Carroll County probate division matters that are available in the statewide system. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate form page. Use it as a starting point when Carroll County does not publish a county packet. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?ID=662 |
| The Missouri Bar probate guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar about Missouri probate concepts. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Warrensburg office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians in Carroll County. Intake will decide whether the issue is within the program's services. | 305 North Holden, Warrensburg, MO 64093. Phone: (660) 747-7101. Toll-free: (800) 892-2943. |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel is especially important for a full Carroll County administration, contested family issues, real estate that must be sold, creditor disputes, unclear heirs, or any hearing where the personal representative is not a lawyer. Missouri law says a personal representative who is not an attorney may not appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Sunset connects families to a vetted Carroll County probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across financial institutions and helps families build the asset picture before deciding whether Carroll County probate is needed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into organized probate paperwork for the correct Missouri path, then helps you understand what to file with the Carroll County probate division.
Find a local probate attorney. When a full administration, hearing, real estate sale, or dispute requires legal help, Sunset connects families with a vetted Missouri probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools, asset discovery, document organization, and attorney connection at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Carroll County, Missouri?
File with the probate division through the Circuit Clerk's office at the Carroll County Courthouse, 8 S. Main St., Suite 3, Carrollton, MO 64633. Carroll County is in the 8th Judicial Circuit with Ray County, but Carroll County filings stay in Carrollton.
Is Carroll County probate handled in Richmond because Carroll and Ray counties share a circuit?
No. The 8th Judicial Circuit includes Carroll and Ray counties, but each county keeps its own courthouse and filing counter. A Carroll County estate belongs at the Carrollton courthouse when venue is proper in Carroll County (RSMo 473.010).
Can I e-file a Carroll County probate case without a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Carroll County does not publish a local probate rule opening self-represented electronic filing for probate matters, so ask the clerk what filing methods are accepted for your filing type. Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System.
What does it cost to open a Carroll County probate estate?
Carroll County does not publish a local probate cost schedule. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets the state structure at $115 when original letters are applied for, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, capped at $565 under that section. The clerk can tell you the total collected in Carrollton for your filing type.
Does Carroll County have its own probate forms?
Carroll County does not publish a county probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist on its county website. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page as a starting point and ask the Carrollton clerk whether any local formatting or copies are needed.
Can I appear remotely for a Carroll County probate hearing?
Carroll County does not publish a current probate remote-appearance rule. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk or your attorney before assuming a phone or video appearance will be allowed.
How do I look up a Carroll County probate case?
Use Case.net, Missouri's statewide public case lookup. The Circuit 8 guidance says probate matters processed through the Associate Court are included for cases pending as of, or filed after, December 10, 2001.
Do I have to travel to Carrollton for every estate settlement step?
Not always. Some preparation, asset discovery, and attorney work can happen before anyone goes to the courthouse. But filings for a Carroll County estate go through the Carrollton probate division, and any hearing or original-will delivery may require local instructions from the clerk or court.
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.