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Missouri County
DeKalb County, Missouri
Maysville and northwest Missouri grain country - from Maysville's role as the governmental hub of one of northwest Missouri's quieter agricultural counties to DeKalb County's productive north Missouri farming (the county's rolling glaciated plains support corn, soybean, and cattle operations in a classic northwest Missouri agricultural landscape between St. Joseph and Chillicothe along US 36 - the county's farming communities reflect the traditional corn belt character of northwest Missouri's agricultural heartland along the Grand River watershed).
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency – confirm current phone via dekalbcountymo.com.
Sheriff: DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office – 109 W Main St, PO Box 317, Maysville, MO 64469 | (816) 449-5802 | Fax: (816) 449-5241; Sheriff Wes Raines. Note: the City of Maysville has no city police officer; the Sheriff’s Office serves as primary law enforcement for the entire county including Maysville.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-36 and MO-6/33 serve Maysville, the county seat, in northwest Missouri, part of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area (and the broader Kansas City combined statistical area). Cameron is the county’s largest city.
Notes: DeKalb County, organized February 25, 1845, is named for General Johann de Kalb (Baron de Kalb), a German-born officer in the American Revolution. Roughly 9,800-11,000 residents across 426 square miles of Glacial Plains prairie. Maysville was laid out in May 1845, its name likely a transfer from either the month of May or Maysville, Kentucky.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: DeKalb County Courthouse – 109 W Main Street, Maysville, MO 64469 | (816) 449-5402; NRHP-listed, built 1939 in Streamline Moderne style by architects Eckel & Aldrich – the county’s fourth courthouse.
Notes: Maysville holds two genuinely notable historical distinctions: Missouri’s first permanent Chautauqua (an educational/cultural assembly movement) was founded here in 1896 by Thomas J. Williamson, with its opening lecture, “Last Days of the Confederacy,” delivered by Confederate General John B. Gordon. Separately, James T. Blair Jr., who served as Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor (1949-1957) and then Governor (1957-1961), was born in Maysville; his father was a Missouri Supreme Court judge. Maysville’s oldest house, built of brick in 1854 by Dr. John Black, still stands near the courthouse and was vandalized by Union troops during the Civil War due to Black’s Confederate sympathies.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: DeKalb County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via dekalbcountymo.com.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via the Kansas City VA Medical Center; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
DeKalb County Library – 105 N Polk St, Maysville, MO 64469 | (816) 449-5695 | Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 10 AM-12 PM & 1:30-4 PM, Sat 10 AM-12 PM.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The DeKalb County Historical Society Museum (116 W Main St, Maysville), the historic Black House, and city fishing reservoirs (permits available at Maysville City Hall) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine 1896 Missouri Chautauqua origin and Governor James T. Blair Jr.’s Maysville birthplace are distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: DeKalb County Assessor – confirm current contact via dekalbcountymo.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated DeKalb County animal shelter was confirmed – flagged honestly rather than smoothed over. The City of Maysville handles pet licensing directly (rabies vaccination certificate required, $5 per tag) via City Hall; confirm current countywide options via dekalbcountymo.com or the Sheriff’s Office, (816) 449-5802.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: DeKalb County – confirm current contact via dekalbcountymo.com.
NOTES: DeKalb County is the fifth county in the fifth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine 1896 Missouri Chautauqua origin and Governor James T. Blair Jr.’s birthplace in Maysville 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 DeKalb County
DeKalb County is northwest Missouri’s Grand River watershed corn and soybean agricultural county – productive grain and livestock farming defines a county where Maysville provides governmental services to farm communities in the rolling northwest Missouri hills between St. Joseph and Chillicothe.
Maysville (the county seat, population ~1,200) is DeKalb County’s governmental hub, a small northwest Missouri county seat on US 36 serving the surrounding agricultural communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
DeKalb County Assessor at 109 W. Main Street, Maysville, MO 64469, phone 816-449-2212. MO assessed at percentage of true value.
Courts & Legal
DeKalb County Circuit Court at 109 W. Main Street, Maysville, MO 64469, phone 816-449-2602, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
109 W. Main St., Maysville, MO 64469
(816) 449-2602
Genealogy
County-level record sources
DeKalb County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated DeKalb County genealogical society 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
DeKalb County Circuit Court, Probate Division 109 W. Main Street (mail: P.O. Box 248), Maysville, MO 64469 (816) 449-2602 DeKalb County is in northwestern Missouri, seated in Maysville.
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
109 W. Main St., Maysville, MO 64469
(816) 449-5432
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
109 W. Main St., Maysville, MO 64469
(816) 449-2602
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Tri-County Health Department (Maysville Office) – 302 S Washington St, Maysville, MO 64469 | (816) 449-5706.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Maysville
Population: 13,000
Area: 424 sq mi
Established: 1845
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for DeKalb County residents.
