Missouri Probate Forms: Which Ones You Need and Where to Get Them

One of the first things that trips up estate administrators in Missouri is realizing there is no single packet of forms you can download and be done with it. Missouri probate forms are largely county-specific. The Circuit Court, Probate Division in Jackson County uses different versions of core forms than the one in St. Louis County or Greene County. The substance of the law is the same; the paperwork is not.

That said, there are specific forms — including several issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services — that apply statewide. Knowing which forms are county-issued versus state-issued, and where to get each one, is the first thing to get straight before you walk into any courthouse.

Death Certificates: Form VS-151BD and Why You Need More Than You Think

The first form most executors deal with is not a probate form at all. It is Form VS-151BD, the Application for Missouri Vital Record — Death, issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

Missouri death certificates cost $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. The price jumps if you come back later, so order enough copies upfront. Most estates need 10 to 15 certified copies — one each for the probate court, every financial institution holding accounts, the Department of Revenue for vehicle transfers, Social Security, pension administrators, insurance companies, and any real estate with a deed transfer.

You can order through the Missouri DHSS VitalChek system online, or in person at the county health department. If the death happened out of state but the decedent was a Missouri resident, you will need death certificates from the state where death occurred, not Missouri.

Form VS-151BD is available at Missouri vital records offices and through DHSS directly. Keep at least one original certified copy separate from the working set — courts and agencies will sometimes return copies, but not always, and some institutions require originals.

Missouri Vehicle Title Transfer Forms: Form 108 and Form 2305

Vehicle titles create their own paperwork stream, handled through the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) rather than the probate court.

Form 108 — Application for Missouri Title and License is the standard vehicle title transfer form. When a deceased person's vehicle needs to be transferred to an heir through the estate, Form 108 is the starting point. You will need the existing title, a certified death certificate, and documentation of your authority as personal representative (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court).

Missouri assesses a $25-per-month late title penalty capped at $200 for vehicle titles not transferred within 30 days of the ownership change. This applies even during estate administration, so do not let vehicle titles sit.

Form 2305 — Affidavit to Establish Title to Exempt Property is a more specific form that gets overlooked regularly. Under RSMo 474.250, a surviving spouse or minor children are entitled to claim one motor vehicle from the estate entirely free of creditor claims — no dollar cap, regardless of the vehicle's value. Form 2305 is the sworn affidavit used to make that claim directly through the DOR without going through the full probate process for the vehicle.

To use Form 2305, the surviving spouse must affirm that this is the only vehicle being claimed under the exempt property allowance and that the couple was not separated for more than one year at the time of death. The title transfer fee is $8.50 plus a $9 processing fee. This is significantly faster and cheaper than transferring the vehicle through full probate.

Form 4809 — Notice of Lien / Authorization to Remove Name handles two different situations: clearing an existing lien from a vehicle title, or removing a deceased co-owner's name from a title when the surviving co-owner takes the vehicle by operation of law. If the vehicle was jointly titled or had a lien the estate needs to resolve, Form 4809 is the one to use.

All DOR vehicle forms are available at Missouri license offices or at dor.mo.gov.

Missouri probate involves a lot of moving pieces across multiple agencies and court divisions. The Missouri Estate Settlement Guide organizes every step — forms, deadlines, court filings, and agency notifications — into one clear process so nothing slips through.

Probate Court Forms: Small Estate Affidavit and Refusal of Letters

For estates that qualify, Missouri offers a simplified process under RSMo 473.097: the Small Estate Affidavit. To use it, the net estate must not exceed $40,000, at least 30 days must have passed since the date of death, and no formal probate proceeding may have been opened.

There is no single statewide Small Estate Affidavit form. Courts issue their own county versions. The starting point for finding the right form is courts.mo.gov, where you can locate your county's Circuit Court, Probate Division contact information. Most counties have their forms available for download, or you can request them in person at the clerk's office. A bond is typically required even for the small estate affidavit process.

For larger estates, the primary court filings are the Petition for Probate and either Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will). These forms are also county-specific, issued by the Probate Division of the Circuit Court where the decedent was domiciled.

Application for Refusal of Letters (RSMo 473.090) is a form many families have never heard of but sometimes need. When no personal representative is appointed and the estate does not need formal administration, an eligible person — the surviving spouse, an adult child, a creditor — can file a Refusal of Letters to establish that no letters were issued. This matters for settling smaller accounts or documenting why probate was not opened. The form is filed with the Probate Division.

County filing fees vary and are not trivial. Jackson County charges $55.50, Greene County $70.50 to $73.50 depending on the type of proceeding, St. Louis County $75.50, and St. Louis City $100.50. Urban courts — particularly St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Jackson County — often expect or informally require attorney representation for estates above $15,000 or any estate that includes real property. If your estate includes real estate in one of these jurisdictions, factor that into your planning early.

The Medicaid Form Most Executors Forget: MO HealthNet Estate Notice

If the deceased received Medicaid benefits at any point — known in Missouri as MO HealthNet — the estate is required to notify the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) Cost Recovery Unit in Jefferson City before distributing assets to heirs.

This is not optional and it is not just a courtesy. The probate court will not close the estate and authorize final distribution until DSS has reviewed the claim and issued a release. If the decedent received MO HealthNet benefits after age 55, the state may assert a recovery claim against the estate.

The MO HealthNet Estate Notice form is submitted to the DSS Cost Recovery Unit in Jefferson City. It is not part of the standard set of court forms — it comes from DSS, not the Circuit Court. Many executors complete all of the court paperwork correctly and then hold up final distribution for months because they did not know about this requirement until the court flags it during the closing process.

Submit the MO HealthNet notice early in the administration process, not at the end. DSS can take weeks to respond, and the estate cannot move to final distribution until they do.

Where to Get the Right Forms for Your County

The practical answer for Missouri probate forms is: start with courts.mo.gov for court forms and dor.mo.gov for vehicle and property forms, then contact your specific county's Probate Division directly to confirm which versions they require.

The key contacts:

• Circuit Court Probate Division: Search by county at courts.mo.gov. Every county has a Probate Division; the clerk's office can tell you exactly which forms they require and what filing fees apply.
• Missouri Department of Revenue: dor.mo.gov for Forms 108, 2305, and 4809. DOR forms are consistent statewide.
• Missouri DHSS Vital Records: For Form VS-151BD death certificate applications.
• DSS Cost Recovery Unit: For MO HealthNet estate notification. Contact information is available through the Missouri Department of Social Services website.

If you are not sure which forms apply to your situation — or you have looked up the form and cannot figure out how to complete it correctly — the Missouri Estate Settlement Guide includes form-by-form instructions with examples, thresholds, and the order in which each filing needs to happen.

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