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Osage County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Osage County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Osage County |
| Courthouse address | Osage County Courthouse, 106 E. Main Street, Linn, MO 65051 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 825, Linn, MO 65051 |
| Clerk office | Circuit Clerk-Recorder, serving as clerk of the probate division |
| Phone | (573) 897-3114 |
| Fax | (573) 897-5770 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Court cost | Osage County publishes a local court cost schedule. The statewide component for original letters starts at $115 and the state component is capped at $565 under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023. Ask the Circuit Clerk-Recorder for the current Osage total before filing. |
| Local forms | No local Osage County probate packet is published. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms and the required FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet for probate and non-domestic relations cases. |
| E-filing | Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Electronic filing shall not be required for self-represented filers under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4); ask the Osage County clerk what filing methods are accepted for your probate matter. An original will must be delivered to the probate division on paper. |
| Case search | Case.net is the Missouri statewide public case search and includes Osage County probate cases. |
| Remote appearance | No Osage County probate remote-appearance practice is published. Ask the clerk before any scheduled hearing. |
| Website | Missouri Judiciary Osage County Local Rules and Filing Information page |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a probate path in Osage County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, account ownership, real estate, beneficiary designations, and any will. The right estate settlement route depends on what actually passes through probate, what passes outside probate, and whether Osage County real estate needs a document recorded with the Circuit Clerk-Recorder.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, policies, and other property before they prepare a Missouri probate packet. That early inventory work can keep the Osage County filing focused and can show whether a smaller no-letters path may fit or whether a full administration is needed.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Osage County serves estates venued in Osage County and is located at the Osage County Courthouse in Linn. Missouri venue starts in the county where the decedent was domiciled; if the decedent had no Missouri domicile, venue can depend on where Missouri property is located, with additional rules for real estate (RSMo 473.010).
Osage County is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit with Franklin and Gasconade counties. A shared circuit is not a shared courthouse: an Osage County estate is filed in Linn, and later orders, settlements, trials, and other estate proceedings stay in the county where letters were granted (RSMo 473.010).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the probate route. Review the will, title to real estate, bank and investment accounts, vehicle title, debts, and beneficiary designations before deciding whether the filing is a full administration, small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or another Missouri probate request.
- Gather the Missouri forms. Osage County does not publish a local probate packet, so use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms, including the FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet when a probate case is filed.
- Prepare the filing for the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Osage County. File at or mail to the Circuit Clerk-Recorder, 106 E. Main Street, P.O. Box 825, Linn, MO 65051.
- Deliver the original will to the probate division if one exists. Even when other documents are handled electronically by an attorney, the original will is delivered to the probate division on paper.
- Pay the court cost or ask the clerk for the current Osage total. Osage County publishes a local cost schedule, and statewide charges are set under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, with additional local amounts layered into the county total.
- Handle notice and publication when required. In a full administration, the clerk causes notice of letters to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks, and Missouri creditor deadlines run from that notice and from any mailed or served notice as provided by statute (RSMo 473.033, RSMo 473.360).
- Address any hearing or court appearance. A personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although a personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Ask the Osage County clerk how any required probate hearing will be scheduled.
- Receive authority if letters are granted. The authority document is letters testamentary when there is a will or letters of administration when there is no will.
- Administer and close the estate. Collect assets, manage claims, prepare the inventory and appraisement within thirty days after letters are granted unless the court allows more time, make required distributions, and complete the settlement or closing papers for the estate settlement (RSMo 473.233).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Osage County
Osage County does not publish a separate local probate forms packet, checklist, or cover sheet. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms for the statewide paperwork, and file them with the Circuit Clerk-Recorder in Linn when the estate is venued in Osage County.
| Form or packet | Use in Osage County |
|---|---|
| FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet | Required for each probate and non-domestic relations case filed. |
| PR 16 Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, Small Estate, Intestate | Used for a Missouri small estate affidavit when the facts fit the statewide statute. |
| PR 22 Exhibit A and PR 26 Exhibit B | Used with statewide small estate and heir information filings when applicable. |
| PR 23, PR 25, and PR 33 refusal of letters applications | Used for creditor, unmarried minor children, and surviving spouse refusal-of-letters requests. |
| PR 28 Petition for Determination of Heirship | Used when Missouri's determination-of-heirship path is available. |
| PR 10 Statement of Reimbursable Attorney Fees | Used for reimbursable attorney-fee information when applicable. |
If a small estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order affects Osage County real estate, the recording step is also handled through the same combined Circuit Clerk-Recorder office.
Local nuance
Osage County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Combined Circuit Clerk-Recorder | Osage County combines the circuit clerk and recorder of deeds into one office at 106 E. Main Street in Linn. Probate filing and recording a probate-related real estate document happen through the same office. |
| Shared 20th Judicial Circuit | Osage County shares a circuit with Franklin and Gasconade counties, but Osage County estates are filed in Linn. |
| Correct office hours | The Circuit Clerk-Recorder is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Local court cost schedule | Osage County publishes its own court cost schedule. The page should be used with the clerk's current instructions because the county total is not supplied by the statewide rule alone. |
| No local probate packet | The Osage County court page does not publish a local probate forms packet. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms. |
| Remote appearance | No Osage County probate remote-appearance practice is published. Ask the clerk before assuming a hearing can be handled from another location. |
Recent updates
| Local update | What changed for readers |
|---|---|
| Circuit Clerk-Recorder hours | Use the Osage County office hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Local cost schedule | Osage County publishes a local court cost schedule, but the current county total should be obtained from the Circuit Clerk-Recorder before filing. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Osage County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the deed and account titles. If the Osage County home passed outside probate by title or beneficiary deed, the court filing may be narrower. If a refusal of letters or small estate certificate affects local real estate, record the resulting document through the same Circuit Clerk-Recorder office in Linn. | Sunset helps identify accounts, insurance, vehicles, real estate clues, and beneficiary designations before the spouse chooses a filing path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Use the Missouri small estate affidavit path if the statewide requirements fit, and file with the Osage County Probate Division in Linn. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk about appearance options because no Osage probate remote practice is published. | Sunset helps assemble the asset list, generate the probate packet, and connect the child with a Missouri probate attorney if the matter moves beyond a no-letters filing. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of an Osage County home often points toward full administration so a personal representative can receive letters and sign closing documents. A non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). | Sunset helps organize the estate settlement, locate financial accounts, and connect the parent with a vetted local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Osage County Local Rules and Filing Information | Judiciary page for Osage County filing information, including links to county cost information and local rules. | Missouri Judiciary Osage County Local Rules and Filing Information page |
| Case.net | Missouri statewide public case search for circuit court cases, including probate division cases. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms used when Osage County does not publish a separate local packet. | Missouri Judiciary Probate Forms page |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official source for Missouri probate statutes. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| Mid-Missouri Legal Services | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians in Osage County, with Columbia and Jefferson City application offices. | https://www.mmls.org/about-us/service-area/ |
When to hire an attorney
Attorney help is especially important for a full Osage County administration, contested assets, a house that must be sold, unclear heirs, creditor disputes, or any court appearance by the personal representative. Missouri allows a personal representative to prepare and file their own inventories and settlements, but a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance policies, retirement accounts, real estate, vehicles, and other property that may affect the Osage County probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to help assemble the forms and supporting documents for the estate settlement, including the Missouri probate forms used when Osage County does not publish a local packet.
Find a local probate attorney. When a full administration, court appearance, house sale, or dispute requires counsel, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and the platform helps keep the probate work organized from the first asset search through closing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for an Osage County resident?
File with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Osage County through the Circuit Clerk-Recorder at the Osage County Courthouse, 106 E. Main Street, Linn, MO 65051. Mail filings to P.O. Box 825, Linn, MO 65051.
Does Osage County share probate with Franklin or Gasconade County?
No. Osage County shares the 20th Judicial Circuit with Franklin and Gasconade counties, but an Osage County estate is filed in Linn. Missouri keeps the estate proceedings in the county where letters were granted (RSMo 473.010).
Does Osage County have its own probate forms?
No local Osage County probate packet is published. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms, including FI-50 for a new probate case, and file them with the Osage County Circuit Clerk-Recorder.
Can I e-file an Osage County probate case if I am not represented by a lawyer?
Electronic filing shall not be required for self-represented filers under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Ask the Osage County clerk what filing methods are accepted for your probate matter, and remember that an original will must be delivered to the probate division on paper.
What does probate cost in Osage County?
Osage County publishes a local court cost schedule, and the clerk's office gives the current Osage total. The statewide component for original letters starts at $115 and the state component is capped at $565 under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, but that rule is not the whole county total.
Can I look up an Osage County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net, Missouri's statewide public case search, for Osage County probate division dockets. Public Case.net is a docket lookup and should not be treated as a complete online file room for every document.
Do I have to travel to Linn for an Osage County probate hearing?
Possibly. No Osage County probate remote-appearance practice is published. If the court sets a hearing, ask the clerk or your attorney how the appearance will be handled before making travel plans.
Who records a small estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order for Osage County real estate?
The Osage County Circuit Clerk-Recorder handles recording as well as probate filing. If a Missouri small estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order affects Osage County real estate, the recording step is handled through the same combined office in Linn (RSMo 473.097, RSMo 473.090).
Can the Osage County clerk tell me whether I need a lawyer?
The clerk can provide filing information, forms, and court cost information, but the clerk cannot give legal advice. For a full administration, remember that a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7).
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.