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Moniteau County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Moniteau County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Moniteau County |
| Courthouse address | Moniteau County Courthouse, 200 East Main Street, California, MO 65018 |
| Mailing | Use the courthouse street address unless the clerk gives you a different mailing address. |
| Phone | (573) 796-2071 |
| Fax | Call the clerk before sending anything by fax. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Opening court cost | No Moniteau County total is posted. The state component is $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 Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, with local surcharges added at the counter. |
| Local forms | Moniteau County does not publish a county probate packet or cover sheet. Use Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the clerk what is needed for your filing. |
| 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 clerk whether the 26th Judicial Circuit accepts electronic or emailed probate filings from self-represented filers. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. Moniteau County probate case information appears for cases pending as of, or filed after, November 28, 2005. Earlier probate judgments require courthouse index review. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the clerk before assuming a phone or video appearance is allowed. |
| Website | Missouri Judiciary Circuit 26 help page |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Moniteau County, make a practical inventory of the decedent's assets, debts, jointly owned property, beneficiary designations, and any real estate in or outside Missouri. That first asset map helps you decide whether estate settlement needs full administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or no court case at all.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help families find accounts, insurance, retirement plans, and other assets before they choose a probate path. In Missouri, that matters because some no-letters options are available only when the facts fit, while a personal representative in a full administration cannot appear in court without counsel unless the personal representative is an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7).
Which court handles jurisdiction
Moniteau County probate filings are handled at the Moniteau County Courthouse in California, Missouri. The county is in the 26th Judicial Circuit with Camden, Laclede, Miller and Morgan counties, but those counties do not share a probate counter. File a Moniteau County estate in California, not in Camdenton, Lebanon, Tuscumbia, or Versailles.
Missouri venue for wills and letters is usually the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (RSMo 473.010). If the decedent had no Missouri domicile, Missouri law points to a county where Missouri property was left, with special treatment when the major part of the Missouri estate is real estate (RSMo 473.010). Moniteau County communities include California, Tipton, Clarksburg, Jamestown, Latham, and High Point.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Missouri probate path that fits the assets. Full administration, independent administration, small estate affidavits, refusal of letters, and determination of heirship are statewide Missouri procedures. For a full estate, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, though the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
- Gather the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of heirs or devisees, and any information needed to value Moniteau County real estate. Deliver the original will on paper to the probate division even if other papers are handled electronically.
- Prepare the required Missouri forms and any petition or application your path requires. Moniteau County does not publish a county packet, so use Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the clerk whether the 26th Judicial Circuit requires any additional local document.
- File with the circuit clerk's office at the Moniteau County Courthouse, which serves as the clerk of the probate division for Moniteau County (RSMo 472.010(4)). Use 200 East Main Street, California, MO 65018 unless the clerk gives you a different mailing address.
- Pay the court costs the clerk quotes for the filing. For letters, the state component is $115 plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, capped at $565 under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, and local surcharges are added to that state component.
- Handle notice. When letters testamentary or letters of administration are issued, the clerk causes notice of the appointment and notice to creditors to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Creditors then face the Missouri claims deadlines in RSMo 473.360 and RSMo 473.444.
- Ask the clerk how hearings are scheduled and whether any appearance can be made by phone or video. No Moniteau County probate hearing day or remote appearance practice is stated in the local materials, so do not assume a remote appearance is available.
- After the court grants authority, use the issued letters testamentary or letters of administration to deal with banks, title companies, creditors, and buyers. Administer the estate, file the inventory and required settlements or statements, distribute property, and close the estate under the Missouri procedure that applies to your case.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Moniteau County
Moniteau County does not publish a county probate forms packet, local cover sheet, or county filing checklist. Start with the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page, then call the Moniteau County clerk at (573) 796-2071 before you file to ask which forms and copies are required for your situation.
If a will exists, the original will is delivered to the probate division on paper. A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters may avoid appointment of a personal representative when the Missouri statutory requirements are met, but the court still needs the correct paperwork for the requested order or certificate.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Moniteau County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by checking how the home was titled and whether beneficiary designations or joint ownership keep assets out of probate. If court action is needed, file in California when venue is Moniteau County. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues, debts, and whether the estate settlement needs a probate filing or can be handled mostly outside court. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Ask the Moniteau County clerk which Missouri small estate paperwork and copies are required. If Moniteau County real estate is involved and the court issues the needed certificate, record the certificate with the Moniteau County Recorder of Deeds under RSMo 473.097.4. | Sunset helps collect asset information, organize the filing packet, and connect you with a Missouri probate attorney if the facts move beyond a no-letters path. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is still in the child's name and must be sold, the estate will usually need a court order or authority acceptable to the title company. File in the Moniteau County probate division if Moniteau County is the proper venue. | Sunset helps prepare the asset list, coordinate documents for the attorney, and keep the estate settlement moving toward sale and closing. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Moniteau County probate division | Local counter for Moniteau County probate filings, questions about copies, current court costs, and whether self-represented filings may be mailed or submitted electronically. | Moniteau County Courthouse, 200 East Main Street, California, MO 65018, (573) 796-2071 |
| Case.net | Statewide public case lookup for Missouri circuit court cases, including Moniteau County probate cases pending as of, or filed after, November 28, 2005. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms page for Missouri probate filings. Do not assume a form number until you review the current form page and clerk instructions. | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar about Missouri probate concepts. It is not a Moniteau County court checklist. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Mid-Missouri Legal Services | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians. Intake decides whether the organization can help with the particular issue. | 117 North Garth, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 442-0116 or 1-800-568-4931 |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel usually makes sense in a Moniteau County full administration, especially when real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, creditors are active, the estate is insolvent, or a hearing is likely. Missouri law provides that a personal representative who is not an attorney cannot appear in court except through an attorney, while the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for bank accounts, retirement plans, insurance, investment accounts, and other assets so they can decide which Missouri estate settlement path fits before filing in Moniteau County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for petitions, inventories, notices, and closing documents, then helps you assemble a packet that is easier for the Moniteau County clerk or a local attorney to review.
Find a local probate attorney. When a full administration or court appearance is needed, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Missouri probate attorney who understands the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Moniteau County.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to use its estate settlement tools, asset discovery, document organization, or attorney connection service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Moniteau County?
File with the circuit clerk's office at the Moniteau County Courthouse, 200 East Main Street, California, MO 65018. That office serves as the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Moniteau County for local estate filings (RSMo 472.010(4)).
Is Moniteau County in a shared circuit?
Yes. Moniteau County is in the 26th Judicial Circuit with Camden, Laclede, Miller and Morgan counties. That does not mean the counties share one probate counter. If venue is in Moniteau County under RSMo 473.010, use the courthouse in California.
Can I e-file a Moniteau County probate case myself?
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 Moniteau County clerk whether the 26th Judicial Circuit currently accepts electronic or emailed probate filings from self-represented filers in the type of case you need to file.
How much does it cost to open a Moniteau County estate?
No Moniteau County total is posted. For letters, the state component is $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 Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023. Local surcharges are added, so ask the Moniteau County clerk for the current amount collected at the California courthouse.
Are there Moniteau County probate forms?
Moniteau County does not publish a county probate packet, cover sheet, or filing checklist. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and call the clerk before filing to ask what forms, copies, and original documents are needed.
How do I look up a Moniteau County probate case?
Use Case.net at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. Moniteau County probate case information appears for cases pending as of, or filed after, November 28, 2005. The Judiciary's Circuit 26 help page gives 05MT-PR00001 as the local probate case-number format example.
Can I appear remotely for a Moniteau County probate hearing?
Do not assume a phone or video appearance is allowed. Ask the Moniteau County clerk how the hearing will be handled before the hearing date.
Do I have to travel to California, Missouri?
Maybe. Some paperwork may be handled by mail if the clerk permits it, and an attorney can often handle court appearances for a full administration. If you are self-represented or need to present original documents, call the clerk before you travel so you know what must be delivered to the courthouse.
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.