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Small claims in Buchanan County covers money disputes up to $5,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Read on for the claim ceiling, the fees, the courthouse serving Buchanan County, the way the other side is notified, the cut-off dates, and each filing step. Squabble prepares the paperwork and files it on your behalf.
Buchanan County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Confirm the courthouse before you file. The court's own small-claims page carries its current filing location and hours, and Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
The nearest counties to Buchanan County are Andrew County and Platte County. About 83,574 people live in Buchanan County.
Paper filing is the route at this court, either in person or by post. Squabble puts the documents together in the form the clerk expects.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Residents of Buchanan County, Missouri, a county of 83,574 people, can bring small claims cases through the Missouri Small Claims Court, which handles claims up to $5000. Cases are heard at the Buchanan County Circuit Court, located at 411 Jules St in St Joseph, 64501. The court is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached at (816) 271-1462, and information is posted at http://5thcircuit.net/. Electronic filing is not available, so filings are handled at the courthouse. The county includes the communities of Agency, De Kalb, Easton, Faucett, Rushville, and Saint Joseph, and covers ZIP codes including 64401, 64440, 64443, 64448, 64484, 64502, 64503, 64504, 64505, 64506, 64507, and 64508. Buchanan County lies near Andrew County, Platte County, and Clinton County, each of which has its own courts for matters arising there.
These 6 places sit inside Buchanan County:
Agency, De Kalb, Easton, Faucett, Rushville, Saint Joseph.
ZIP codes:
Around 83,574 people live in Buchanan County. From St Joseph, Buchanan County Circuit Court is roughly 14 miles from the Platte County courthouse in Platte City.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Filing is generally possible in the county of the events or the county of the defendant.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Missouri, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? A claim above the ceiling can be trimmed to fit, or filed in full in the ordinary civil court. Trimming generally means writing off the remainder.
They are the same across all 13 Buchanan County ZIP codes, from 64401 onward. Buchanan County is under the same limits as nearby Andrew County and Platte County.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $5,000. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Buchanan County Circuit Court is the Buchanan County courthouse listed below. Buchanan County takes in Agency, De Kalb and Easton and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Fill in the claim, pick the courthouse that covers the dispute, and pay what the court charges.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
This is the route a Buchanan County case takes, whether it starts in 64401 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Buchanan County Circuit Court publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself. In Missouri, courts typically use certified mail, the sheriff or constable, delivery arranged by the court or email service where the court allows it.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Buchanan County address carries one of its 13 ZIP codes, 64401, 64440 and 64443 among them. Addresses in Buchanan County include places such as Agency, De Kalb and Easton.
There is a cut-off for bringing a case, counted from when the dispute began. Miss it and the claim can be barred entirely.
| Claim type | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 10 years |
| Oral contract | 5 years |
| Property damage | 5 years |
| Personal injury | 5 years |
The same periods apply in Buchanan County as in nearby Andrew County and Platte County, which are in the same state. Buchanan County, population about 83,574, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Missouri generally accrues interest at 9% per year before judgment (Mo. Rev. Stat. §408.020).
Interest can be calculated before filing using the Squabble interest calculator.
It is the same rate across all 13 Buchanan County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for Buchanan County, population about 83,574.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File with the Buchanan County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $25–$50 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Organize documents and exhibits so you can present them clearly at the hearing.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Describe the dispute to Eleanor. Squabble drafts the paperwork, puts it through a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and lodges it with the court.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Buchanan County takes in filings from 13 ZIP codes, 64401 first in the list. Agency, De Kalb and Easton are among the places in Buchanan County that filings come from.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Buchanan County has about 83,574 residents. Buchanan County Circuit Court sits at the 64501 address shown above.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
You can also ask the court to order the debtor to appear and disclose income and assets under oath. An unpaid judgment generally keeps accruing interest at the rate state law sets until it's satisfied.
Agency, De Kalb and Easton are among the Buchanan County places a judgment debtor may live in. Andrew County and Platte County are the counties nearest to Buchanan County.
Reviewed August 2026. Fees, limits and procedures are revised from time to time, so confirm them with the court before you file.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Buchanan County case for you.
