Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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: Knox County Emergency Management – 804 N Cotley St, Edina, MO 63537 | (660) 397-2566.
Sheriff: Knox County Sheriff’s Office – 107 N 4th St, Edina, MO 63537 | (660) 397-2186; Sheriff Carl K. Knoche.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: MO-6 and MO-15 serve Edina, the county seat, in northeast Missouri, between the North and South Forks of the South Fabius River.
Notes: Knox County, organized February 14, 1845, is named for General Henry Knox, U.S. Secretary of War under Washington. With roughly 3,700-3,750 residents across 507 square miles, it is the third-least populous county in Missouri. A Civil War battle was fought at Newark, involving Confederate guerrilla leader Joseph C. Porter, on August 1, 1862.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Knox County Courthouse – 107 N 4th Street, Edina, MO 63537 | (660) 397-2184.
Notes: The Knox County Historical Society and Museum, organized March 22, 1966, is located at 408 E. Lafayette Street in Edina and is open seasonally May through September (tours/events by special arrangement outside that window); confirm current hours via knoxcountymohistoricalsociety.com. Historical Society records at the courthouse include birth and death records from 1883-1890.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Knox County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via knoxcountymo.org.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Kirksville VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Knox County Branch Library (Northeast Missouri Library Service) – 118 South Main Street, Edina, MO 63537 | (660) 397-2460 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM, Sat 8 AM-Noon; also serves as a designated warming/cooling center.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Knox County Historical Society Museum and the Knox County Courthouse are the county’s primary points of local interest, alongside the surrounding South Fabius River farmland and outdoor recreation typical of rural northeast Missouri.
Notes: As one of Missouri’s smallest counties by population, Knox County’s civic life centers on its historical society and courthouse rather than large-scale attractions.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Knox County Assessor – confirm current contact via knoxcountymo.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated Knox County animal shelter was confirmed – flagged honestly rather than smoothed over. Confirm current options via knoxcountymo.org or the Sheriff’s Office, (660) 397-2186.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Knox County – confirm current contact via knoxcountymo.org.
NOTES: Knox County is the fourth county in the eighth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. As one of Missouri’s smallest counties by population, thin municipal infrastructure (including no confirmed dedicated animal shelter) is flagged honestly per this project’s standard. 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 Knox County County
Knox County is one of Missouri’s least populous counties – a North Fabius River agricultural community where Edina’s courthouse serves fewer than 4,000 residents in the rolling northeast Missouri farming landscape near Iowa, maintaining a traditional agricultural character that has persisted through the rural depopulation that has affected north Missouri for decades.
Edina (the county seat, population ~1,100) is Knox County’s governmental hub, a small northeast Missouri agricultural community on US 63 serving the county’s grain farming and cattle ranching communities in the rolling Missouri farmland near the Iowa border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Knox County Assessor at 107 N. 4th Street, Edina, MO 63537, phone 660-397-2184. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value.
Courts & Legal
Knox County Circuit Court at 107 N. 4th Street, Edina, MO 63537, phone 660-397-2184, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
107 N. 4th St., Edina, MO 63537
(660) 397-2184
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Knox County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Knox 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
Knox County Circuit Court, Probate Division 107 North 4th Street (mail: P.O. Box 116), Edina, MO 63537 (660) 397-3974 Knox County is in northeastern Missouri, seated in Edina.
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
107 N. 4th St., Edina, MO 63537
(660) 397-2121
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
107 N. 4th St., Edina, MO 63537
(660) 397-2184
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Knox
(660) 397-2131
Scotland County Hospital
scotlandcountyhospital.com (Memphis, MO — accessible)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Knox County Health Department – confirm current phone via knoxcountymo.org.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Edina
Population: 3,700
Area: 506 sq mi
Established: 1845
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Knox County County residents.
