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Missouri Small Claims Court

Small Claims Court (a docket of the associate circuit division of Circuit Court), for claims up to $5,000.

Last checked November 1, 2026

The most you can ask for$5,000
LawyersLawyers allowed
Time to sue on a contract5 years
Good to know

Excludes interest and costs. Money claims only. Filing for more gives up the excess. No one can file more than 12 claims a year, and assigned claims cannot be filed.

Lawyers: Not required. Businesses can appear through an officer or authorized employee. A statute annotation says filing a trial de novo application is the practice of law.

How it works in Missouri

  1. Try to settle first, and get the exact legal name and address of the person or business.
  2. File in a county where a defendant lives, where a plaintiff lives and a defendant can be found, or where the events happened. The clerk must help with the forms.
  3. Pay the filing fee and service costs, or ask the judge to let you file without paying.
  4. Have the defendant served by certified mail or by the sheriff or a process server at least 10 days before the court date.
  5. Bring your evidence and witnesses. The hearing is informal, before a judge, with no jury.
  6. If you win, wait the 10-day appeal period before trying to collect.

What it costs

Varies by county. Two court schedules show about $20.50 to $25, plus about $11 to $15 for certified mail service.

How long you have to sue

Written contract5 years
Spoken agreement5 years
Damage to property5 years
Personal injury5 years

RSMo §§ 516.120, 516.110, 516.140. These are general limits. The clock can start late, pause or be much shorter, as it is for claims against a government agency.

If you lose

Either side can ask for a completely new trial (trial de novo) by filing an application within 10 days of the judgment, except after a consent judgment, and must pay a further fee.

No change found. RSMo § 482.305 has stayed at $5,000 since the 2011 amendment, effective 28 August 2011.

Sources

Cities in Missouri

MissouriKansas City16th Judicial Circuit Court of Jackson County, Small ClaimsMissouriSt. Louis22nd Judicial Circuit Court, City of St. Louis, Small Claims

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General information to help you get organized, last checked November 1, 2026. It isn't legal advice, and SueYou isn't a law firm. Laws change and every case is different, so confirm anything important with a lawyer or the court. No lawyer has reviewed this page yet.