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Jefferson County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Jefferson County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, 23rd Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 Main Street, Hillsboro, MO 63050. The Clerk's Office is on the 2nd floor of the Circuit Court building. |
| Mailing address | Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, Attention: Probate, P.O. Box 100, Hillsboro, MO 63050 |
| Phone | (636) 797-5443 |
| Fax | (636) 797-5073 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding state holidays |
| Court cost to open a decedent's estate | $165.50 without a request to admit a will, $200.50 with one; schedule effective May 1, 2025. |
| Local forms | Yes. Jefferson County publishes 2025 small estate packets with and without a will, guardianship and conservatorship packets, and redaction forms. A Filing Information Sheet is required. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers may bring paper filings to the 2nd floor Clerk's Office or mail them to the clerk, and the clerk scans them. |
| Case search | Case.net covers Jefferson County probate cases pending as of or filed after May 9, 2006. |
| Remote appearance | Published local video rules cover guardianship, conservatorship and civil commitment matters. The rules do not address remote appearance in a decedent's estate hearing. |
| Website | https://www.jeffcomo.gov/670/Circuit-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Jefferson County filing path, build a complete picture of the estate settlement: accounts, vehicles, real estate, debts, funeral expenses, beneficiaries and whether any asset passes outside probate. That matters here because the local attorney order turns on both value and real property, not just on the statewide route you are considering.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help identify accounts and assets across 2,300 financial institutions, organize liabilities and prepare the information your attorney or the Jefferson County packet will ask for.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Jefferson County is the whole of Missouri's 23rd Judicial Circuit. The probate filing point for the county is the Jefferson County Courthouse at 300 Main Street in Hillsboro, with the Clerk's Office on the 2nd floor. There are no satellite probate filing locations listed for the county.
Every Jefferson County community files at Hillsboro for a decedent's estate, including Arnold, Byrnes Mill, Crystal City, De Soto, Festus, Herculaneum, Hillsboro and Pevely. Municipal divisions handle ordinance matters, not decedent's estates.
Missouri venue is based on domicile: the will is probated and letters are granted in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, and later estate proceedings stay in the county where letters were granted (RSMo 473.010). Jefferson County is separate from St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis and Cole County's Jefferson City courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the route before you file. In Missouri, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, though the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). In Jefferson County, Administrative Order 10-19-22 requires an attorney of record in any estate over $15,000, in any estate with real property, and in every supervised or unsupervised administration. The order allows an heir to file a small estate affidavit without an attorney only when the estate is less than $15,000 and has no real property, and it allows applications for refusal of letters without an attorney.
- Gather the items Jefferson County asks for. The court's small estate checklist asks for the court cost, a completed and notarized application, a certified death certificate with raised state seal, copies of titles, bank statements, insurance policies, stocks, bonds and similar property records, a paid funeral bill, proof of values, notarized consents from other distributees and a Redaction Certificate. Local Rule 72.1 says an incomplete Filing Information Sheet causes the entire filing to be rejected.
- Use the local packet if you are filing a small estate. Jefferson County publishes a 2025 Small Estate Packet and a 2025 Small Estate Packet With a Will. The packets include the affidavit, a property schedule, a Motion to Waive Bond and Consent of Heir, and a Renunciation of Right to Administer.
- File with the Office of the Circuit Clerk at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 Main Street, Hillsboro. Attorneys file electronically in PDF through the Missouri eFiling System under local Rules 4.0, 4.4 and 72.1. A self-represented filer may take paper filings to the Clerk's Office on the 2nd floor or mail them to Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, Attention: Probate, P.O. Box 100, Hillsboro, MO 63050, and the clerk scans them into the electronic file.
- Deliver the original will on paper. Local Rule 72.10 says a will deposited during the testator's lifetime is presented to the probate division in a sealed envelope marked with the testator's name and the person to receive the will after death, and the Circuit Clerk keeps it in a safe place.
- Pay the Jefferson County court cost. The county's schedule effective May 1, 2025 lists $165.50 for a decedent's estate filed without a request to admit a will, $200.50 with a request to admit a will, $85.50 for refusal of letters, $85.50 for a small estate without a will, $120.50 for a small estate with a will, $85.50 to admit a will alone and $85.50 for determination of heirship. Make a money order or check payable to Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County. The clerk cannot accept out of county checks.
- Handle publication when it applies. In a full administration, the clerk causes notice of letters to be published (RSMo 473.033). For a small estate with property listed over $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), the court drafts the notice, emails it to you and you arrange payment directly with the newspaper. The court's own packet quotes $40.00, paid to the newspaper directly.
- Ask the clerk how your hearing will be set. Jefferson County's local rules say the Clerk's Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and court sessions begin at 9 a.m. unless otherwise scheduled. The rules do not publish a standing decedent's estate docket day.
- Do not assume a decedent's estate hearing will be by video. Local Rule 72.4 authorizes two-way video appearance for hearings under Chapters 475, 630, 631 and 632, covering guardianship, conservatorship and civil commitment matters. It does not address decedent's estate hearings.
- Receive the authority document. A full administration results in letters testamentary if there is a will, or letters of administration if there is not. A no-letters path results in the clerk's certificate on a small estate affidavit or the court's order refusing letters. Jefferson County's packet warns that a bank may refuse a small estate certificate, so ask each institution what it needs.
- Record real estate documents when needed. A small estate affidavit and clerk's certificate, or a certified copy of an order refusing letters, is recorded with the Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds at 729 Maple Street in Hillsboro to move record title to Jefferson County real estate (RSMo 473.097; RSMo 473.090).
- Close the administration carefully. Local Rule 72.8 says a full decedent's estate administration will not conclude without a State waiver of MoHealthNet claims. Local Rule 72.6 says missed settlements or annual reports result in a Show Cause Order.
Executor duties
Jefferson County adds several local filing duties to the statewide duties of a personal representative.
| Local duty | Jefferson County rule |
|---|---|
| Filing Information Sheet | Each case must include a fully completed Filing Information Sheet. For probate applications, it must list available information on heirs and their attorneys. An incomplete sheet causes the entire filing to be rejected. |
| Death certificate | Every decedent's matter begins with a certified copy of the death certificate. If survivorship is part of the requested relief, certified copies for predeceasing heirs must also be filed. |
| Settlements and annual reports | Local Rule 72.6 says failure to file required settlements or annual reports results in a Show Cause Order, and failure to appear can result in a body attachment. |
| MoHealthNet waiver | Local Rule 72.8 says a full administration will not conclude without the State's waiver of MoHealthNet claims. Small estates, refusals of letters and determinations of heirship are exempt. |
| Cost deposits | Local Rule 72.9 puts responsibility on the requesting party or counsel to monitor any court-ordered cost deposit and tell the court before a hearing if it has not been made. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Jefferson County
Jefferson County publishes local probate packets for the no-letters small estate route, and those local packets matter because the 23rd Judicial Circuit requires an attorney of record for most full decedent's estate administrations.
| Form or packet | How it is used |
|---|---|
| 2025 Small Estate Packet | Used for a small estate without a will. It includes the local checklist, affidavit, property schedule, bond waiver motion, consent language, renunciation language and the circuit's attorney order. |
| 2025 Small Estate Packet With a Will | Used when the small estate route includes a will. It contains the same local structure and adds the will-related filing path. |
| Filing Information Sheet | Required by local Rule 72.1 and local Rule 4.4. Incomplete sheets cause the entire filing to be rejected. |
| Certified death certificate | Required to begin every decedent's matter. Jefferson County's packet asks for a certified copy with raised state seal. |
| Redaction forms | The county forms page lists FI 35 Confidential Redacted Information Filing Sheet, GN 320 Redaction Certification and GN 325 Motion to Correct Redaction. |
| Missouri Judiciary probate court forms | Statewide probate form set, published on the Missouri Courts website. |
The Jefferson County forms page is https://www.jeffcomo.gov/671/Circuit-Court-Forms.
Fees
The amounts below come from the Jefferson County probate filing deposit schedule effective May 1, 2025. The statewide cost structure is set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023, and the probate division collects court costs under RSMo 483.580 and RSMo 488.010 through 488.020.
| Filing or service | Jefferson County amount |
|---|---|
| Decedent's estate without a request to admit a will | $165.50 |
| Decedent's estate with a request to admit a will | $200.50, including the $35.00 will admittance charge |
| Petition to admit a will | $85.50 |
| Refusal of letters, spousal, minor or creditor | $85.50 |
| Amended refusal | $35.00 |
| Small estate with no will | $85.50 |
| Small estate with a will | $120.50 |
| Amended small estate | $35.00 |
| Determination of heirship | $85.50 |
| Authorization to open and inventory a safe deposit box only | $85.50 |
| Miscellaneous probate | $95.50 |
| Small estate publication | For small estates with property listed over $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), the court's 2025 packet quotes $40.00, paid directly to the newspaper. |
| Copies | $1.00 per page, from the circuit's general filing deposit schedule. |
Publication costs are paid directly to the legal paper, not to the clerk. The small estate packet says the court uses The Reporter or The Countian. Make money orders or checks payable to Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County. The clerk cannot accept out of county checks.
Local nuance
Jefferson County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Jefferson County |
|---|---|
| Attorney order | Administrative Order 10-19-22 requires an attorney of record in any estate over $15,000, in any estate with real property, and in every supervised or unsupervised administration. It allows a small estate affidavit without an attorney only when the estate is less than $15,000 and has no real property, and it allows refusal of letters filings without an attorney. |
| MoHealthNet waiver | Local Rule 72.8 says no full administration of a decedent's estate will conclude without a waiver of MoHealthNet claims by the State. Small estates, refusals of letters and determinations of heirship are exempt. |
| Rejected filings | Local Rule 72.1 says an incomplete Filing Information Sheet causes the entire filing to be rejected. |
| Late settlements | Local Rule 72.6 says failure to file settlements or annual reports as required results in a Show Cause Order. Failure to appear for the show cause hearing can result in a body attachment. |
| Out of county checks | The court's packet says the clerk cannot accept out of county checks. An out of county filer should use a money order payable to Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County. |
| Will safekeeping | Local Rule 72.10 gives a local procedure for depositing a will during the testator's lifetime: the will is presented in a sealed envelope endorsed with the testator's name and the person to receive it after death, and the Circuit Clerk keeps it in a safe place. |
Small-estate Alternatives
Jefferson County's small estate process sits on the statewide small estate affidavit route (RSMo 473.097, effective August 28, 2002), but the local attorney order changes the practical path. The 23rd Judicial Circuit allows an heir to file a small estate affidavit without an attorney only when the estate is less than $15,000 and includes no real property. An estate over $15,000, or any estate with real property, falls under the circuit's attorney of record requirement.
The local packets ask for a certified death certificate with raised state seal, a completed Filing Information Sheet, a paid funeral bill, value proof for listed property, notarized consents from other distributees and a Redaction Certificate. The packet also includes a Motion to Waive Bond and Consent of Heir, which is how the local paperwork addresses the statutory bond issue.
For property listed over $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), Jefferson County's packet says publication applies, the court drafts the notice, and the filer pays the newspaper directly. The packet quotes $40.00 for that publication and identifies The Reporter or The Countian as the papers the office uses. The packet also warns that bank institutions may refuse the small estate certificate.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| December 2025 | The 23rd Judicial Circuit local court rules were revised. Rule 72 governs the Probate Division. |
| May 2025 | Jefferson County's filing deposit schedules took effect, including $165.50 to open a decedent's estate without a request to admit a will and $200.50 with one. |
| 2025 | The court's forms page carries 2025 editions of the small estate packets and guardianship and conservatorship packets. |
| October 2022 | Administrative Order 10-19-22 requires an attorney of record in any estate over $15,000, in any estate with real property, and in every supervised or unsupervised administration, while allowing specified no-letters filings without an attorney. |
| September 2023 | Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023, sets the statewide cost structure that Jefferson County's local totals sit on top of. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Jefferson County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | The deed controls the first step. If the home was held by the entirety, it may pass outside the estate and is not listed in the small estate property schedule. If real property remains in the estate, Jefferson County's attorney order applies. A spouse may also consider refusal of letters, which is measured against exempt property and support allowance rather than a fixed spouse dollar ceiling, and the local charge is $85.50 under the schedule effective May 1, 2025. | Sunset helps identify the accounts, debts and title facts before the spouse chooses between refusal of letters, small estate and full administration. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Jefferson County allows an heir to file a small estate affidavit without an attorney only if the estate is less than $15,000 and has no real property. The child should mail the packet to Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, Attention: Probate, P.O. Box 100, Hillsboro, MO 63050, and use a money order because the clerk cannot accept out of county checks. An adult child who paid the funeral out of pocket may be treated as a creditor for a refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090.6). | Sunset searches across 2,300 institutions so the property schedule is complete and the value question is answered before the packet is mailed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A house that must be sold points to full administration and an attorney of record in this circuit. The Jefferson County schedule effective May 1, 2025 lists $165.50 to open a decedent's estate without a request to admit a will, or $200.50 with one. Local Rule 72.1 requires a certified death certificate to begin the matter, and local Rule 72.8 requires the State's MoHealthNet waiver before the administration concludes. | Sunset helps organize the asset and debt inventory, supports estate settlement planning around the sale and accounting, and connects the family with a local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Jefferson County Circuit Court, https://www.jeffcomo.gov/670/Circuit-Court | Main local court page for the 23rd Judicial Circuit, including the courthouse address, clerk information, case lookup links and links to forms and rules. |
| Court rules and filing information, https://www.jeffcomo.gov/690/Local-Court-Rules-and-Filing-Information | Local rules, filing deposit schedules, e-filing information and publication rate sheet links. |
| Circuit court forms, https://www.jeffcomo.gov/671/Circuit-Court-Forms | Local small estate packets, guardianship and conservatorship packets, and redaction forms. |
| 23rd Judicial Circuit local court rules, https://www.jeffcomo.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20831/20251208-23rd-Circuit-Local-Court-Rules | Rule 72 covers Probate Division practice, including filing information sheets, death certificates, settlements, MoHealthNet waivers and will safekeeping. |
| Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ | Statewide public case search. Jefferson County probate cases pending as of or filed after May 9, 2006 appear there. |
| The Missouri Bar, Probate Law Resource Guide, https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf | A 2024 consumer guide from The Missouri Bar. |
| Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, https://lsem.org/ | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians, subject to income and case-type screening. Published case types include housing, domestic violence, special education, public benefits, consumer issues, senior cases, immigration and low-income business and nonprofit representation. |
| Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds, https://www.jeffcomo.gov/315/Recorder-of-Deeds | Records deeds, affidavits and related real estate documents. This is where a small estate certificate or certified order refusing letters is recorded for Jefferson County real estate. |
| Jefferson County Public Administrator, https://www.jeffcomo.gov/252/Public-Administrator | May be appointed by the court as personal representative, guardian or conservator when no one else is available to serve. |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel is especially important in Jefferson County because the 23rd Judicial Circuit's Administrative Order 10-19-22 requires an attorney of record in any estate over $15,000, in any estate with real property, and in every supervised or unsupervised administration, while Missouri law also limits a non-lawyer personal representative's ability to appear in court (RSMo 473.153.7). A lawyer is also practical when a house must be sold, heirs disagree, creditor claims are expected, the estate needs independent administration, or a MoHealthNet waiver is needed before closing. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, insurance and other assets that may belong in the estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information families need for the Jefferson County small estate packet, attorney intake or full administration, including assets, debts, contacts and filing details.
Find a local probate attorney. When Jefferson County's attorney order or the Missouri personal representative rule makes counsel the practical next step, Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families for estate settlement support, asset discovery or attorney matching.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Jefferson County, Missouri?
File with the Office of the Circuit Clerk at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 Main Street, Hillsboro, MO 63050. Self-represented filers may file at the Clerk's Office on the 2nd floor or mail filings to Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, Attention: Probate, P.O. Box 100, Hillsboro, MO 63050.
Do I need an attorney for a Jefferson County estate?
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). Jefferson County's Administrative Order 10-19-22 also requires an attorney of record in any estate over $15,000, any estate with real property, and every supervised or unsupervised administration. The order allows a small estate affidavit without an attorney only when the estate is less than $15,000 and has no real property, and it allows refusal of letters filings without an attorney.
What does it cost to open a decedent's estate in Jefferson County?
Under the Jefferson County schedule effective May 1, 2025, opening a decedent's estate costs $165.50 without a request to admit a will and $200.50 with one, including the $35.00 will admittance charge. The schedule also lists $85.50 to admit a will alone, $85.50 for refusal of letters, $85.50 for a small estate without a will, $120.50 for a small estate with a will and $85.50 for determination of heirship.
Can a self-represented filer e-file in Jefferson County probate?
Attorneys must file through the Missouri eFiling System. Jefferson County's local rules and filing page say unrepresented parties may file hard copies, and the Circuit Clerk scans them into the electronic file. Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4) says electronic filing is not required for self-represented filers.
Are there local Jefferson County probate forms?
Yes. Jefferson County publishes local 2025 small estate packets with and without a will, plus redaction forms and guardianship and conservatorship packets. The court does not publish a local full administration packet for letters testamentary or letters of administration, which fits the circuit's attorney order for most full administrations.
How do I look up a Jefferson County probate case?
Use Case.net. Jefferson County probate case information is available for public cases pending as of or filed after May 9, 2006. The Judiciary's Circuit 23 help page gives Jefferson County probate case numbers in the JE location and PR case type format.
Can I appear remotely for a Jefferson County estate hearing?
The local rules publish a two-way video procedure for guardianship, conservatorship and civil commitment hearings. They do not address remote appearance for decedent's estate hearings, so ask the Circuit Clerk's Office at (636) 797-5443 how your hearing will be handled.
Where do I record a small estate certificate for Jefferson County real estate?
Record the small estate affidavit and clerk's certificate, or a certified order refusing letters, with the Jefferson County Recorder of Deeds at 729 Maple Street, Administration Center, Hillsboro, MO 63050. The recorder's page says documents presented after 4:30 p.m. are held for processing the next business day.
Do I have to travel to Hillsboro if I live out of state?
Not for every step. A self-represented filer may mail paper filings to the Circuit Clerk, Attention: Probate, P.O. Box 100, Hillsboro, MO 63050. Use a money order rather than an out of county check. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk what appearance is required because the published remote rule does not cover decedent's estate hearings.
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.