Missouri Court Rules (2026)
Browse all nine rule sets with 1505 rules, each with plain-English summaries and committee notes. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules.
Missouri Court Rules & Rules of Practice
How this jurisdiction's courts and rules are organized, written for lawyers new to it: the court system, every ruleset a litigator touches, and how a case actually moves. Last verified September 24, 2026. For informational purposes only.
- Court System Overview
- The Ruleset Map
- Civil Litigation Mechanics
- Criminal Practice Mechanics
- Evidence
- Appellate Mechanics
- Rules of Professional Conduct
- Attorney Discipline & Enforcement
- Newcomer Orientation Notes
- Sources & Verification
Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure
Missouri Rules 41 through 103 govern civil practice in the circuit courts, covering commencement of an action, service of process, pleadings and motions, discovery, trial, judgments, executions and appeals, together with the rules for special actions including attachment, garnishment, habeas corpus, mandamus, partition and replevin.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules of Criminal Procedure
Missouri Rules 19 through 36 govern criminal practice for infractions, misdemeanors and felonies, covering indictment and information, arraignment, disclosure and depositions, trial, verdict and sentencing, release pending further proceedings, change of venue and judge, and appellate procedure in criminal cases.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules of Professional Conduct
Missouri Rules 4 and 5 govern the professional conduct of lawyers and the discipline of the bar, covering the client-lawyer relationship, the lawyer as counselor and advocate, transactions with persons other than clients, law firms and associations, public service, information about legal services, and the complaint and disciplinary process.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules of Appellate Procedure
Missouri Rules 81 through 84 govern appeals, covering the right to appeal and the notice of appeal, the record and briefs, transfer from the court of appeals to the supreme court, and procedure in all appellate courts including original remedial writs.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules Governing the Missouri Bar and the Judiciary
Missouri Rules 1 through 18 govern the bar and the judiciary, covering the citation of the rules, the Code of Judicial Conduct, admission to the bar, fees and the government of The Missouri Bar, the nonpartisan judicial commissions and judicial performance review, the Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline, certified court reporters, continuing legal education and alternative dispute resolution.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Court Operating Rules
The rules by which the Supreme Court of Missouri administers the state's courts, 204 rules across twenty-six Court Operating Rules. They are where the record-keeping and access requirements actually live, and they are cited by the Supreme Court Rules rather than restated in them. COR 2 governs public access to case and administrative records, including the redaction of confidential information and what may be reached remotely over the internet; COR 4 is the uniform record keeping system, whose 4.24 defines what counts as a confidential record and as confidential information for the whole judiciary; COR 8 is the retention and destruction schedule, stating how long every class of case file and administrative record must be kept. COR 5 covers preserving the record and ordering transcripts, COR 16 media coverage of proceedings, COR 19 court reporters and foreign language interpreters, COR 21 court costs and fees, and COR 27 electronic filing. COR 12 is the practice and procedure of the Missouri Judicial Finance Commission, in thirteen divisions of its own. Repealed rules are published with the order that repealed them, so a citation in an older opinion still resolves.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules of Practice and Procedure in Juvenile and Family Court Divisions
Missouri Rules 110 through 130 govern practice in the juvenile and family court divisions of the circuit court, covering all juvenile proceedings generally and then the separate rules for child abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, and status and delinquency proceedings, together with the rules for family court division commissioners.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules Governing Statutory and Ordinance Violations
Missouri Rules 37 and 38 govern the prosecution of ordinance violations and certain statutory violations, covering the uniform citation and information, arraignment and trial, fines and costs, violation bureaus, and the minimum operating standards for municipal divisions.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseMissouri Rules of the Small Claims Division of the Circuit Court
Missouri Rules 140 through 152 govern the small claims division of the circuit court, covering the commencement of an action, issuance and service of summons, counterclaims, trial, judgments, costs, appeals, self-representation, and the forms for the division.
Updated 2026 Edition
Browse