St. Louis County Probate Court Records & Case Search 2026

Official-source probate help for St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County Probate Court Records, Case.net Search, Forms, Fees & Clayton Court Help

Use this guide to find the correct St. Louis County, Missouri Probate Court path before you search Case.net, file an estate matter, request copies, use probate forms, check filing fees, handle guardianship or conservatorship issues, or visit the Clayton courthouse.

🏛️ 21st Judicial Circuit Probate Court 🔎 Missouri Case.net search 📄 Forms + filing fees 📍 Clayton, MO
Quick answer

What Is the Correct St. Louis County Probate Court Path?

Start with St. Louis County Courts Probate Court and Missouri Case.net. The official Probate Court page lists the Probate Court inside the 21st Judicial Circuit at 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105, with hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and phone 314-615-8029.

For case lookup, use Missouri Case.net or St. Louis County Courts’ “Find My Case” guidance. For estate filings, trusts, guardianship, conservatorship, civil commitment, forms, filing fees, copies, certified fees, or authenticated records, use the official St. Louis County Probate Court pages before relying on private case-search sites.

CourtSt. Louis County Probate Court, 21st Judicial Circuit.
Main phone314-615-8029, with judge/commissioner details on the court page.
Location105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, Missouri 63105.
Important warningSt. Louis County and St. Louis City probate matters are separate.
Official site screenshot

Official St. Louis County Probate Court Website Screenshot

This screenshot helps users visually confirm they are on the correct official St. Louis County Probate Court website before using Case.net, probate forms, filing-fee resources, contact information, or Clayton courthouse directions. Use official sources first when certified records, letters, court costs, or filing rules matter.

Official St. Louis County Probate Court Missouri website screenshot showing probate court contact, forms, fees, Case.net guidance, and Clayton courthouse details
Official source screenshot: St. Louis County Courts Probate Court page, used to verify the correct Missouri probate court, Clayton location, official phone number, forms, fee resources, and St. Louis County versus St. Louis City distinction.
Task finder

Choose the St. Louis County Probate Step You Actually Need

Most users searching “St. Louis County Probate Court” do not need the same page. Some need Case.net, some need estate forms, some need guardianship or conservatorship packets, some need civil-commitment instructions, and some need filing fees or certified copies.

Search probate case records or a docket

Use this for

Case number checks, litigant name searches, estate docket details, hearing information, and public case tracking.

Best official path

Use Missouri Case.net and St. Louis County Courts’ Find My Case page before private record websites.

Before relying

Confirm county, circuit, case type, docket entry, and whether you need certified or authenticated copies.

Official court basics

What St. Louis County Probate Court Handles

The official Probate Court page provides Probate Court resources, judge and commissioner information, Probate Forms, Probate Fees and Estate Charges, and related Probate Division resources. For search users, the most important point is to pick the correct case type before choosing a form, fee, or record request.

Estates

Decedent estates and wills

Use this path for letters testamentary, administration, admitting wills, small estate affidavits, refusal of letters, estate reopening, and related decedent-estate filings.

Guardianship

Minor and adult guardianship

Use this path for guardian or conservator appointments, successor letters, protected-person matters, and service-fee planning.

Trusts

Trust registration and trust filings

Use the trust packets for trust registration, filings under the Missouri Uniform Trust Code, and adversarial, uncontested, or consent trust matters.

Civil commitment

96-hour hold packet

The Probate Forms page says the 96 Hour Hold Packet application and supporting documents must be filed in person at St. Louis County Probate Court. In an emergency, contact 911.

Copies

Certified and authenticated records

The fee PDF lists copy, certified, and authenticated-fee rules. Ask the court which record type is required for banks, agencies, attorneys, or legal filings.

Wrong court check

County vs City

St. Louis County Probate Court is in Clayton. St. Louis City Probate Division is a separate court system in the independent City of St. Louis.

Forms and packets

St. Louis County Probate Forms and Packets

The official Probate Forms page includes packets for mental health/civil commitment, trusts, and other probate matters. It also explains that the 96 Hour Hold Packet is used to request an order for 96-hour evaluation when an individual presents a likelihood of danger because of mental illness or alcohol/drug abuse, and that the completed application and supporting documents must be filed in person at St. Louis County Probate Court.

Probate forms

Use county forms before private templates

Use the official St. Louis County Probate Forms page for packets tied to 21st Judicial Circuit probate matters. Do not use St. Louis City forms or another Missouri county’s packet without confirming the correct venue.

Open St. Louis County Probate Forms

Trust packets

Trust filings have separate form paths

The forms page lists trust registration, trust filing under Missouri trust law, and adversarial, uncontested, or consent trust packets. Choose the packet that matches the case type.

Open Trust and Probate Packets

Filing tip: Before filing, confirm whether the court requires originals, signatures, notarization, service, filing deposit, proposed order, certified copies, attorney filing, in-person filing, or additional supporting documents.

Official PDF converted into user help

St. Louis County Probate Filing Fees From the Official PDF

The official filing-fee PDF says publication fees are no longer collected by the court and must be paid directly to the publisher. It also says the required cost deposit must accompany the initial application or petition, and a filing without the required cost deposit may be rejected.

Common deposits and fees listed in the PDF

Decedent estate where letters are applied for — testate$190.50
Decedent estate where letters are applied for — intestate$155.50
Will previously admitted, filing fee due$155.50
Minor guardianship/conservatorship, no service required$100.50
Minor guardianship/conservatorship, service required$500.50
Adult guardian and/or conservator petition$115.50
Trust registration$85.50
Adversarial trust matter$100.50
Small estate affidavit$75.50
Small estate with application to admit will$110.50
Application to admit will to probate only$75.50
File will of decedent onlyNo charge
Deposit of will for safekeeping$3.00
Citation to produce will$75.50
St. Louis County Sheriff service per person served$36.00
Special process server per person served$10.00

Copy, certified and authenticated fee details

Copies

$1.00 per page

The PDF says deposits do not cover the cost of copies and that copies furnished by the court are $1.00 per page.

Authenticated

$4.50 + $1.00 per page

Authenticated records can be needed when a higher proof level is required. Confirm the correct record type before ordering.

Certified

$1.50 + $1.00 per page

Certified fees are listed separately from ordinary copy fees. Ask whether you need certified letters, a certified order, or another certified record.

Fee warning: Fees can change and case-specific costs may apply. Use the official Probate Fees page and filing-fee PDF for planning, then verify with St. Louis County Probate Court before filing or ordering records.

Open Probate Fees and Estate Charges

Estates and wills

Opening an Estate, Probating a Will or Requesting Letters in St. Louis County

Use this section when a decedent’s assets, debts, will, beneficiaries, or fiduciary authority require probate court action. The correct form and fee depends on whether the matter is testate, intestate, small estate, refusal of letters, will only, or another decedent-estate filing.

Need
What it helps confirm
Best next step
Letters testamentary or administration
Who has authority to act as personal representative for the estate.
Search Case.net, then use forms/fee PDF and contact Probate Court if letters or certified copies are needed.
Small estate affidavit
Whether a simplified estate process may apply.
Check the official fee PDF and forms before assuming the estate qualifies.
Will filing or admission
Whether the will is being filed only, admitted only, or tied to a full estate case.
Confirm the correct filing type because the PDF lists different costs for will-related filings.
Certified or authenticated record
Whether the document can be used for banks, title, agencies, or legal filings.
Ask the court for the correct certified or authenticated record and current copy cost.
Guardianship and conservatorship

Guardianship, Conservatorship and Civil Commitment Matters

St. Louis County Probate Court handles guardianship and conservatorship matters for minors and adults, and the Probate Forms page includes mental health/civil commitment materials. These records can be more sensitive than ordinary estate docket information, so public access and online visibility may be limited.

Minor matters

Minor guardianship/conservatorship

The fee PDF separates minor guardianship/conservatorship filings based on whether service is required. Sibling cases may have special filing-fee treatment when filed the same day.

Adult matters

Adult guardian/conservator petitions

Adult protected-person cases can involve court supervision, service, reports, records limits, and ongoing duties.

Civil commitment

96-hour hold packet

The official forms page says the completed 96 Hour Hold Packet application and supporting documents must be filed in person at St. Louis County Probate Court.

Privacy warning: Guardianship, conservatorship, mental health, civil commitment, protected-person and sealed matters may involve restricted or confidential information. Do not expect every document to be publicly visible online.

Avoid wrong court

St. Louis County Probate Court vs St. Louis City Probate Division

St. Louis County and the independent City of St. Louis are not the same probate venue. St. Louis County Probate Court is in Clayton. St. Louis City probate matters are handled by the City’s circuit court system. A wrong venue search can produce no results, wrong forms, wrong fees, wrong address, or wrong certified-copy instructions.

Use St. Louis County

When the case belongs to the county

Use this page for probate matters tied to St. Louis County, Clayton, county residents, county property, county probate filings, or Case.net entries showing St. Louis County Probate Court.

Do not use county

When the case belongs to the city

Use St. Louis City probate resources only when the estate, ward, trust, or case belongs to the independent City of St. Louis.

Case.net check

Confirm county and division

On Case.net, check the circuit, county, division, parties and case number before requesting records or filing documents.

No result issue

Wrong venue can hide the answer

If you get no result, try alternate spelling, case number, litigant name, estate name, and the correct county/city court.

No result troubleshooting

Why a St. Louis County Probate Case May Not Show Up

A missing search result does not always mean no case exists. Missouri probate searches can fail because the wrong venue, wrong party name, wrong case type, or restricted-record category is being searched.

Wrong venue

Confirm St. Louis County versus St. Louis City. The same “St. Louis” wording can send users to the wrong court.

Name mismatch

Try decedent name, estate name, litigant name, guardian, conservator, trustee, attorney, or case number.

Restricted matter

Mental health, guardianship, protected-person, adoption, sealed, or confidential files may not display normally.

Older record

Older probate material may require a clerk request or archive path instead of a quick online search.

New filing

Recently filed matters may not be fully visible immediately. Verify with the court for urgent issues.

Wrong record type

You may need certified copies, authenticated records, letters, an order, or a full file rather than a docket page.

Map and visit help

St. Louis County Probate Court Map and Visit Checklist

The official Probate Court page lists St. Louis County Probate Court at 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. Verify hours, filing method, document list, cost deposit, and whether the matter requires in-person filing before visiting.

St. Louis County Probate Court — 21st Judicial Circuit

Address: 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105
Phone: 314-615-8029
Hours listed by court: Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

FAQs

St. Louis County Probate Court FAQs

Where is St. Louis County Probate Court located?

St. Louis County Probate Court is listed at 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105.

What is the St. Louis County Probate Court phone number?

The official Probate Court page lists the main phone number as 314-615-8029.

How do I search St. Louis County probate cases?

Use Missouri Case.net and St. Louis County Courts’ Find My Case page. Search by case number or litigant name, then confirm the county, division, parties and case type.

Where can I find St. Louis County probate forms?

Use the official St. Louis County Probate Forms page. It includes probate-related packets such as mental health/civil commitment and trust forms, and directs users to county court resources.

How much are St. Louis County probate filing fees?

The official fee PDF lists several cost deposits, including testate estate letters at $190.50, intestate estate letters at $155.50, small estate affidavit at $75.50, small estate with application to admit will at $110.50, trust registration at $85.50, adult guardian/conservator petition at $115.50, copies at $1.00 per page, authenticated fees at $4.50 plus $1.00 per page, and certified fees at $1.50 plus $1.00 per page. Verify current totals with the court before filing.

Is publication paid to the St. Louis County Probate Court?

The official filing-fee PDF says publication fees are no longer collected by the court and must be paid directly to the publisher.

Can I file a 96-hour hold packet online?

The official Probate Forms page says the 96 Hour Hold Packet application and supporting documents must be filed in person at St. Louis County Probate Court. In an emergency, contact 911.

Is St. Louis County Probate Court the same as St. Louis City Probate Court?

No. St. Louis County Probate Court is in Clayton and is separate from St. Louis City probate resources. Confirm the county, circuit, court division and case number before relying on a search result.

Why can’t I find a St. Louis County probate case online?

The case may be in St. Louis City, indexed under a different name, newly filed, older, sealed, restricted, guardianship-related, mental-health-related, or not fully visible through public online search. Contact the Probate Court when the record matters.

Can court staff tell me which probate form to use?

Court staff can usually provide procedural information, forms, filing routes, fee guidance and copy instructions. They cannot provide legal advice or choose your legal strategy. For legal advice, contact a Missouri probate attorney.

Best Next Step for St. Louis County Probate Court Help

For St. Louis County, Missouri probate help, start with the official Probate Court page, use Missouri Case.net for case lookup, confirm the matter belongs to St. Louis County rather than St. Louis City, use the official Probate Forms page for packets, review the filing-fee PDF before paying, and contact the court when certified, authenticated, restricted, or in-person filing rules matter.

This page is an independent informational guide published for ProbateCourtUSA.org. It is not St. Louis County Probate Court, St. Louis County Courts, Missouri Courts, a court office, or a law firm. Probate laws, court costs, forms, record access, office hours, filing rules, and copy requirements can change. Always verify urgent or official matters directly with St. Louis County Probate Court or a qualified Missouri attorney before acting.