St. Louis City County Probate Division
The Probate Division of the 22nd Judicial Circuit sits at 10 North Tucker Boulevard on the 10th floor of the Civil Courts Building. The Probate Division phone number is 314-622-4238, and the fax number is 314-622-4498. Legal Counsel to the Probate Division can be reached at 314-622-4676. The listed probate commissioners are Jill M. Hanley and Kevin B. Anderson.
The official Probate Division overview identifies the local court, scope, access notes, and courthouse location for St. Louis City County probate records.
The probate office is the local source for questions about estates, guardianships, conservatorships, copy requests, and probate filing logistics.
Probate Division of the Circuit Court
10 North Tucker Boulevard, 10th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63101
314-622-4238
Fax: 314-622-4498
Legal Counsel: 314-622-4676
St. Louis City County Probate Records
The Probate Division administers decedents' cases and has supervisory jurisdiction over estates of minors and adults whom the court finds disabled or incapacitated. If a person cannot manage personal care or property because of age, disability, or incapacity, the court may appoint a guardian, conservator, or both. Probate filings may include petitions, wills, inventories, accountings, settlements, orders, letters, bonds, notices, and proof of publication.
Estate files and protective proceedings do not serve the same purpose. An estate file usually follows the property of a person who has died, while a guardianship or conservatorship can remain active while the protected person is living. That difference affects access, because a public estate index may disclose basic file information while a guardianship record may contain medical, care, or financial details that the court treats with more caution.
Probate definition box
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- A person named to carry out a will after the testator dies.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
- Guardianship
- A court case about personal care or custody for a minor or incapacitated adult.
- Conservatorship
- A court case about managing property or financial affairs for a protected person.
Search St. Louis City County Probate Records
Modern public probate cases may appear in Missouri Case.net when they are indexed and not restricted. Older records require a different path. The Probate Division maintains a Historical Probate Case Index for decedent estates filed between 1890 and May 31, 2000, and guardianships filed between 1815 and May 31, 2000. That index provides names, probate file numbers, and date of death or guardianship.
A St. Louis City County probate records search should match the likely filing period first. Current or recent matters belong in the statewide court search. Historical estates and guardianships are better matched to the Probate Division's index and resource room. The file number is the strongest handoff detail because it lets staff locate the old probate file without relying only on a name.
The Historical Probate Case Index is the main local route for older St. Louis City County probate records.
The historical index is not a full document download system, so use the file number and names from the index when asking the Probate Division for copies.
- Search Case.net first for a public current probate case if the filing is recent.
- Use the historical index for decedent estates from 1890 through May 31, 2000, or guardianships from 1815 through May 31, 2000.
- Record the decedent or ward name, probate file number, and date shown in the index.
- Email the probate resource room, use the webform, mail the request, fax the request, or call a deputy clerk.
- Wait for copy instructions, fee information, or clerk follow-up before assuming the file can be released.
St. Louis City County Probate Request Fields
Probate copy requests work best when the requester gives the clerk enough detail to find the file without a broad manual search. A probate file number is strongly useful. For historical matters, the date of death or guardianship date helps separate people with similar names. The Missouri State Archives County and Municipal Records Database may also help locate permanent or historical records by St. Louis City, office, record type, and date, but the research notes that it is not a name or subject search.
| Field or Item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Decedent or ward name | Yes | Used for index search and clerk copy requests. |
| Probate file number | Optional, strongly useful | The historical index supplies file numbers for many older matters. |
| Date of death or guardianship | Optional | Helps match old files and similar names. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Email, webform, mail, or fax requests need a response path. |
| Copy or access details | Yes | State which documents or file parts are needed. |
| Payment | Conditional | Copying fees may apply after clerk review. |
St. Louis City County Probate Fees
The official probate fee schedule was revised in July 2024. The research captured two key facts from the PDF: probate appeals are $70, and the Probate Division no longer collects publication costs from filers. After filings are processed, the filer receives an invoice from the chosen publisher, either the Monitor or the Daily Record, and pays the publisher directly. The PDF contains many more line items, so new filings should be checked against the current schedule before payment.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Probate appeal filing | $70 |
| Publication costs | Not collected by Probate Division |
| Publisher invoice | Paid directly to the Monitor or the Daily Record after invoice |
| Copying fees | May apply after a probate records request |
| Other probate filing categories | Confirm against the official July 2024 probate fee schedule |
St. Louis City County Probate Process
Probate procedure depends on the case type. A decedent estate has different filings than a guardianship or conservatorship. New filings usually require Missouri court forms, local probate procedures, filing fees or deposits, and follow-up hearings or accountings. For a copy request, the goal is narrower: identify the right file, specify the documents needed, and ask the Probate Division for access or copies.
Probate flow: Identify matter type › search Case.net or historical index › gather file number and names › contact Probate Division › pay required fees or publication invoice › receive copies or filing instructions.
| Channel | Best Use | Contact Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Case.net | Public modern probate case status and docket entries | Search by case number or party name when indexed. |
| Historical Probate Case Index | Older estates and guardianships | Use names, file number, and date from the index. |
| Copy and resource room requests | CT22.probateresourceroom@courts.mo.gov | |
| Written copy requests | Probate Division, 10 North Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63101 | |
| Fax | Written requests when fax is preferred | 314-622-4498 |
| Phone | Deputy clerk questions | 314-622-4238 |
Restricted St. Louis City County Probate Records
Not every probate file is open in full. Guardianship and conservatorship files may include medical, financial, and protected-person details. Minor guardianship records can be more restricted than estate indexes. Sealed orders, confidential evaluations, and sensitive identifiers should not be treated as ordinary public records. The Circuit Clerk and Probate Division can distinguish between a public docket, a public copy, a certified copy, and a record that requires court approval to inspect.
Probate filings often overlap with family, disability, and property interests. For divorce and marriage records held outside probate, use the St. Louis City County marriage and divorce records paths instead of the probate resource room.
Note: Interpreter requests for court proceedings go through 314-622-4226, and TDD is available through Court Administration at 314-622-3477.