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Small claims in St. Louis County covers money disputes up to $5,000 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in St. Louis County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
Small claims are split between several hub courthouses across St. Louis County. The court assigns a case by ZIP code, following the defendant or the events.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Unsure where to file? The court publishes a locator that turns a ZIP code into a courthouse, and Squabble handles that step for you. Coverage is updated periodically, so verify before filing.
About 992,929 people live in St. Louis County. The nearest counties to St. Louis County are St. Charles County and Jefferson County.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
St. Louis County, Missouri, has a population of 992,929 and includes communities such as Ballwin, Chesterfield, Florissant, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, Valley Park, and Wildwood, along with ZIP codes including 63011, 63017, 63031, 63042, and 63074. Cases brought under the Missouri Small Claims Court system in this county are heard at the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, located at 105 South Central Ave in Clayton, 63105. The claim limit in Missouri Small Claims Court is $5,000. The Clayton courthouse operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached at (314) 615-2601, and information is posted at http://www.stlcountycourts.com/. Electronic filing is not available for small claims matters in this county. St. Louis County lies near St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and Franklin County. A separate court, the St. Louis City Circuit Court, sits at 10 North Tucker Blvd. in St. Louis, 63101, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 14 communities:
Allenton, Ballwin, Bridgeton, Chesterfield, Earth City, Eureka, Fenton, Florissant, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, Saint Ann, Saint Louis, Valley Park, Wildwood.
About 992,929 people live in St. Louis County. Circuit Court of St. Louis County in Clayton lies around 6 miles from the St. Charles County courthouse in St. Charles and 16 miles from the Jefferson County courthouse in Hillsboro.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, and a cap on what can be claimed.
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.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Missouri allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
St. Louis County is under the same limits as nearby St. Charles County and Jefferson County. These are the limits for St. Louis County, population about 992,929.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $5,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
St. Louis County takes in Allenton, Ballwin and Bridgeton and the rest of the county. St. Louis County has about 992,929 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
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.
Circuit Court of St. Louis County publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. This is the route a St. Louis County case takes, whether it starts in 63001 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve 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.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
The person who delivered the papers signs a proof of service. That document goes to the court ahead of 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.
St. Charles County and Jefferson County are the counties nearest to St. Louis County. A St. Louis County address carries one of its 94 ZIP codes, 63001, 63005 and 63006 among them.
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 St. Louis County as in nearby St. Charles County and Jefferson County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one St. Louis County ZIP code to another, 63001 included.
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 94 St. Louis County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for St. Louis County, population about 992,929.
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 at the St. Louis County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $25–$50 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
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.
Allenton, Ballwin and Bridgeton are among the places in St. Louis County that filings come from. St. Louis County has a population of about 992,929.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
St. Louis County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Allenton, Ballwin and Bridgeton are among the St. Louis County places a hearing can draw parties from.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from the debtor's bank account.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Allenton, Ballwin and Bridgeton are among the St. Louis County places a judgment debtor may live in. A St. Louis County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court before filing.
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 St. Louis County case for you.
