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St. Charles County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | St. Charles County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of St. Charles County, also called St. Charles County Probate Court by the court itself. |
| Courthouse address | St. Charles County Courthouse, Court Administration Building, 300 North Second Street, Room 517, fifth floor, St. Charles, MO 63301. |
| Mailing address | 300 North Second Street, Room 517, St. Charles, MO 63301. The division does not publish a separate probate post office box. |
| Phone | 636-949-3086 for the Probate Division. |
| Fax | 636-949-3070 for the Probate Division. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No lunch closure or earlier filing cutoff is published by the division. |
| Court cost | Under the St. Charles County probate fee schedule effective April 5, 2024, opening a full estate over Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), is $133.50 without a will and $168.50 with a will. A small estate under $15,000, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), is $53.50 without a will and $88.50 with a will. |
| Local forms | Yes. St. Charles County publishes its own probate forms library, and Local Rule 72.1(h) says forms promulgated by the Probate Division are preferred. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented parties file original pleadings and documents with the clerk of the probate division under Local Rule 72.1(b). Filing by email is not authorized in this circuit under Local Rule 3.4. |
| Original wills | Original wills and codicils must be delivered physically to the probate division after electronic submission, and the filing cannot proceed until the original reaches the court under Local Rule 72.1(e). |
| Case search | Case.net is the public case lookup. St. Charles County probate case information is available online for public cases pending as of October 9, 2000 and later. Older probate files are handled at the Probate Division. |
| Remote appearance | The probate division does not publish a standing remote appearance rule. Ask Room 517 about any specific hearing. |
| Website | https://stccountycourts.com/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing a St. Charles County probate filing, list every asset, debt, beneficiary designation, joint title, trust asset and real estate parcel. The court's own probate page tells families that jointly held property, property with a transfer on death or payable on death designation, and trust property may not need to pass through probate at all. That asset review controls whether the matter is a refusal of letters, a small estate affidavit, or a full administration.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families find accounts and assets across more than 2,300 institutions before they commit to a court path. That is especially important in St. Charles County because the local forms, attorney line and court costs turn on the value and title of the property, including Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097).
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of St. Charles County serves all of St. Charles County from one probate counter: Room 517 on the fifth floor of the St. Charles County Courthouse at 300 North Second Street in St. Charles. Communities served include St. Charles, St. Peters, O'Fallon, Wentzville, Cottleville, Weldon Spring, Dardenne Prairie, New Melle, Augusta, Portage Des Sioux and the county's unincorporated areas.
The 11th Judicial Circuit covers St. Charles County only. Missouri is divided into forty-six judicial circuits (RSMo 478.011), and St. Charles County does not share this probate counter with another county.
Missouri venue is based first on domicile: a will is probated and letters are granted in the county where the decedent was domiciled, and later orders, settlements and proceedings are handled in the county where letters were granted (RSMo 473.010). The estate of a St. Charles County resident is filed here and not with the neighboring St. Louis County or City of St. Louis probate divisions.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the property list. Identify accounts, debts, vehicles, real estate, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, transfer on death or payable on death designations, and trust property before choosing a St. Charles County filing.
- Choose the local path. St. Charles County's forms and cost schedule separate refusals of letters (RSMo 473.090), small estate affidavits tied to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), and full estates over that amount.
- Use the division's own forms. Local Rule 72.1(h) says forms promulgated by the Probate Division are preferred, and the division supplies applications for letters, refusal of letters applications, small estate affidavits, bonds, inventory forms, settlement forms and real estate sale forms.
- Gather the required attachments. The local rules require the original will or codicil if there is one, a copy of the death certificate in proceedings under chapters 473 or 474, and party information including Social Security numbers where reasonably available. If a number cannot be obtained, the county's published guidance calls for a sworn statement of the effort made.
- File in Room 517. Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System and then deliver paper originals of wills, codicils, commissions and bonds before the filing can proceed. Self-represented parties file original pleadings and documents with the clerk of the probate division under Local Rule 72.1(b). Filing by email is not authorized in this circuit, and fax filing is limited to single-copy documents with no fee or cost deposit under Local Rule 3.4.
- Pay the St. Charles County court cost. The current county schedule is effective April 5, 2024. For a self-represented small estate over $15,000 and up to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), the amount collected at the counter includes publication and depends on the newspaper listed in the schedule.
- Handle notice and publication. In a full administration, the clerk causes notice of letters to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). For a small estate affidavit, publication is triggered when the value listed in the affidavit is more than $15,000, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097). St. Charles County's schedule names the St. Charles County Journal and the St. Charles County Business Record.
- Attend any required hearing as directed by the division. The court does not publish a probate hearing day or a filing to hearing window. A personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although that person may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
- Receive the authority document or the small estate certificate. If a full estate is opened, the court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration. If the probate commissioner signs an order, Local Rule 4.3.1 requires the judge of the probate division to confirm or reject it of record. On a small estate path, the operative document is the clerk's certificate annexed to the affidavit.
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory within thirty days after letters issue, include full legal descriptions for real estate, file any amended inventory within thirty days after discovering omitted property, and file settlements under Local Rule 72.3. This is the stage where estate settlement turns from opening the case to proving what was collected, paid and distributed.
- Record real estate documents when needed. If St. Charles County real estate passes by small estate affidavit or by an order refusing letters, record the affidavit and certificate or the certified order with the St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds at 201 N. Second St., Suite 338, St. Charles, MO 63301.
Executor duties
Missouri uses the term personal representative for an executor or administrator. St. Charles County adds local duties through Rule 72 that affect how the personal representative prepares the file and closes the estate.
| Local duty | St. Charles County rule |
|---|---|
| Inventory | File the inventory in all estates within thirty days after letters are issued. A written extension request must show good cause, list known assets, describe efforts being made, state the time needed and explain the reason for the extension. |
| Amended inventory | File an amended inventory within thirty days after discovering an omitted, overlooked or newly discovered asset. |
| Real estate descriptions | Every pleading, order or judgment involving real property, including inventories, sale petitions, sale orders and heirship determinations, must contain the full legal description. |
| Settlements | File an annual settlement on the anniversary date of letters. File the final settlement on the first court day after six months and ten days from the first publication of notice of letters, or as soon after that as administration is complete. |
| Supervised estate spending | Requests to spend funds in a supervised estate must be in writing with supporting documents. Local Rule 72.5 lists certain expenditures treated as approved on filing a petition, including specified bond premiums, taxes, certain accounting fees, certain brokerage fees, safe deposit box costs and appraisals. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. Charles County
St. Charles County supplies the probate forms it expects to receive. Local Rule 72.1(h) says forms promulgated by the probate division are preferred and found online through the 11th Judicial Circuit.
| Filing type | St. Charles County local form titles |
|---|---|
| Open a full estate | Application for Letters of Administration; Application for Letters Testamentary or Administration with Will Annexed; Consent to Independent Administration; Designated Resident Agent for Personal Representative; Bond of Personal Rep Personal Surety; Corportate Surety Bond Decedent. |
| Will filing and probate of will | Affidavit as to Death and Application for Probate of Will. |
| Refusal of letters | Application of Surviving Spouse for Refusal of Letters; Application of Unmarried Minor Child(ren) for Refusal of Letters; Application of Creditor for Refusal of Letters; Application to Amend Order Refusing Letters; Creditor's Bond. |
| Small estate | Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, TESTATE; Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, INTESTATE; Bond Distributees Collection Small Estate. |
| Administration and closing | Inventory Appraisment For Deceased and Minor; Claim Against Estate; Application for Sale of Personal Property; Application for an Order to Sell Real Property; Application for Approval of Final Settlement; Notice of Filing of Final Settlement and Application for Distribution; Notice Of Filing Statement Of Account A Proposed Schedule Of Distribution. |
| Other estate filings | Petition for Determination of Heirship; Application of Determination of Heirship; Petition to Open and Inventory Safe Deposit Box; Probate Court Party Information Sheet; Missouri HealthNet Release; Probate Interrogatories. |
The Missouri Judiciary also publishes statewide probate forms, and a filer in St. Charles County uses the division's own forms where the division publishes one for that filing.
Fees
St. Charles County's current probate court cost schedule is titled "ST. CHARLES COUNTY PROBATE FEES" and is effective April 5, 2024. These are the amounts the St. Charles County Probate Division charges. Missouri county totals differ because each county's statutory surcharges differ. The statewide component includes a $115 letters charge, an added $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, a $565 cap on total fees under that section, and a $30 charge for each additional twelve months a decedent's estate remains open (Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023).
| St. Charles County probate filing | Amount under the April 5, 2024 schedule |
|---|---|
| Full estate over Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002, no will (RSMo 473.097) | $133.50 |
| Full estate over Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002, with will (RSMo 473.097) | $168.50 |
| Admit a will to probate only | $53.50 |
| Spouse or minor refusal of letters, no will | $53.50 |
| Spouse or minor refusal of letters, with will | $88.50 |
| Creditor refusal of letters under the creditor path, no will, with the $15,000 personal estate limit effective May 23, 1996 (RSMo 473.090) | $53.50 |
| Creditor refusal of letters under the creditor path, with will, with the $15,000 personal estate limit effective May 23, 1996 (RSMo 473.090) | $88.50 |
| Small estate under $15,000, effective August 28, 2002, no will (RSMo 473.097) | $53.50 |
| Small estate under $15,000, effective August 28, 2002, with will (RSMo 473.097) | $88.50 |
| Small estate over $15,000 to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002, filed by an attorney, no will (RSMo 473.097) | $53.50 |
| Small estate over $15,000 to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002, filed by an attorney, with will (RSMo 473.097) | $88.50 |
| Small estate over $15,000 to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002, self-represented filer, no will, publication included (RSMo 473.097) | $103.50 with the St. Charles County Journal, or $104.50 with the St. Charles County Business Record |
| Small estate over $15,000 to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002, self-represented filer, with will, publication included (RSMo 473.097) | $138.50 with the St. Charles County Journal, or $139.50 with the St. Charles County Business Record |
| Determination of heirship over Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097) | $53.50 |
| Petition to require administration | $53.50 |
| Amended spouse, minor or creditor refusal, small estate or determination of heirship | $35.00 |
| Trust matters other than registering a trust | $63.50 |
| Regular copies | $0.25 per page |
| Certified or authenticated copies | $1.00 per page plus $1.50 per seal |
The April 5, 2024 schedule lists cash, money orders, debit and credit cards with an additional service fee, attorney checks and title company checks. The court also publishes payment guidance directing attorneys to pay by credit card, e-check or a debit account with the court, and directing self-represented filers to pay by cash or money order, so a self-represented filer should confirm with Room 517 which payment method to bring.
Timeline
- Original wills and codicils filed by an attorney through e-filing are conditionally accepted until the paper original is delivered to the probate division. The filing cannot proceed until the original reaches Room 517 under Local Rule 72.1(e).
- The inventory is due within thirty days after letters are issued, unless the court grants more time. Local Rule 72.2 repeats the Missouri inventory clock and requires a written extension request showing good cause (RSMo 473.233).
- An amended inventory is due within thirty days after the personal representative discovers an omitted, overlooked or newly discovered asset under Local Rule 72.2(f).
- An annual settlement is due on the anniversary date of the date of letters under Local Rule 72.3(a).
- The final settlement is filed on the first court day after six months and ten days from the first publication of notice of letters, or as soon after that as administration is complete, under Local Rule 72.3(b). This is the local rule that sets the earliest ordinary estate settlement date in a St. Charles County administration.
- After a settlement is audited, the division provides any deficiency checklist to the attorney of record with a due date for corrections under Local Rule 72.3(e).
- No probate hearing day or standard filing to hearing window is published. Local Rule 2.4 has no local rule for particular matters on particular days.
Local nuance
St. Charles County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in St. Charles County |
|---|---|
| Separate probate counter | The Circuit Clerk is the clerk of the probate division under Local Rule 72, but original probate pleadings, including the will and the initial application for letters, go to the Probate Division in Room 517 under Local Rule 4.3, not to the Circuit Clerk counter in Suite 217. |
| Local forms preferred | Local Rule 72.1(h) prefers the forms promulgated by the Probate Division, and the division maintains its own forms library. |
| Attorney line published by the court | The court's probate page states that probate matters must be handled by an attorney except refusals of letters, small estates, limited guardianships, minor conservatorships when both parents serve, and filing and admitting wills. It also states that estates with a total value of $40,000 or more require handling by an attorney, tied to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097). |
| Email filing barred | Local Rule 3.4 states that filing motions, pleadings or other documents by email is not authorized in this circuit. |
| Commissioner orders | Under Local Rule 4.3.1, the judge of the probate division confirms or rejects the probate commissioner's judgments, decrees and orders of record. |
| MO HealthNet waiver | Local Rule 72.1(g) requires a waiver of MO HealthNet claims by the State of Missouri in an administration, but no waiver is required on affidavits for collection of small estates, applications for refusal of letters or petitions to determine heirs. |
| Self-represented small estate publication | For a self-represented small estate over $15,000 and up to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), the county schedule collects the publication charge with the court cost at the counter, and the amount depends on whether the notice runs in the St. Charles County Journal or the St. Charles County Business Record. |
Small-estate Alternatives
What a small estate filing costs in St. Charles County depends on who files it and on whether publication is required. Under the St. Charles County probate fee schedule effective April 5, 2024, a small estate under $15,000, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), costs $53.50 without a will and $88.50 with a will. A small estate over $15,000 and up to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), costs the same $53.50 or $88.50 when filed by an attorney, but a self-represented filer pays $103.50 or $104.50 without a will and $138.50 or $139.50 with a will because the publication charge is collected at the counter.
The schedule ties the higher self-represented amount to the newspaper: St. Charles County Journal or St. Charles County Business Record. The statewide small estate statute still controls the legal path: more than thirty days must have passed after death, the value test is Missouri's $40,000 net threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), and the clerk's certificate attached to the affidavit is the document used to collect or transfer property.
Recent updates
| Change | Local effect |
|---|---|
| St. Charles County probate fee schedule effective April 5, 2024 | The county's current probate court costs, copy charges, payment methods and self-represented small estate publication amounts come from this schedule. |
| Rule 72 adopted October 2, 2023 | The 11th Judicial Circuit's probate rules now provide the local rules for electronic filing, preferred forms, inventories, settlements, legal descriptions, expenditures and related probate practice. |
| Local Rule 3.4 amended February 2, 2026 | Filing motions, pleadings or other documents by email is not authorized in this circuit. |
| Local Rule 1 amended effective February 5, 2024 | The rule identifies the Probate Division among the divisions of the circuit and describes the Probate Judge as the circuit judge or associate judge designated by the Presiding Judge. |
| Court Operating Rule 21.01 effective September 1, 2023 | The statewide probate cost structure includes the inventory value add-on and annual decedent case charge that can affect St. Charles County estates. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely St. Charles County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with title. If the home was jointly held with survivorship rights, the home may not need probate. Remaining property may fit a spouse refusal of letters, which St. Charles County lists among filings that do not require an attorney. The county schedule effective April 5, 2024 charges $53.50 without a will and $88.50 with a will. The spouse refusal path is measured by exempt property and the support allowance rather than a fixed dollar ceiling (RSMo 473.090). | Sunset helps identify jointly owned accounts, beneficiary designations and assets that may stay outside probate, then helps organize the documents for the local refusal or estate path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | A self-represented filer cannot file by email in this circuit. Local Rule 72.1(b) sends self-represented parties to the clerk of the probate division, in person or by mail. For a small estate over $15,000 and up to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), the April 5, 2024 county schedule charges $103.50 or $104.50 without a will and $138.50 or $139.50 with a will for a self-represented filer, depending on the newspaper. If St. Charles County real estate is involved, the affidavit and clerk's certificate are later recorded with the Recorder of Deeds. | Sunset helps collect asset information, prepare an organized estate settlement checklist, and identify when a local attorney should review the filing before documents are mailed or delivered. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home that must be sold usually points toward administration rather than a shortcut. St. Charles County requires full legal descriptions in pleadings and orders involving real estate under Local Rule 72.4, and its forms library includes an application for an order to sell real property. The inventory is due within thirty days after letters issue under Local Rule 72.2. Above Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), the court's page says the estate requires handling by an attorney, and a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). | Sunset helps locate assets, summarize debts and real estate information, and connect the family with a vetted local probate attorney for sale authority and closing steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| St. Charles County Probate Court page | The court's own probate page gives the Room 517 contact block, the list of filings the court says do not require an attorney, the forms link and the Rule 72 local rules link. |
| St. Charles County probate forms library | The division's forms library supplies the local applications, affidavits, bonds, inventory forms, settlement forms and related probate documents preferred by Local Rule 72.1(h). |
| Rule 72 local probate rules | Rule 72 explains local procedures for electronic filing, paper originals, death certificates, party information, MO HealthNet waivers, inventories, settlements, legal descriptions and expenditures. |
| Case.net | Case.net is the Missouri Judiciary public case lookup. St. Charles County probate cases pending as of October 9, 2000 and later can be searched there by a person using a browser. |
| St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds | The Recorder of Deeds at 201 N. Second St., Suite 338, St. Charles, records small estate certificates and certified refusal orders for St. Charles County real estate when recording is needed. |
| St. Charles County Department of Public Health | The department at 1650 Boone's Lick Road, St. Charles, MO 63301, phone 636-949-7558, is the local office the court points to for death certificates. |
| Legal Services of Eastern Missouri | Legal Services of Eastern Missouri serves St. Charles County for eligible low-income Missourians. Intake is through the main St. Louis office, 314-534-4200 or 1-800-444-0514, and online at lsem.org. |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms page | The Missouri Judiciary also publishes statewide probate forms. In St. Charles County, use the Probate Division's own form where the division supplies one for the filing. |
| Missouri Bar probate information | The Missouri Bar publishes consumer probate information. It is consumer information published by the Missouri Bar rather than a court document, so a filer follows the St. Charles County local rules and the division's forms for the filing itself. |
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 their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). St. Charles County's probate page adds a local warning: refusals of letters, small estates, limited guardianships, certain minor conservatorships, and filing or admitting wills are listed as exceptions, while estates with a total value of $40,000 or more, tied to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), require handling by an attorney. Counsel is especially important when real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, creditors are active, a bond is required, or a hearing is likely. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property before choosing a St. Charles County probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you collect into an organized estate settlement packet, including asset summaries, debts, family contacts and document checklists that make the Room 517 filing easier to prepare.
Find a local probate attorney. Missouri limits what a non-lawyer personal representative can do in court, and St. Charles County publishes its own attorney guidance for estates at and above the small estate line. Sunset can connect you with a vetted local probate attorney when the case needs counsel.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset at no cost to organize estate settlement tasks, understand the local filing path and decide what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in St. Charles County?
File with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of St. Charles County in Room 517 on the fifth floor of the St. Charles County Courthouse, 300 North Second Street, St. Charles, MO 63301. The probate phone number is 636-949-3086.
Is St. Charles County probate filed with the Circuit Clerk or the Probate Division?
Local Rule 72 says the Circuit Clerk is the clerk of the probate division, but Local Rule 4.3 sends original probate pleadings, including the will and the initial application for letters, to the Probate Division. Use Room 517 for probate filings.
Can I e-file a St. Charles County probate case if I am not a lawyer?
Self-represented parties are not required to e-file. In St. Charles County, Local Rule 72.1(b) says self-represented parties file original pleadings and documents with the clerk of the probate division. Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System.
Can I email probate documents to St. Charles County?
No local rule authorizes email filing. Local Rule 3.4 states that filing motions, pleadings or other documents by email is not authorized in this circuit. The copy request mailbox is for records requests, not filing.
Does St. Charles County require the original will?
Yes. Under Local Rule 72.1(e), the original will or codicil must be filed physically with the probate division after electronic submission, and the filing cannot proceed until the original is delivered.
How much does a small estate cost in St. Charles County?
Under the St. Charles County probate fee schedule effective April 5, 2024, a small estate under $15,000, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), is $53.50 without a will and $88.50 with a will. For a self-represented small estate over $15,000 and up to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), the schedule charges $103.50 or $104.50 without a will and $138.50 or $139.50 with a will, depending on the newspaper.
Do I need an attorney for probate in St. Charles County?
A non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although that person may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). St. Charles County's page states that refusals of letters, small estates and filing or admitting wills are among the matters not requiring an attorney, and that estates with a total value of $40,000 or more, tied to Missouri's $40,000 small estate threshold, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), require handling by an attorney.
Can I look up a St. Charles County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net for public probate cases pending as of October 9, 2000 and later. Older probate case information is handled at the Probate Division counter.
Are St. Charles County probate hearings remote?
The probate division does not publish a standing remote appearance rule. If a hearing is set and travel is difficult, ask Room 517 whether the division will allow remote attendance for that specific hearing.
Where do I record a small estate certificate for St. Charles County real estate?
Record the affidavit and clerk's certificate, or a certified order refusing letters, with the St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds at 201 N. Second St., Suite 338, St. Charles, MO 63301.
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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.