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Phelps County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Phelps County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Phelps County |
| Courthouse address | Phelps County Courthouse, 200 North Main Street, Suite 201, Rolla, MO 65401 |
| Mailing | Call the probate department before mailing original documents or payment. |
| Probate phone | Decedent estates and mental health matters: (573) 458-6245. Guardianships and conservatorships: (573) 458-6207. |
| General clerk phone | (573) 458-6210 |
| Fax | (573) 458-6224 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Opening court cost | Full estate without a will: $148.50, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026. Full estate with a will: $183.50, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026. |
| Local forms | Yes. Phelps County posts selected state-provided forms, including refusal-of-letters applications and the Probate Division Party Information Sheet. Other probate forms come from the statewide Missouri Judiciary 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 Phelps probate department what it will accept for your filing. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Remote appearance | No Phelps County probate-specific remote appearance rule is posted. Ask the probate department when a hearing is set. |
| Website | https://www.phelpscountycourt.com/probate.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Phelps County estate settlement path, make a working list of assets, debts, beneficiaries and anything that passes outside probate. Joint accounts, beneficiary designations, beneficiary deeds and co-owned real estate can change what needs to be filed in Rolla.
Sunset can help organize estate settlement by searching across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then turning that information into a clearer probate packet for the Phelps County probate department or for a Missouri attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Phelps County serves probate matters venued in Phelps County. Missouri venue generally follows the county where the deceased person was domiciled; if the person had no Missouri domicile, venue can follow Missouri property under the rules in RSMo 473.010.
Phelps County is part of the 25th Judicial Circuit with Maries, Pulaski and Texas counties. A Phelps County estate is filed in Rolla, not at another courthouse in the same circuit.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Phelps County path. A full administration asks the court to grant letters testamentary or letters of administration to a personal representative, Missouri's term for an executor or administrator. A small estate affidavit under RSMo 473.097 or refusal of letters under RSMo 473.090 may fit some estates without appointing a personal representative.
- Gather the forms. Use the Phelps County probate page for the refusal-of-letters applications and Probate Division Party Information Sheet posted there. For other probate filings, use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and call (573) 458-6245 to ask what the Rolla probate department wants with the packet.
- File with the Phelps County probate department at the Phelps County Courthouse, 200 North Main Street, Suite 201, Rolla, MO 65401. Deliver an original will on paper to the probate division even when other documents are prepared electronically.
- Pay the Phelps County court cost for the filing. Phelps County's posted schedule lists full estate without a will at $148.50, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026, and full estate with a will at $183.50, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026. Other Phelps County probate costs are listed in the fees section below.
- Complete any required notice. In a full administration, the clerk causes notice of letters to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks under RSMo 473.033, and creditors then have the deadlines stated in RSMo 473.360 and RSMo 473.444.
- Attend any required hearing. A personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although that person may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Ask the probate department whether any remote option is available for a scheduled hearing.
- Receive authority from the court. If the court grants letters, the personal representative uses letters testamentary or letters of administration to collect assets, deal with banks and carry out the estate settlement.
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory when required, address claims, sell or transfer property only as allowed, settle accounts and complete the closing procedure that fits the type of administration.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Phelps County
Phelps County does not maintain a separate county-drafted probate packet for every estate type. Its probate page states that the only forms the office has been provided by the Office of the State Courts Administrator to hand out to the public are on that website.
The Phelps County probate page posts refusal-of-letters applications for a surviving spouse, unmarried minor children and a creditor, guardianship annual status report forms, mental health forms and the Probate Division Party Information Sheet. For other probate filings, including a small estate affidavit or an application for letters, use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and ask the probate department what to bring.
Fees
Phelps County publishes its own probate cost schedule. The amounts below are from the Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026, and the county page does not state a separate revision date. The statewide component for original letters is set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, including $115 under Court Operating Rule 21.01 and a total cap of $565.00 under Court Operating Rule 21.01 for that provision, but Phelps County's own posted totals are the amounts a Phelps filer sees on the county schedule.
| Filing type | Court cost, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Full estate without a will | $148.50 |
| Full estate with a will | $183.50 |
| Small estate without a will | $68.50 |
| Small estate with a will | $103.50 |
| Refusal of letters without a will | $68.50 |
| Refusal of letters with a will | $103.50 |
| Determination of heirship | $68.50 plus certified-mailing costs |
| Petition to require administration | $68.50 |
| Admitting a will to probate only | $68.50 |
| Adult guardianship or conservatorship | $108.50 |
| Minor guardianship or conservatorship | $93.50 |
| 96-hour involuntary mental health hold | $68.50 |
Local nuance
Phelps County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Shared circuit | Phelps County shares the 25th Judicial Circuit with Maries, Pulaski and Texas counties, but a Phelps County estate is filed in Rolla. |
| Probate department numbers | Use (573) 458-6245 for decedent estates and mental health matters. Use (573) 458-6207 for guardianships and conservatorships. |
| Posted forms are limited | The Phelps probate page posts refusal-of-letters applications and the Probate Division Party Information Sheet, but other probate filings may require statewide Missouri Judiciary forms. |
| Local cost schedule | Phelps County publishes its own probate cost totals payable to the Phelps County Circuit Clerk, rather than relying only on the statewide court cost structure. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Phelps County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying what passes outside probate and what remains in the estate. If the spouse needs refusal of letters, Phelps County posts the surviving-spouse application on its probate page. If real estate must be handled through a court order, ask the probate department what certified copies will be needed for the Phelps County Recorder of Deeds. | Sunset helps separate probate assets from co-owned or beneficiary-designated assets, so the spouse does not open a larger estate settlement than the facts require. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms for the small estate affidavit, and call the Phelps decedent-estates probate number, (573) 458-6245, before sending original documents or payment. | Sunset helps collect account information, prepare a document checklist and decide whether a Rolla filing can be handled by mail or should be coordinated through a local attorney. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of a home usually needs careful review of title, heirs, debts and the correct probate authority. A full administration or another court order may be needed before a sale can close. | Sunset helps organize asset information and connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney for the court-facing parts of the estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Phelps County Circuit Clerk, Probate Division | Local probate page with the Rolla address, probate phone numbers, selected forms and Phelps County probate cost schedule. | https://www.phelpscountycourt.com/probate.html |
| Case.net | Statewide public case search for Missouri circuit courts, including probate division cases. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms page for Missouri filings. Use it with the Phelps County probate page because not every form is posted locally. | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official source for Missouri probate statutes and the Missouri Constitution. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar about probate concepts and estate administration. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Rolla office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians. The Rolla office number is (573) 341-3655. | https://www.lsosm.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
In Missouri, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). In Phelps County, counsel is especially useful for full administration, disputed heirs, creditor issues, real estate sales or any hearing in the probate division. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across financial institutions and helps organize what the person owned, what passed outside probate and what may need a Phelps County filing.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family questionnaire and asset information into a structured estate settlement packet, so you can review the next filing step with the Phelps County probate department or a Missouri attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When a full administration, court appearance or real estate issue calls for counsel, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools, asset search and attorney connection without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Phelps County?
File with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Phelps County at the Phelps County Courthouse, 200 North Main Street, Suite 201, Rolla, MO 65401. For decedent estates, call (573) 458-6245.
Is Phelps County in the same probate office as Pulaski, Maries or Texas County?
No. Phelps County shares the 25th Judicial Circuit with Maries, Pulaski and Texas counties, but a Phelps County estate is filed in Rolla.
What number should I call for a Phelps County estate?
Use (573) 458-6245 for decedent estates and mental health matters. The separate guardianship and conservatorship number is (573) 458-6207.
Does Phelps County require e-filing for self-represented probate filers?
No statewide Missouri rule requires self-represented filers to e-file. Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System, and self-represented filers may use electronic filing only where the statewide system allows that filing type under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Ask the Phelps probate department what it will accept for your filing.
Does Phelps County have local probate forms?
Phelps County posts selected state-provided forms on its probate page, including refusal-of-letters applications for a surviving spouse, unmarried minor children and a creditor, plus the Probate Division Party Information Sheet. It does not post every probate form, so use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page for other filings and ask the probate department what to bring.
How much does it cost to start a full estate in Phelps County?
Phelps County's posted schedule lists a full estate without a will at $148.50, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026, and a full estate with a will at $183.50, Phelps County posted schedule as of August 21, 2026. Other Phelps County probate costs are listed in the fees section on this page.
Can I look up a Phelps County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net, the Missouri Judiciary's statewide public case search, for Phelps County probate division cases. Public Case.net is a docket lookup and should not be treated as a promise that every document can be viewed online.
Do I have to travel to Rolla for Phelps County probate?
Maybe. Some filings may be handled by mail or through counsel, but an original will must be delivered on paper to the probate division, and any hearing may require appearance through an attorney if you are serving as personal representative and are not a lawyer (RSMo 473.153.7). Call (573) 458-6245 before mailing original documents or payment.
Does Phelps County allow remote probate hearings?
Phelps County does not post a probate-specific remote appearance rule. If a hearing is set, ask the probate department whether any remote option is available for that hearing.
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.