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Missouri · Mid-Missouri · #344 Most Populous County in the US
Boone County, Missouri
Missouri's university county and the "Athens of Missouri" - from Columbia's University of Missouri campus, Mizzou sports culture, and a thriving healthcare and technology economy to the rolling Missouri River bluffs, the state's fastest-growing metro, and the independent spirit of a college town that punches well above its population weight. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Boone County residents.
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Boone County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Boone County Office of Emergency Management – confirm current phone via boonemo.gov/oem; Police, Sheriff, Fire & EMS Dispatch (573) 442-6131.
Non-Emergency: Boone County 311 – a non-emergency law enforcement line answered by the same staff as 911, available to all Boone County residents to keep 911 lines free for true emergencies.
Sheriff: Boone County Sheriff’s Office – 2121 County Dr., Columbia, MO 65202 | (573) 875-1111 | Fax: (573) 874-8953 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Dwayne Carey.
Other Law Enforcement: Columbia Police Department (573) 874-7652; University of Missouri Police Department (573) 882-7201; Crime Stoppers (573) 875-8477.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-70 and US-63 serve Columbia, the county seat and Missouri’s fourth-largest city.
Notes: Boone County’s population is roughly 126,000-131,000, centered on Columbia. The Roger B. Wilson Boone County Government Center, 801 E. Walnut St., Columbia, MO 65201, houses most county offices, open Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Boone County Resource Management – 801 E. Walnut St., Rm. 315, Columbia, MO 65201-7732 | (573) 886-4330 / (573) 886-4339 / (573) 886-4480 | Fax: (573) 886-4340.
Notes: Columbia is genuinely nicknamed “The Athens of Missouri” and is virtually synonymous with the University of Missouri (Mizzou), established in 1839 – the first state university west of the Mississippi River and the first university founded within the Louisiana Purchase territory (Thomas Jefferson’s original tombstone was donated to the school by his heirs in 1883). The University of Missouri’s “Tigers” nickname genuinely traces to the Civil War, when Columbia residents organized to defend the town from Confederate raids and became known as “the fighting tigers of Columbia”; a quarter-century later an alumnus proposed “Tigers” for the newly formed football team in their honor. Columbia is also home to Stephens College and Columbia College, and hosts the internationally known True/False Film Festival.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Boone County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via boonemo.gov.
Federal: Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital – Columbia, MO, directly serving the county.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Daniel Boone Regional Library – 100 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65203 | (573) 443-3161; the system was founded in 1959, serving Boone and Callaway Counties; the Western Historical Manuscript Collection is separately housed at the University of Missouri’s Ellis Library, a joint collection with the State Historical Society of Missouri (founded 1898).
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The State Historical Society of Missouri, the Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Walters-Boone County Historical Museum, the Missouri Theatre, and the North Village Arts District are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Athens of Missouri” nickname and the University of Missouri’s founding as the first state university west of the Mississippi are distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Boone County Assessor – 801 E. Walnut St., Rm 143, Columbia, MO 65201-7733 | (573) 886-4270.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Central Missouri Humane Society – 616 Big Bear Blvd., Columbia, MO 65202 | (573) 443-7387 | Hours: Mon-Fri 12-6 PM, Sat 12-5 PM, Sun 12-3 PM; continuously operating since 1943, under contract with Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Animal Control Division to house impounded animals and provide veterinary services, plus a free public spay/neuter program. Note: Boone County does not require pet licenses countywide, but does require rabies immunization for all dogs and cats over 3 months old; the City of Columbia does require separate animal licensing for city residents.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Boone County Road & Bridge (formerly Public Works) – 5551 S. Tom Bass Road, Columbia, MO 65201 | (573) 449-8515 | Fax: (573) 875-1602.
NOTES: Boone County is the tenth county in the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “Athens of Missouri” nickname and the University of Missouri’s origins as the first state university west of the Mississippi are distinctive local facts. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Boone County
Boone County is Missouri’s fourth most populous county and the 344th most populous in the United States, covering 686 square miles of central Missouri between Kansas City and St. Louis.
Columbia (the county seat, population ~126,000) is one of Missouri’s most dynamic cities – a college town with a genuinely diverse economy that has sustained growth well beyond its university anchors. Columbia is home to three major institutions within a few miles: University of Missouri (Mizzou) (flagship campus, enrollment ~30,000, founded 1839 – the first public university west of the Mississippi River), Columbia College (a private liberal arts institution), and Stephens College (one of the oldest women’s colleges in the United States, founded 1833). The University of Missouri Health Care system is Columbia’s largest employer, providing regional medical services across mid-Missouri.
Columbia has earned the nickname “Athens of Missouri” and consistently ranks among the best places to live in the Midwest – with the cultural amenities of a major university, the cost of living of a mid-Missouri city, and an outdoor recreation culture centered on the Katy Trail State Park (the longest rail-to-trail conversion in the United States, 240 miles across Missouri).
Mizzou sports – particularly football (the Tigers compete in the SEC) and basketball – define much of Columbia’s social and cultural calendar. Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium and Mizzou Arena are significant community gathering points.
Columbia’s healthcare sector has grown dramatically – the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, MU Health Care, and a growing biotech and medical device cluster have made healthcare the county’s economic center of gravity alongside education.
Ashland (population ~5,000) and Centralia (population ~4,000) are smaller Boone County communities experiencing residential growth as Columbia’s suburbs expand.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Missouri assesses residential property at 19% of true value with reassessment in odd-numbered years.
The appeal process: File with the Boone County Board of Equalization at 801 E. Walnut, Rm. 143, Columbia, MO 65201, phone 573-886-4280. Deadline: third Monday in July of the reassessment year. If dissatisfied, appeal to the Missouri State Tax Commission. No MO estate or inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Boone County Board of Equalization: third Monday in July (odd years). Columbia university and healthcare market appreciation consistent. No MO estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Boone County Board of Equalization: third Monday in July (odd years). Columbia university and healthcare market appreciation consistent. No MO estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Circuit Court (Probate): The Boone County Circuit Court – 13th Judicial Circuit at 705 E. Walnut, Columbia, MO 65201, phone 573-886-4000, handles probate, estate administration, and all civil and criminal matters.
Recorder of Deeds: The Boone County Recorder of Deeds at 801 E. Walnut maintains real property records. Land records searchable online.
Senior Services
The Boone County Family Resources, Senior Services and the Mid-Missouri Area Agency on Aging at 1817 W. Broadway, Suite 1, Columbia, MO 65218, phone 573-443-5823, serve the county’s senior population with in-home services, caregiver support, nutrition programs, and transportation. MU Health Care provides world-class geriatric care.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living across Boone County - from Columbia to Ashland, Centralia, and the mid-Missouri communities.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
801 E. Walnut St., Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 886-4395
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Boone County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Boone County is home to both the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Missouri State Genealogical Association, making it an especially strong local hub for genealogical research.
Local societies
No dedicated county-specific genealogical society (separate from the statewide organizations headquartered here) was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Boone County Circuit Court, Probate Division 705 E. Walnut Street, Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 886-4000
Boone County is in central Missouri, seated in Columbia – home to the University of Missouri and the State Historical Society of Missouri.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Missouri probate is governed by Title XXXI of the Missouri Revised Statutes (Chapters 470-475), the Probate Code.
Small Estate Affidavit (RSMo § 473.097) – available when the entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $40,000. A 30-day waiting period after death applies, and only if no application for letters is pending. If the property listed is worth more than $15,000, the clerk must publish a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A bond may be required. Once the court issues a certified small estate certificate, the affiant presents it directly to whoever holds the property to collect and distribute assets – avoiding full probate. Typical timeline: about two months to close, versus six months to a year or more for full probate.
Formal Administration – required for larger or more complex estates. A petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one) is filed with the probate division. After review, the court appoints the personal representative and issues the letters. Missouri offers both supervised and independent administration. Missouri requires an attorney to represent the personal representative in both types of administration.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a petition with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, and gives direct notice to known creditors. Creditors have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
Within 30 days of appointment (unless the court extends the deadline), the personal representative files an inventory and appraisement of all estate assets.
After debts are paid and the creditor claim period expires, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and files a final settlement with the court to close the estate.
What it costs
Missouri sets statutory minimum fees for attorneys and personal representatives based on a percentage of the estate’s value, though additional fees may be allowed for extraordinary services.
Missouri has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
2121 County Dr., Columbia, MO 65202
(573) 875-7420
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
801 E. Walnut St., Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 886-4375
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Boone
(573) 882-7241
University of Missouri Health Care
uofmhealth.org (Columbia — major academic medical center; Level I Trauma; MU's flagship hospital system)
Boone Hospital Center
boone.org (Columbia — quality regional hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) – 1005 W. Worley St, Columbia, MO 65203.
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