Missouri Probate Bonds,
Handled Simply.

Probate in Missouri is handled by the Probate Division of the Circuit Court. Every one of Missouri's 114 counties has a Circuit Court with a Probate Division, and the independent City of St. Louis has its own, for 115 jurisdictions in all. The Probate Division appoints the personal representative, oversees administration, and also handles guardianships and conservatorships.

Missouri is not a Uniform Probate Code state. It administers estates under Chapter 473 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, the Probate Code for decedents' estates. The estate fiduciary is called the personal representative, an executor when named in a will and an administrator when appointed without one. Missouri offers two paths, independent administration with limited court involvement and supervised administration with court approval of major steps. The bond rules sit in Sections 473.157 through 473.207.

Missouri imposes no state estate tax and no inheritance tax, so most estates face only the federal estate tax, which reaches only very large estates.

When a Missouri bond is required, the amount is set under RSMo Section 473.157 and adjusted under Section 473.197:

• Estate value plus income: The bond is set in an amount the court finds sufficient to cover the value of the personal property plus the income expected during administration.
• Court may adjust: Under Section 473.197 the court may require a bond, or increase or decrease the amount, at any time during administration as the value of the estate changes.
• Deposit in lieu of bond: Under Section 473.163, assets may be placed in a restricted account under an agreement with the surety, which can reduce the bond amount to the value of assets outside that account.
• Failure means removal: Under Section 473.200, letters are revoked if the personal representative fails to give a required bond.

Unlike Uniform Probate Code states, Missouri generally requires a bond unless it is waived or excused. Under RSMo Sections 473.157 and 473.160:

• Bond is the default: A personal representative is generally required to give bond to secure faithful performance before letters are issued.
• The will may waive it: A testator may relieve the personal representative of bond in the will, though the court may still require one for good cause.
• Court may dispense with it: Under Section 473.160 the court may decide a bond is not necessary and dispense with it, for example where a corporate fiduciary serves or assets are otherwise secured.
• Independent administration: An estate may be administered independently when the will authorizes it, or when all heirs or devisees consent and the will does not prohibit it, which often goes hand in hand with a waiver of bond.
• Court may still require it: Even where a bond was waived, the court may order one under Section 473.197 if circumstances warrant.

Filing a Missouri probate bond, when one is required, follows Chapter 473 and Probate Division practice:

• Filed before letters: The bond must be executed and filed with the court and approved by the judge or clerk before letters testamentary or of administration are issued.
• Filed in the right jurisdiction: The bond is filed with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court in the county, or in St. Louis City, where the decedent was domiciled at death.
• Surety appearance: Under Section 473.207, executing the bond is deemed an appearance by the surety, who consents to the court's jurisdiction in any proceeding on a breach of the bond.
• Nonresident agent: Under Section 473.117, a nonresident personal representative must designate a Missouri resident agent for service of process before letters issue.
• Restricted accounts: Where assets are placed in a restricted depository under Section 473.163, the original account agreement is filed with and held by the court like the bond.
• Bond stays in force: The bond remains in effect until the estate is settled and the court discharges the personal representative.

When a Missouri bond is required, the cost is a premium paid to the surety company. When the will waives bond or the court dispenses with it, there may be no premium at all.

• Typical rate range: Most Missouri probate bonds are priced at roughly 0.5% to 1% of the bond amount per year for well-qualified applicants. A $100,000 bond commonly costs between $500 and $1,000 per year.
• Minimum premium: Many sureties apply a minimum premium of about $100 to $150 for small bonds.
• Credit impact: Applicants with strong credit qualify for the lowest rates. Applicants with weaker credit may pay a higher rate or be asked for collateral.
• Reduced by restricted assets: Placing assets in a restricted account under Section 473.163 can lower the bond amount and the premium.
• Annual renewal: Missouri estates can stay open across more than one year, so the premium is charged annually until the court discharges the personal representative.
• Premium as an estate expense: Missouri courts generally allow the bond premium to be paid from estate assets as a cost of administration.

Beyond the standard personal representative bond, Missouri probate practice uses several additional bond types:

• Supervised Administration Bond: The personal representative bond in a court-supervised estate, where the court approves major actions and reviews settlements.
• Distributee Bond: Under Section 473.097, a person collecting a small estate by affidavit files a bond at least equal to the value of the personal property, unless the court dispenses with it.
• Conservator Bond: A conservator appointed under Chapter 475 to manage the estate of a minor or a disabled person is generally required to post a bond tied to the value of the protected estate.
• Guardian Bond: A guardian responsible for property may be required to post a bond on the same principles that apply to a conservator.
• Refusal of Letters Bond: A creditor seeking refusal of letters, or other parties in specific Chapter 473 proceedings, may be required to post a bond set by the court.

Missouri does not run a licensing board for private professional fiduciaries, but Chapter 473 places clear duties on every personal representative:

• Qualify before acting: A personal representative qualifies by accepting the office and filing any required bond, after which the court issues letters.
• Faithful administration: The bond secures the faithful performance of the personal representative's duties, and a breach can be summarily determined and enforced under Section 473.207.
• Independent or supervised: In independent administration the personal representative acts without court approval of each step but remains accountable, and any interested person may petition for supervised administration.
• Conservators and guardians: A conservator or guardian under Chapter 475 serves under continuing Probate Division supervision, files inventories and settlements, and maintains any bond the court sets.
• Corporate fiduciaries: A bank or trust company authorized to act as a fiduciary may serve, and the court often dispenses with bond for such a corporate fiduciary.

• Adair, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Kirksville)
• Andrew, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Savannah)
• Atchison, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Rock Port)
• Audrain, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Mexico)
• Barry, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Cassville)
• Barton, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Lamar)
• Bates, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Butler)
• Benton, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Warsaw)
• Bollinger, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Marble Hill)
• Boone, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Columbia)
• Buchanan, Circuit Court, Probate Division (St. Joseph)
• Butler, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Poplar Bluff)
• Caldwell, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Kingston)
• Callaway, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Fulton)
• Camden, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Camdenton)
• Cape Girardeau, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Jackson)
• Carroll, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Carrollton)
• Carter, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Van Buren)
• Cass, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Harrisonville)
• Cedar, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Stockton)
• Chariton, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Keytesville)
• Christian, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Ozark)
• Clark, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Kahoka)
• Clay, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Liberty)
• Clinton, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Plattsburg)
• Cole, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Jefferson City)
• Cooper, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Boonville)
• Crawford, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Steelville)
• Dade, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Greenfield)
• Dallas, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Buffalo)
• Daviess, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Gallatin)
• DeKalb, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Maysville)
• Dent, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Salem)
• Douglas, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Ava)
• Dunklin, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Kennett)
• Franklin, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Union)
• Gasconade, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Hermann)
• Gentry, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Albany)
• Greene, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Springfield)
• Grundy, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Trenton)
• Harrison, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Bethany)
• Henry, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Clinton)
• Hickory, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Hermitage)
• Holt, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Oregon)
• Howard, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Fayette)
• Howell, Circuit Court, Probate Division (West Plains)
• Iron, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Ironton)
• Jackson, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Independence)
• Jasper, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Carthage)
• Jefferson, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Hillsboro)
• Johnson, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Warrensburg)
• Knox, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Edina)
• Laclede, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Lebanon)
• Lafayette, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Lexington)
• Lawrence, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Mount Vernon)
• Lewis, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Monticello)
• Lincoln, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Troy)
• Linn, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Linneus)
• Livingston, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Chillicothe)
• Macon, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Macon)
• Madison, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Fredericktown)
• Maries, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Vienna)
• Marion, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Palmyra)
• McDonald, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Pineville)
• Mercer, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Princeton)
• Miller, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Tuscumbia)
• Mississippi, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Charleston)
• Moniteau, Circuit Court, Probate Division (California)
• Monroe, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Paris)
• Montgomery, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Montgomery City)
• Morgan, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Versailles)
• New Madrid, Circuit Court, Probate Division (New Madrid)
• Newton, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Neosho)
• Nodaway, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Maryville)
• Oregon, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Alton)
• Osage, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Linn)
• Ozark, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Gainesville)
• Pemiscot, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Caruthersville)
• Perry, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Perryville)
• Pettis, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Sedalia)
• Phelps, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Rolla)
• Pike, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Bowling Green)
• Platte, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Platte City)
• Polk, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Bolivar)
• Pulaski, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Waynesville)
• Putnam, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Unionville)
• Ralls, Circuit Court, Probate Division (New London)
• Randolph, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Huntsville)
• Ray, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Richmond)
• Reynolds, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Centerville)
• Ripley, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Doniphan)
• Saline, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Marshall)
• Schuyler, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Lancaster)
• Scotland, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Memphis)
• Scott, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Benton)
• Shannon, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Eminence)
• Shelby, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Shelbyville)
• St. Charles, Circuit Court, Probate Division (St. Charles)
• St. Clair, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Osceola)
• St. Francois, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Farmington)
• St. Louis, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Clayton)
• St. Louis City, Circuit Court, Probate Division (St. Louis)
• Ste. Genevieve, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Ste. Genevieve)
• Stoddard, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Bloomfield)
• Stone, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Galena)
• Sullivan, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Milan)
• Taney, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Forsyth)
• Texas, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Houston)
• Vernon, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Nevada)
• Warren, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Warrenton)
• Washington, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Potosi)
• Wayne, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Greenville)
• Webster, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Marshfield)
• Worth, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Grant City)
• Wright, Circuit Court, Probate Division (Hartville)