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Cedar County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Cedar County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cedar County |
| Courthouse address | Cedar County Courthouse, 113 South Street, Stockton, MO 65785 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 665, Stockton, MO 65785 |
| Phone | (417) 276-6700, extension 230 or 234 |
| Fax | (417) 276-5001 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed most state and federal holidays |
| Court cost due at opening | Decedent estates are listed at $148.50 under the Cedar County schedule effective September 16, 2025, plus $35.00 under the same effective date if admitting a will at the same time. Additional inventory-value charges are set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023. |
| Local forms | No Cedar County-specific probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is published. The county links to the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page. |
| 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). Ask the Circuit Clerk's office whether the 28th Judicial Circuit accepts electronic or emailed probate filings from a self-represented filer. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Circuit Clerk's office before planning a remote appearance. Cedar County does not publish a current probate remote appearance procedure. |
| Website | http://www.cedarcountymo.gov/circuit-clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Missouri probate path, make a working list of what the decedent owned, how each asset was titled, what debts remain, and whether any beneficiary designations or beneficiary deeds keep property outside the court file. That asset picture determines whether the family is dealing with a full administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or another statewide route.
For Cedar County families, that planning step also helps you decide what to take to the Stockton courthouse and what questions to ask before filing. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, which can make estate settlement decisions clearer before paperwork is prepared.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Stockton courthouse serves Cedar County probate filings, including matters connected to Stockton, El Dorado Springs, Jerico Springs and Umber View Heights. Cedar County is part of the 28th Judicial Circuit with Barton, Dade and Vernon counties, but those counties do not share one probate counter. A Cedar County estate is handled at the Cedar County Courthouse in Stockton.
Missouri venue for probating a will and granting letters is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (RSMo 473.010). If the decedent had no Missouri domicile, the statute points to a Missouri county where property was left, with a real-estate rule when the major part of the Missouri estate is real property.
The jurisdiction process
- Start by identifying the correct Missouri path. Full administration uses letters testamentary or letters of administration. A small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or determination of heirship may fit only if the statewide statutory requirements are met.
- Gather the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of interested people, and any information needed for the statewide probate forms. The original will should be delivered to the probate division on paper.
- File the probate paperwork with the Circuit Clerk's office at the Cedar County Courthouse, 113 South Street, Stockton, MO 65785, or mail it to PO Box 665, Stockton, MO 65785. The clerk serves as the clerk of the probate division for Cedar County (RSMo 472.010(4)).
- Pay the Cedar County court cost that matches the filing. Cedar County lists a decedent estate at $148.50 under its schedule effective September 16, 2025, plus $35.00 under the same effective date if a will is admitted at the same time. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, also sets the statewide structure for original letters, including $115 when original letters are applied for, an added $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, and a $565 cap under that rule.
- After letters are issued in a full administration, the clerk causes notice of the personal representative's appointment to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Creditors then have the statutory claim deadlines, including the six-month and mailed-notice branches in RSMo 473.360 and the one-year deadline in RSMo 473.444.
- If the court sets a hearing, calendar it as soon as notice arrives and ask the Circuit Clerk's office whether any remote appearance option is available for that hearing. Do not assume remote attendance is allowed in Cedar County probate.
- Once the court grants authority, the personal representative receives letters testamentary or letters of administration. Banks, title companies and other institutions usually ask for those letters before releasing estate assets.
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, prepares the inventory within the Missouri deadline, pays valid expenses and claims, distributes property, and completes the required settlement or closing papers. In Missouri, a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Cedar County
Cedar County does not publish a county-specific probate packet, local cover sheet or local checklist for decedent estates. The Circuit Clerk's page links families to the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page and the general statewide court forms page.
Use Cedar County's local court-cost schedule when planning what payment to include, and call the Circuit Clerk's office at (417) 276-6700, extension 230 or 234, if you are unsure whether the filing should be mailed or delivered in person. The original will should go to the probate division on paper even when other case documents are prepared electronically.
Fees
Cedar County publishes a local 28th Judicial Circuit cost schedule effective September 16, 2025. Those local totals sit alongside the statewide Court Operating Rule 21.01 structure, effective September 1, 2023, for original letters and inventory-value charges.
| Filing or service | Cedar County amount | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Decedent estate | $148.50 | September 16, 2025 |
| Decedent estate with will admitted at the same time | $148.50 plus $35.00 | September 16, 2025 |
| Refusal of letters | $68.50 | September 16, 2025 |
| Small estate affidavit | $68.50 | September 16, 2025 |
| Small estate affidavit with will admitted | $68.50 plus $35.00 | September 16, 2025 |
| Admitting a will with no other proceeding | $68.50 | September 16, 2025 |
| Receiving a will for safekeeping | $3.00 | September 16, 2025 |
| All other probate | $68.50 | September 16, 2025 |
For original letters, Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, includes a $115 state component, one certified copy of the letters at no added charge, an added $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, and a $565 cap under that rule. Cedar County's posted schedule does not itemize a separate per-page copy charge or certification charge.
Recent updates
| Update | What it means for Cedar County families |
|---|---|
| Cedar County cost schedule effective September 16, 2025 | Use the Cedar County schedule for local court costs, including $148.50 for a decedent estate and $68.50 for a refusal of letters or small estate affidavit, each effective September 16, 2025. |
| Circuit Clerk hours | The Cedar County Circuit Clerk's office lists hours as Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed most state and federal holidays. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Cedar County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking how the home was titled and whether any beneficiary deed or other nonprobate transfer applies. If a court filing is needed for Cedar County property, the filing goes through the probate division in Stockton. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title clues before the spouse decides whether a court estate settlement step is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the Missouri small estate affidavit requirements fit, including the $40,000 net estate limit effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), the filing can be prepared for the Cedar County probate division without opening a full administration. Ask the Circuit Clerk's office how to handle mailing and any payment. | Sunset organizes the asset list, helps generate the packet, and can connect the child with local counsel if a full administration or hearing becomes necessary. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is in Cedar County and no nonprobate transfer controls it, the family may need full administration or another Missouri court order before sale. Real-estate title steps may also involve the Cedar County Recorder of Deeds after the probate division issues the required certificate or order. | Sunset supports estate settlement by finding financial accounts, preparing a probate packet, and connecting the parent with a vetted Missouri probate attorney when sale authority is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar County Circuit Clerk | Local filing counter for Cedar County probate matters, hours, court costs and mailing questions. | 113 South Street, Stockton, MO 65785. Phone: (417) 276-6700, extension 230 or 234. Website: http://www.cedarcountymo.gov/circuit-clerk |
| Case.net | Statewide public case search for Missouri circuit court cases, including probate division matters. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms page linked by Cedar County. | Missouri Judiciary Probate Court Forms page |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide published by The Missouri Bar. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Missourians in Cedar County and other listed counties in the Springfield service area. | Springfield main office, 3130 S. Delaware, Springfield, MO 65804. Statewide offices page: https://www.lsmo.org/page/951/offices |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official source for Missouri probate statutes and the Missouri Constitution. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
When to hire an attorney
In a full Missouri administration, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), although the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements. Counsel is especially important when Cedar County real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, creditor issues are unclear, or the court sets a hearing. A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters does not appoint a personal representative, so the attorney rule does not apply in the same way to those no-letters paths. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families build the asset picture needed for estate settlement in Cedar County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to assemble a probate packet for the path that appears to fit, including the details a Cedar County filing usually needs.
Find a local probate attorney. When Missouri law or the facts make counsel the right next step, Sunset can connect you with a vetted probate attorney for Cedar County estate settlement.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's probate support, asset discovery and attorney connection without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Cedar County, Missouri?
File Cedar County probate papers with the Circuit Clerk's office at the Cedar County Courthouse, 113 South Street, Stockton, MO 65785. Mail can be sent to PO Box 665, Stockton, MO 65785.
Does Cedar County have its own probate forms?
No Cedar County-specific probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is published. Cedar County links to the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page.
What does it cost to start a Cedar County decedent estate?
Cedar County lists a decedent estate at $148.50 under its local schedule effective September 16, 2025, plus $35.00 under the same effective date if admitting a will at the same time. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, also includes the statewide original-letters and inventory-value structure.
Can I e-file a Cedar County probate case if I am not a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Cedar County does not publish a local self-represented probate e-filing procedure, so ask the Circuit Clerk's office whether the 28th Judicial Circuit accepts electronic or emailed probate filings from a self-represented filer.
Do attorneys e-file in Cedar County probate?
Yes. Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 103 and Court Operating Rule 27. The original will should still be delivered to the probate division on paper.
Can I look up a Cedar County probate case online?
Use Case.net at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. Cedar County's Circuit Clerk page links to Case.net for Missouri case lookup.
Do I have to travel to Stockton for Cedar County probate?
Not always. Some filings may be handled by mail, and an attorney can handle many court-facing steps for a full administration. If a hearing is set, ask the Circuit Clerk's office whether any remote appearance option is available before deciding not to travel.
Who signs letters testamentary or letters of administration in Cedar County?
Missouri probate matters are heard in the probate division of the circuit court. Depending on the county, the judge who signs letters is a circuit judge assigned to the probate division or an associate circuit judge exercising probate jurisdiction (Mo. Const. art. V, § 27.3). Cedar County does not publish a Cedar-specific statement of that office.
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.