Missouri Small Claims Court Kit: the $5,000 Limit, Filing Guide, Demand Letter, Evidence and Hearing Prep, and a Claim Calculator

Who it is for

People and small businesses with a money claim in Missouri that may fit under $5,000, and people who have been sued there and want the same organized record. Any person or business with a money claim against someone who owes them; you can't file for someone else or on an assigned claim. A minor needs an adult 'next friend'.

Not the right fit if

Your claim is outside Missouri, over its small claims limit, or needs a lawyer (an injury, a dispute over land, a family case). Not a form preparation or legal service.

Why it is different

• Built only from our Missouri small claims data file, checked November 2026 against Missouri Small Claims Court Handbook (The Missouri Bar, April 2021), hosted by the 13th Judicial Circuit on courts.mo.gov.
• 2 details aren't stated on those pages, so the kit leaves them out and lists them once to look up, with the official page.
• Official forms are linked, not copied, so you always file the court's current version.

What is inside

• Start here and is small claims right?. How to use the kit, the 7 confirmed Missouri facts at a glance, a short look-up list (filing fees, online filing) with the page to check, and a yes/no checklist: is the amount under $5,000, is it the right court, is there someone to serve and something to collect from.
• Missouri filing guide. Where and how to file, from the official pages: The county where the defendant lives or the transaction happened; where the plaintiff lives if the defendant can be found there; or where a business defendant has an office or registered agent.
• Service, the hearing and after in Missouri. Service: The court mails the summons by certified mail; if that fails, a process server or sheriff can serve for an extra fee. The defendant must get the summons at least 10 days before the court date. Lawyers are allowed. Appeal: Application for Trial de Novo within 10 days of the decision: a new trial before a different judge or a jury.
• Demand letter and response tracker. A neutral demand letter to fill in (what happened, the amount, a reply-by date, how to pay), a log of every reply and offer, and a short checklist before sending.
• Evidence organizer and hearing prep. An exhibit list numbered for the judge, a timeline, witness notes, a three-minute opening outline and a hearing-day packing list.
• Missouri small claims workbook (Excel). A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $5,000, a costs sheet, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.