Missouri court costs
When letters are applied for, section 488.012 lists a graduated fee from $75 below $10,000 to $365 above $500,000. The statute states these amounts apply before adjustment by the supreme court, which sets the operative figures by rule.
No statewide figure is published. Sources reviewed August 7, 2026. Latest primary-source re-fetch October 3, 2026.
The schedule below is stated in the statute as applying before adjustment by another authority, so it is shown as a labelled baseline rather than as the amount the clerk collects today. Confirm the current figure before relying on it.
Every line below is computed from the statutory schedule quoted at the end of this page. These are court charges only. They are not an estimate of the total cost of settling an estate.
These amounts are stated in the statute as applying before adjustment by another authority, so they are not the amount collected today. Section 488.012(2) directs the Missouri Supreme Court to set the operative court costs by rule. Confirm the current amount with the probate division of the circuit court.
These are the fee bands stated in the source. The worked examples below apply them to sample values; they do not replace the published thresholds.
| Value band | Published fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $9,999.99 | $75 |
| More than $9,999.99 to $25,000 | $115 |
| More than $25,000 to $50,000 | $155 |
| More than $50,000 to $100,000 | $245 |
| More than $100,000 to $500,000 | $305 |
| More than $500,000 | $365 |
| Charge | $25,000 estate | $100,000 estate | $400,000 estate | $1,000,000 estate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduated probate fee by estate value | $115 | $245 | $305 | $365 |
| Total from this schedule | $115 | $245 | $305 | $365 |
Section 488.012 states these amounts apply "prior to adjustment by the supreme court", and subsection 2 directs the supreme court to set the operative amounts by rule. Treat this schedule as the statutory baseline and confirm the current figure with the probate division before relying on it. The small-estate affidavit fee is set separately under section 483.580.
Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 488.012(16), Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Edition/currentness: Effective 28 Aug 2014. Verified October 3, 2026.
The Missouri caveats are listed once, on the Missouri overview.
Other costs: probate cost lines.
Reviewed source note: (16) When letters are applied for in probate proceedings, pursuant to section 483.580 , when the value of the estate is: (a) Less than $10,000 $ 75.00 (b) From $10,000 to $25,000 115.00 (c) From $25,000 to $50,000 155.00 (d) From $50,000 to $100,000 245.00 (e) From $100,000 to $500,000 305.00 (f) More than $500,000 365.00
Missouri record: 5/5 verified, 23 matched checks, latest source re-fetch October 3, 2026. Source record · method · report a correction